Applicants must be US citizens living in the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia, who are at least fifty (50) years old as of the date of entry and who started the work for which they are applying for at the age of forty (40) or older. 󠆺There must also be a connection between the Applicant’s own life and their work. Applicants must have founded a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) non-profit organization with its principal place of business located in the United States in good standing in its state of origin and tax exemption under the Internal Revenue Code at the time of Applicant’s submission and throughout the Purpose Prize Contest selection process (“Founded Non-profit”). The mission of the Founded Non-profit should be consistent with the Applicant’s social impact work.
Officers, directors, and employees of AARP (“Sponsor”), its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising/promotion agencies, and/or their affiliates, assigns, agents, vendors or representatives (hereinafter referred to collectively as “Sponsor & Others”), and all other persons or entities associated with the development, administration, judging, promotion, execution of this Purpose Prize Contest are not eligible to apply. AARP-appointed volunteers and staff and their immediate family members are not allowed to apply. Former AARP-appointed volunteers and staff and their immediate family members may apply only after a seven (7) year grace period. Additionally, past Purpose Prize and AARP Purpose Prize Winners, past Fellows from the previous two (2) years of AARP Purpose Prize classes, current AARP or AARP Foundation grantees, elected officials, individuals involved in a project that is exclusively religious or sectarian, individuals that work for organizations that share a board member with AARP and members of the same household and immediate families, (e.g. parents, children, spouse, siblings) are not eligible.
