WASHINGTON - Today, AARP announced the winners of the AARP Purpose Prize award. This annual award recognizes extraordinary nonprofit founders age 50 or older who are using their knowledge and life experience to make a difference. AARP will award each Purpose Prize winner $50,000 for their organization. Honorees will also receive a year of technical support to help broaden the scope of their organizations' work. From voter advocacy and health equity to STEM education and post-release support, the work of this year's honorees affects a variety of communities.

"We are proud to salute our AARP Purpose Prize winners, who are using the experience they have gained over a lifetime not only to fulfill their own purpose in life but also to create new solutions for how people live and age and solve pressing social problems," said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins.

Alongside the Purpose Prize winners, AARP is presenting Emmy award-winning actress, author and philanthropist Taraji P. Henson with an honorary Purpose Prize award for her founding of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (BLHF). Founded in 2018, the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation was born out of a deeply personal journey of loss and frustration. Henson, alongside her best friend Tracie Jade Jenkins, embarked on a mission to honor the legacy of Taraji's father, Boris Lawrence Henson, who battled untreated mental health issues after returning from the Vietnam War. They established BLHF with a clear mission: to destigmatize mental health within marginalized communities and enhance accessibility. With a focus on providing vital mental health resources and fostering an environment of understanding and acceptance, BLHF encourages members of marginalized communities to seek help and support without fear or shame.

Recipients and their organizations will be honored during an in-person celebration in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 1, 2024. For more information, go to aarp.org/purposeprize.