The Northland Foundation

The Northland Foundation, which serves seven northeastern counties in Minnesota, including Koochiching, was a participant in an aging initiative financed by The Atlantic Philanthropies. It conducted a regional study focused on civic engagement of persons over 55. You might be interested in key findings:

􀂃 Paid Employment—Similar to findings from national research, financial necessity is the primary reason cited by study participants as to why people 55 and older continue working past the traditional retirement age. Barriers to employment include health and physical limitations, transportation issues, lack of jobs, and ageism. With estimates of 75,000 people planning to retire during the next 10 years, coupled with the out-migration of students, the barrier of age bias has particular ramifications for this predominantly rural region.

􀂃 Lifelong Learning—Over 80 percent of the study participants have engaged in some type of informal or formal learning opportunities since their 50th birthday. The most common reasons identified for participating in these activities are to increase knowledge and skills, help with career or fulfill a job requirement, contribute to mental and physical well-being, enjoy of social interactions, and pursue a lifelong passion for learning. Key barriers to participation in lifelong learning include: transportation issues, fear or lack of confidence, cost, caregiving responsibilities, lack of awareness, and health and physical limitations.

􀂃 Volunteerism—A large number of people 55 and older in this region volunteer in a broad array of organizations from nonprofits, to congregations, to elected offices, to programs for children and youth. Nearly 90 percent of the interviewees have volunteered during the past year. Helping the community is the number one reason cited as to why people volunteer. This is followed by a sense of purpose or civic duty, desire to stay active and engaged, and enjoyment of social interactions. Factors that facilitate volunteering are: having time to give, desire to help others, access to transportation/ability to drive, good health, financial security, and supportive family or employers. Key barriers to volunteering include: lack of awareness, transportation issues, and health and physical limitations.

For more information about the regional assessment please contact mary@northlandfdn.org. To learn more about the Northland Foundation, visit www.northlandfdn.org.

Myrna Meadows, NRS, International Falls