Spotlight On

Mission:
The Transition Network's mission is to provide life options for women over 50, by creating new models for retirement, work and volunteering, and helping women transition from the career phase of their life to the next phase.

Background:
TTN was founded in 2000, by two women planning to retire from senior roles in business and government. They searched for a group focused on the talents and needs of women aged 50 and over, who were looking to make retirement a dynamic and creative experience. When they didn't find an organization with that mission, they decided to create it themselves.

Today, TTN is a dynamic community of 1,400 women who represent a spectrum of professional backgrounds, with almost 500 paid members. Those members represent a variety of careers, including journalism, education, business, the arts, government and consulting. TTN membership has grown by 25% in the past year. Its current membership is primarily in New York City, with chapters starting in Long Island, Westchester County, New Jersey, Washington D.C. and other communities.

The largest group of members by age is 60 - 69, with the next largest aged 50 - 59. Members are about evenly divided among those who are retired, those who work part-time and those who work full-time. About half the members are married, half are not married.

TTN's members want to address a number of concerns as they make their transitions, including sustaining a sense of achievement, replacing their former work/identity structure, having fun, maintaining intellectual stimulation, achieving financial security and coping with changing family relationships.

To meet those needs, TTN plays a variety of important roles for its members and the community, as a

• Gateway for information and education about post-career choices,
• Community of peers offering camaraderie and support, good conversation, contacts and resources
• Clearinghouse for innovative volunteer projects with ongoing projects serving disadvantaged women and children, and a variety of one-time projects
• Advocate for this trailblazing generation, reinforcing positive images of older women, and redefining work, volunteering and retirement

Current Programs:

Peer groups offer 10 - 12 members the opportunity to explore issues of common interest in a comfortable, friendly community. TTN has over 30 peer groups today, of three types: 1) general transition, discussing a range of issues experienced by women in transition, such as identity, use of time, separation from professional colleagues, risk taking and body image; 2) social peer groups including book clubs or exploring New York City; 3) topic-oriented groups more narrowly focused on activities or issues, such as travel, writing, fiber arts or living without a partner. About 250 TTN members participate in those groups, which typically meet once a month.

Monthly educational events - TTN presents a monthly program on a topic of interest for members and the wider community, including women's roles in leadership on national issues, transforming aging in America, taking risks when you're over 50, memoir writing, health, finance, relationships and sexuality. More than 70 people attend most sessions.

Community service - Volunteer activities are a key element of TTN's mission, and TTN is at the forefront of offering meaningful volunteer activities to experienced individuals. Its best practices include volunteer coordinators, frequent communications, team volunteering, flexible schedules and a variety of projects. TTN's partner organizations include:

• Grace Institute, an organization focused on helping women develop new skills to move into white collar jobs, where TTN mentors offer encouragement, insights on work issues and coaching as a supplement to a 9 month educational program.
• The Family Center, an agency that works with grandparents and children of seriously ill, incarcerated or absent parents, where TTN volunteers are developing programs covering stress reduction, navigating the school system and memoir writing/scrapbooking, as well as social events.
• Marta Valle Secondary School, where members established a library, provide tutoring on writing and organize an annual Career Day.
• Medicare rights counseling for seniors, where TTN members are supporting an AARP/Medicare Rights Center program to offer advice at community centers.

Advocacy and Outreach

TTN has partnered with the 92nd St. Y to present programs demonstrating the value and energy of the older woman, including "Why Take Risks After 50?" and "Reinventing Volunteerism." It also presented a five-session series called "Embrace Life - Stay Healthy" co-sponsored with the West Side WMCA.

In 2006, TTN will pilot "Transition Workshops," offering an interactive program for women to identify their goals, assess their options and begin moving towards those goals.

TTN founder Charlotte Frank has been a featured speaker at conferences on aging, retirement and volunteerism.

Funding Needs:
To continue its growth and deepen its community impact, TTN needs funding for staff, office space and technology. TTN is also looking for funding to develop the Transition Workshops, a Volunteer Handbook and other materials that will leverage its members' experience to improve the quality of life for its members and our communities. Other needs include technology consulting and PR support.

Every month, the "Spotlight On" highlights the activities of a different 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in the tri-state region (NY, NJ, or CT). The selection of organizations for the "Spotlight On" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size, to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector.

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