AARP Foundation EIN 52-0794300

AARP Foundation

EIN  52-0794300 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Washington, DC Founded 1961
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 7/5/26 · see original filing: IRS
Is this your organization?
Claim this profile to manage it and share your story.
Claim
Provided by the organization

This section is blank until AARP Foundation claims this page.

Know this organization? Claim it to add your story

Size
$100M+
What they do
Helps vulnerable adults over 50 overcome poverty by securing essential needs, reducing employment barriers, and fighting for their rights through legal advocacy and litigation.
Leadership
Patricia D Shannon · CFO & Senior Vice President · $493K
Money in and out
$202.9M revenue, $194.4M expenses
Bottom line
78% program efficiency

Helps vulnerable adults over 50 overcome poverty by securing essential needs, reducing employment barriers, and fighting for their rights through legal advocacy and litigation. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $202.9M in revenue, $194.4M in expenses, and $673.1M in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$202.9M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$194.4M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$673.1M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $8.5M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.78 Management & general $0.09 Fundraising $0.12
Program efficiency
78%
of spending reaches programs▲ +2% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
43.2mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +4% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+4%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +144% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$202.9M
FY2024▲ +16%
Expenses
$194.4M
FY2024▲ +1%
Total assets
$728.0M
FY2024▲ +5%
Total liabilities
$54.8M
FY2024▼ -5%
Total revenue
$202.9M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$194.4M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$673.1M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$8.5M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$728.0M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B78%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 313
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 412
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $126.9M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Economic mobility programs provide direct services nationwide to older adults with low income who are seeking training and employment. This includes the senior community service employment program (scsep), back to work 50+, and other workforce development initiatives, which connect unemployed adults age 55 and older with training…

$97.1Mprogram expense
02

Volunteer programs provide support for teams of volunteers that help older adults with low income and bring a sense of purpose back into the lives of older adult volunteers. This includes aarp foundation tax-aide, which relies on more than 28,000 volunteers nationwide to provide free tax preparation and filing assistance, especially to…

$23.3Mprogram expense
03

Litigation programs engage in litigation to ensure that older adults have a voice and proper representation in the legal system. The foundation's attorneys file and support lawsuits that have a significant impact on senior poverty by reducing barriers to employment, increasing access to public and private benefits, and protecting…

$6.6Mprogram expense

Run this program? Claim this org to tell your story

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CAARP Foundation
EINHdr · item D52-0794300
Principal addressHdr · item CWashington, DC
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.aarp.org/foundation
Year of formationHdr · item L1961
State of legal domicileHdr · item MDC
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFHuman Services (P81)
Ruling yearIRS BMFMay 1963

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a13
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b12
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
CFO & Senior Vice President
$492,831Pt VII · Sec A
President
$490,291Pt VII · Sec A
SVP - Programs
$386,451Pt VII · Sec A
SVP - Litigation
$363,132Pt VII · Sec A
SVP - Marketing & Communications
$338,169Pt VII · Sec A
VP - Finance, Grants, & Ops
$320,498Pt VII · Sec A
VP - Integration (until 4/12/24)
$317,264Pt VII · Sec A
VP - Corp & Fdn Rels (until 11/4/24)
$300,886Pt VII · Sec A

Patricia D Shannon’s $493K as CFO & Senior Vice President is at the 64th percentile of top reported officer pay among 249 $100M+ human services nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
David Whitehead$642,908$380,743
Lisa Marsh Ryerson$508,822$483,801
Patricia D Shannon$492,831$439,532$420,568
Claire Casey$490,291
Patricia D Shannon$463,762$450,062
Claire Casey$428,575
Emily S Allen - SVP Programs$390,855$362,139
Emily S Allen$386,451$358,542$336,388

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See AARP Foundation executive salaries →

Are you one of these people? Claim this org to confirm your role

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$161.7M · 80%
Investment income$40.8M · 20%
Contributions & grants80%$161.7M
Investment income20%$40.8M
Program service revenue$383K
Other revenue$58K
— government grantsLn 1e$103.8M
Total revenueLn 12$202.9M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.78 Management & general $0.09 Fundraising $0.12
Program services78%$152.2M
Management & general9%$18.3M
Fundraising12%$23.9M
Total functional expensesLn 25$194.4M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$11.3M
Total assetsLn 16$728.0M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$54.8M
Total net assetsLn 32$673.1M
Months of cash on handcomputed0.7

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $697.5M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $194.4M · Less non-cash grants $474K · Cash operating expenses/yr $193.9M
43.2 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $152.2M · Total expenses $194.4M
78%
Management & General
Management & general $18.3M · Total expenses $194.4M
9%
Fundraising
Fundraising $23.9M · Total expenses $194.4M
12%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $24.2M · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $63.6M
$0.38 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $161.7M · Total revenue $202.9M
80%
Government reliance
Government grants $103.8M · Total revenue $202.9M
51%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $383K · Total revenue $202.9M
0%
Investment reliance
Investment income $40.8M · Total revenue $202.9M
+20%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $383K · Total expenses $194.4M
0%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $202.9M · Prior year $175.2M
+16%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $186.5M · FY2024 $202.9M
+2%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $673.1M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $202.9M · Expenses $194.4M
+4%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $728.0M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $673.1M · Total assets $728.0M
92%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $337.3M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $348.9M · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $728.0M
94%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Patricia D Shannon · Reported title CFO & SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT · Highest reported compensation $493K · Total expenses $194.4M
0%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $46.4M · Total expenses $194.4M
24%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 78%
Overhead ratio 9%
Fundraising cost ratio 15%
Revenue growth 16%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 0%
Accounting fee ratio 0%
Fundraising fee ratio 1%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
See all 15 funders →
Grants paid · 548 grants · $383.2M · 2020–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$67,994,487
University of California College of the Law San FranciscoFY2024$677,147
Code for America Labs INCCA · FY2024$531,542
SbpLA · FY2024$350,000
Info Line of San Diego CountyCA · FY2024$350,000
Literations CorpMA · FY2024$339,195
Sc ThriveSC · FY2024$336,108
Aster Aging INCAZ · FY2024$306,000
Housing Assistance CouncilDC · FY2024$250,000
Read to Succeed Buffalo INCNY · FY2024$245,796
AARPDC · FY2024$209,413
Hunger Free America INCNY · FY2024$200,000
Feeding the Gulf CoastAL · FY2024$200,000
Beloved AshevilleNC · FY2024$200,000
See all 548 grants →

Similar Organizations

Closest in mission — by what they do
See all organizations like AARP Foundation →

Compare

Search another nonprofit to view revenue, expenses, assets, key metrics, and leaders side by side

Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024 (Latest)$202.9M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$175.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$203.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$254.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$186.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

Want to add your own materials alongside these filings? Claim this org

Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

If you ARE the filing organization, claim this org and add context

Made it to the end? Claim this organization

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the peer-cohort and compensation comparisons above.