I recently posted on my other blog about the book, Encore, by Marc Freedman. The subtitle is "Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life." A wonderful community around the ideas in the book is forming at Encore.org.

Now, Encore.org has released a study, co-sponsored by the MetLife Foundation, that provides statistics with implications for A Bigger Voice.

First, a bit of background. When I initially developed the concept of a A Bigger Voice as a roadmap for innovators with remarkable wisdom, I didn’t have a clear idea of what these innovators looked like or who they were. I only knew that their wisdom came from life experience, and it offered something new to the world.

Since starting the pilot, I’ve come to realize that A Bigger Voice best serves "digital immigrants" yearning for more meaning and impact and ready to take action.  These are some of the same people who are attracted to Encore.org, people who ask the following questions:

• How do I spread my ideas?
• How do I help individuals with my ideas?
• How do I influence decision makers?
• How do I engage a socially conscious audience?

In Encore’s terms, these are Career Makers, individuals who take a lifelong interest and parlay it into a job that helps others. Think social entrepreneurs.

Back to the Encore study, which is based on input from over 3,000 people, ages 44 to 70. Based on this sampling, the Encore findings speak to how many baby boomers want meaning and impact or are already pursuing it:

• 5.3 million to 8.4 million boomers are already in "encore careers," doing work that combines income and personal meaning with social impact. This is 9.5% of the entire 44-70 population.
• Another 44.7% of those 44-70 years old are interested in encore careers. Breaking down the numbers even further, 50% of those 44-50 years old are interested in encore careers. This works out to tens of millions of people.
• More than one third of those interested in encore careers would like to work as an advocate for a group of people or an issue they care about. That comes to over 13 million people.
• Forty percent of those interested in encore careers want to improve the quality of life in their community or in society.

How many of these people have remarkable wisdom that they want to use to create social change? Even if a small percentage of those interested in encore careers become social entrepreneurs, we’re still talking about LOTS of people.

ABV is one way to help this population fulfill their desire to have meaning and impact, while making use of their wisdom. I get excited when I think about the magnitude of numbers that this study points to, people ready to give more to the world. My thanks to Encore.org for making this data available.