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Annual Award Recognizes Those Who Make a Powerful Difference in Their Community
AARP is now accepting nominations for its 2025 Minnesota Andrus Award for Community Service, which honors Minnesotans 50-plus who are sharing their experience, talent, and skills to enrich the lives of their community members.
The annual award is named after AARP's founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, who founded AARP in 1958 at the age of 73.
Volunteers across Minnesota are making significant impacts in communities every day. Honor their dedication, commitment, and creativity with a nomination for AARP’s most prestigious and visible state volunteer award for community service!
Nominate an exceptional 50+ volunteer who meets the below eligibility guidelines.
Nominations for Minnesota close on July 15.
Who is eligible to be nominated?
Who can submit nominations?
What are the selection criteria?
Who is eligible to be nominated?
Nominees for the AARP State Andrus Award for Community Service must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Nominees must be 50 years old or older
- The achievement, accomplishments or service on which nominations are based must have been performed on a volunteer basis, without pay (volunteers receiving small stipends to cover costs associated with the volunteer activity are eligible)
- The achievements, accomplishments or service on which the nominations are based must reflect AARP’s vision and purpose
- The achievements, accomplishments or service on which the nominations are based must be replicable and inspire others to serve
- Partisan political achievements, accomplishments or service may not be considered
- Elected or appointed officials currently serving in office are not eligible
- Candidates currently campaigning for an elected office are not eligible
- Married couples or domestic partners who perform service together are eligible; however, teams are not
- The recipient does not need to be an AARP volunteer or an AARP member
- The recipient must live in the awarding state
- Previous Andrus Award recipients are not eligible
- Volunteers serving on the Andrus Award selection committee are not eligible
- Volunteers serving on the Andrus Award selection committee are not eligible
- AARP staff members are not eligible
- This is not a posthumous award
Who can submit nominations?
Nominations for the AARP State Andrus Award for Community Service may be submitted by AARP members, volunteers, and chapter or unit members. Nominations also may be submitted by external organizations or groups and by members of the public at large. AARP staff and selection committee members may not submit nominations.
What are the selection criteria?
Selection of AARP State Andrus Award for Community Service recipients will be based on answers submitted to the following questions:
- Please describe the volunteer work that inspired you to nominate this individual for the award.
- How has the nominee's work supported AARP's vision and purpose?
- How has the work of the nominee improved the community or enhanced the lives of its residents for/whom the work was performed?
- What is inspiring, courageous, unusual or innovative about the nominee's achievement?
- How has the nominee's work impacted other volunteers or inspired others to volunteer?
Nancy Alvarado, volunteer founder of Bricks to Bread, was awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. Read more about Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service.
What is AARP's vision?
A society in which everyone ages with dignity and purpose and in which AARP helps people fulfill their goals and dreams.
What is AARP's purpose?
AARP empowers people to choose how they live as they age.
Give your time and talent — in person or from home — to improve the lives of older Americans and their families. We are looking for volunteers across Minnesota to make a difference in your community.
Contact AARP Minnesota
Contact information and more from your state office. Learn what we are doing to champion social change and help you live your best life.