This evaluation of Atlantic's grantmaking to support the economic security of low-income elders identifies elements most likely to help advance a policy agenda when working in a politically charged environment:
The evaluation examined five projects that comprised a multi-pronged effort to improve the financial resources of retired adults. Goals included boosting enrollment in an array of social safety net programs and protecting and strengthening retirement policies. To achieve their goals, grantees used a mix of research and data, advocacy, communications, grassroots training and mobilization.
Over the course of their work, grantees connected elders to available benefits, promoted state-level reforms to retirement programs, changed the narrative on social security, and exposed the gap between the cost of living and actual elder incomes.