Mission:
To enhance the quality of life for all people as they age, leading positive social change and delivering value to members through information, advocacy, and service.

Background:
Founded in 1958, AARP is a nonprofit membership organization that helps people age 50 and over improve the quality of their lives by advocating on behalf of its members; serving communities nationwide through various programs, including Create the Good and the AARP Foundation; and conducting research on aging-related subjects. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AARP has offices in all fifty states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The organization's Web site was redesigned last year with an increased focus on social networking after new research found that 27 percent of aging Americans age 50 and over use social media sites, with Facebook the most popular (23 percent).

Outstanding Web Features:
The revamped AARP site includes an online community where registered users can create a personal profile, share and browse photos, chat with other members, create a group for people with similar interests, start a blog, and comment and give a thumbs-up on the organization's articles. The site also includes a guide page for new community members, online games, videos, a blog, and articles on a range of topics — from health to technology — sorted by subject area. Visitors to the site also can browse various how-to guides, search for product discounts offered by third parties, find volunteer information, use the charitable giving calculator, and become an AARP member.