Each week, two women in their 90s ride the bus to Ithaca College from the nearby Longview retirement community to audit a course at the New York institution. Residents of the retirement community Oak Hammock at the University of Florida take language courses—and arrive by the busload to attend football games. Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at American University in Washington, D.C., volunteer to lead study groups or contribute to the newsletter.

The lifelong learners on these campuses are advancement professionals' dream supporters: They're loyal to the institution, they have plenty of free time, and they're passionate about education and giving back to society. That retired teacher volunteering to hold a class on Shakespearean plays? The community member who likes to audit business courses? They could be untapped sources for volunteering, leading, or fundraising—and they aren't necessarily your alumni.

More than 400 lifelong learning institutes exist in the United States—some are independent, others are affiliated with college campuses, and 119 are Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes funded by the Bernard Osher Foundation. No two learning-in-retirement programs are alike. American University receives a $1 million endowment for its OLLI, but the center essentially runs independently of the institution. Conversely, the Institute for Learning in Retirement at the University of Florida is closely affiliated with the institution, and university and community members make up the board at Oak Hammock. Some lifelong learning centers schedule nearly 100 classes each semester; others offer a dozen. Retirement communities associated with universities range from independent living apartments to complete-care nursing homes.

Most lifelong learning institutes are run and taught by volunteers, with few paid full-time staffers. The folks they attract are enthusiastic about education. Older adults are also eager to stay active and give back to their community, says Peter Spiers, senior vice president for strategic outreach at the educational travel organization Road Scholar, a program within Elderhostel, a not-for-profit organization that provides lifelong learning opportunities. Sixty-five percent of Road Scholar participants volunteered in the past six months.

"There is a volunteer gene in this age group," Spiers says. "We have a lot of retired teachers, and I see a theme of education in their community service. These are things that colleges can tap into."

Giving back and getting back

Every spring semester, professor Christine Pogorzala teaches a memory loss and aging course to students at Ithaca College. Sprinkled among the classmates are a few older students from Longview, the retirement community that sits on college-owned land

The college's partnership with the community (originally an adult care facility called Ithacare) stretches back to the 1970s, but about 15 years ago students from Ithaca started working and taking classes with residents at Longview. Today, Ithaca work-study students continue to walk the halls of the retirement community and lead group social activities. Students from the therapeutic majors in Ithaca's Center for Life Skills program work three times a week with people suffering from various neurological problems, including head injuries and strokes. An Ithaca football player (who started visiting for a service learning project and liked it so much he returns regularly) makes quilts with the help of the Longview quilt group, while on another floor, an intergenerational choir practices "Jingle Bells."

"For older people, these interactions are ways for them to give back in terms of their experiences, to be role models for how people can age," Pogorzala says. "There are so many possibilities—it's been great."

The Institute for Learning in Retirement at the University of Florida, founded in 2001, offers courses ranging from the history of jazz to political election analysis, taught by university faculty. Three years after the ILR launched, Oak Hammock opened its doors. Residents of Oak Hammock attend events and performances at the athletic and cultural centers on campus and can audit classes.

ILR members are also involved in the community. Some visit elementary schools to tutor or read to the children. Members also volunteer at local hospitals to help with babies in the neonatal care unit or assist families in emergency room areas. 

That charitable spirit adds up financially. Last year, Mayor Edward Braddy of Gainesville declared that the economic impact of Oak Hammock residents was $100 million over the past 10 years. They have also given more than $21.5 million to the University of Florida since 2004.

Encore performances and passions

Universities are interested in broadening the ways they serve alumni and adding value to their experiences beyond the one-day event or weekend reunion. Some institutions have started to develop robust programs to help older adults discover new professional interests or sharpen their skills and talents.

At the nonprofit Encore.org, Barbara Vacarr works with university leaders to create innovative ways to engage retirees or adults looking to transition to a second career—and to do it quickly. "They are not looking for long-term programs. They don't want to spend years getting a degree, nor spend their life savings on it," says Vacarr, director of the higher education initiative. "They are looking for alternative means—certificates, badges—something that acknowledges experience and certifies the transition to a new career path."

Many of these new paths head toward careers focused on social good. The University of Washington last year launched an Encore initiative with alumni and UW retirees that includes workshops and lectures on citizenship and transitions, as well as a fellows program to give "older adults the chance to make meaningful contributions for the greater good," according to UW's website. Pace University's program focuses on New Yorkers wanting to transition to the nonprofit and public service sectors, and the five-session program introduces participants to leaders in these areas.

"There are lots of ways that people give and give back, not only financially," says Vacarr, who wants to see an Encore transition program in every university's alumni office. "Universities can be important stakeholders in encouraging this transition. It's an opportunity to engage not only alumni but also people in the community."

A new alma mater

Lifelong learning institutes create strong subcommunities on college campuses. Beyond the education aspect, social events forge bonds that instill a sense of pride and belonging. A weekend program on retirement paths sponsored by the OLLI at the University of North Carolina at Asheville sparked participant Anne Sayers to move from Raleigh to Asheville to be closer to her new community and explore a new life.

"They think of it as their new alma mater," says Anne Wallace, executive director at American University's OLLI, who adds that many members give back financially. "They will add [a gift] on their registration form. We also have an end-of-the-year giving request. We've got savings at this point."

Because many centers count on volunteers to lead and teach, members are willing to jump in and help. American's OLLI relies on about 250 volunteers a year—from curriculum boards to study group representatives to newsletter and blog writers—with a small paid staff.

"We hardly ever advertise," Wallace says. "It's all word of mouth. Our enrollment goes up by 10 percent every year."

Community colleges are also working to increase awareness among older alumni and community members. In 2011, Bob Cahen, executive director of the Lakeland Community College Foundation, developed programming to target older adults who might eventually give back financially.

He took advantage of a new high-tech campus building to host virtual museum visits for alumni and community members. Participants in these events—well-educated retirees with a passion for learning—get backstage tours of Civil War or presidential museums without ever leaving Kirkland, Ohio. And Cahen and his staff get their contact information to make sure they stay engaged with the college.

"The hypothesis you hear is that people who go on to four-year colleges, their main allegiance is to the four-year college, not the two-year community college they started at. But that's not true," Cahen says. "Many of our donors talk about how this is where they got their start. You have to reignite a passion within them, get them to remember a class they took, a friend they met, or a professor they liked, and then I think we are competitive for their passion with their four-year college."

Lifelong learning institutes might attract more local residents than alumni, but even if they didn't earn a degree from your institution they shouldn't be overlooked. Consider the center as a way to build a new base of donors and volunteers.

"These are absolutely the kind of people colleges should be targeting," Cahen says. "Our college's relationship with them is so much stronger than it would've been otherwise, and there will be dollars coming out of it that will make a difference in some student's life 30-odd years from now."