The sixth annual awards program honors SAGECents as one of the world’s top programs driving change
NEW YORK (May 4, 2022) – The winners of Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards were announced yesterday, honoring creative works that are supporting the growth of positive social innovation, tackling social inequality, climate change and public health crises. SAGECents was honored to be recognized as a finalist in this year’s Wellness category.
SAGECents is a digital wellness platform for LGBTQ+ elders to increase financial stability and reduce economic stress. It was created by the national LGBTQ+ advocacy organization SAGE, in partnership with LifeCents and with generous support from the Wells Fargo Foundation. With one-third of LGBTQ+ elders living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, SAGECents helps ensure they access to resources that will support their financial literacy and stability as they navigate the unprecedented environment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the platform launched in August 2020, SAGECents has had users in 49 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Overall, 87% of users expect to maintain or improve their financial situation over the next year. More than half of SAGECents users have increased savings by $620, and 62% have reduced debt by an average of $630.
“It’s an incredible honor for SAGECents to receive such a high recognition from Fast Company,” said Christina DaCosta, Senior Director of Communications for SAGE. “Providing easy access to financial literacy resources, among other initiatives, allows our older LGBTQ+ community to take control of their finances and understand the ins and outs of an ever-changing economic landscape. SAGECents is just one of SAGE’s innovative programs designed to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ elders across the country.”
Now in its sixth year, the World Changing Ideas Awards showcase 39 winners, 350 finalists and more than 600 honorable mentions – with climate, social justice and AI/data among the most popular categories. A panel of eminent Fast Company editors and reporters selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 2,997 entries across transportation, education, food, politics, technology, health, social justice and more. The 2022 awards feature entries from across the globe, from Switzerland to Hong Kong to Australia.
“We are incredibly grateful that our work on the SAGECents initiative and its importance to the LGBTQ+ community has been recognized by the editors at Fast Company for such a prestigious award,” said Blake Allison, Founder and CEO of LifeCents. “We are equally honored to continue to work with SAGE and to support the outstanding work they do to improve the lives of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Fast Company’s Summer 2022 issue (on newsstands May 10, 2022) will showcase some of the world’s most inventive entrepreneurs and companies tackling global challenges. The issues highlight, among others, probiotics for coral reefs, easy-to-assemble kit homes for refugees or disaster survivors, a 3D printed vaccine patch, an electric truck, a system to heat homes from the waste heat of a name-brand factory and prosecutor-initiated resentencing for overly long prison sentences.
“We are consistently inspired by the novelty and creativity that people are applying to solve some of our society’s most pressing problems, from shelter to the climate crisis. Fast Company relishes its role in amplifying important, innovative work to address big challenges,” says David Lidsky, interim editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “Our journalists have identified some of the most ingenious initiatives to launch since the start of 2021, which we hope will both have a meaningful impact and lead others to join in being part of the solution.”
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About SAGE
SAGE is the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers. For more information on SAGE and its services, visit www.sageusa.org.
About LifeCents
LifeCents is a leading independent financial wellness company driving measurable impact and engagement for people and communities. Founded in 2005, the company’s award-winning technology creates lasting improvements in consumer financial health and well-being through highly personalized and engaging experiences. By improving the financial security of individuals, LifeCents helps businesses and communities thrive. To learn more, visit www.lifecents.com.
About the World Changing Ideas Awards
World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Company’s major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With the goals of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all.
