Former Vice President Joe Biden hasn’t been a private citizen since he joined the Senate in 1973. So what’s his next step after more than four decades of public service, capped off with a Presidential Medal of Freedom?

He’s launching a nonprofit foundation, of course. This week, Biden and his wife, Jill, announced the launch of the Biden Foundation, which they say will focus on advancing the cause of equal rights for all people. The foundation is being organized by longtime supporters of the couple.

In a statement announcing the move, the former vice president wrote:

My dad used to have an expression: “It’s a lucky person who gets up in the morning, puts both feet on the floor, knows what they’re about to do, and thinks it still matters.” Jill and I have been very lucky these past decades. We look forward to this new chapter where we will continue our work to ensure that everyone—no matter their income level, race, gender, age, or sexuality—is treated with dignity and gets a fair shot at achieving the American dream. That’s why we are honored that a group of longtime friends and supporters have begun the work of founding the Biden Foundation to build on our lifelong commitment to issues that have always motivated us.

The foundation will be run by former Facebook policy director Louisa Terrell and will emphasize causes that Biden has championed throughout his career, including the fight against cancer, the support of military service members, the push for affordable education, and the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act, which Biden sponsored in 1994.

Former Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE), a former adviser to Biden who took his place in the Senate when Biden became vice president, will serve as the foundation’s board chair.

“I have had the honor of working closely with Vice President Biden throughout his career spent fighting for American families and working to defend and advance the rights and opportunities of all people,” Kaufman said in a news release. “The foundation’s mission is to further that legacy by providing the public with policy analysis and educational programming focused on the core values of equality and opportunity that Vice President and Dr. Biden have devoted their lives to.”

https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/822550536469803009

Biden follows in the footsteps of former President Barack Obama, who has said he will focus on his own foundation, founded in 2014, as he re-enters civilian life.

Biden, shown speaking at the World Economic Forum last month, in one of his final acts as vice president. (Ruben Sprich/Reuters)