The AARP Community Challenge provides small grants to fund quick-action projects that can help communities become more livable for people of all ages. Applications are accepted for projects to improve public spaces, housing, transportation, civic engagement, coronavirus recovery, diversity and inclusion, and more worthwhile areas. Those that belong to the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities are encouraged to apply, but projects that benefit any community and satisfy all other criteria are eligible for consideration. Learn more about the grant program below!

AARP will prioritize projects that deliver inclusive solutions that meet the needs of diverse populations, as well as those that directly engage volunteers through permanent or temporary solutions that aim to achieve one or more of the following:

• Create vibrant Public Places that improve open spaces, parks and access to other amenities.
• Deliver a range of Transportation and mobility options that increase connectivity, walkability, bikeability, wayfinding, access to transportation options and roadway improvements.
• Support a range of Housing options that increases the availability of accessible and affordable choices
• Increase Civic Engagement and demonstrate the tangible value of “Smart Cities” with innovative and tangible projects that bring residents and local leaders together to address challenges and facilitate a greater sense of inclusion
• Support local recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic with an emphasis on economic development, improvements to public spaces and transportation services
• Ensure a focus on Diversity or Inclusion while improving the built and social environment of a community
• Other community improvements. In addition to these areas of focus, AARP wants to hear about local needs and innovative ideas for addressing them

Grant recipients will be selected by an AARP panel of experts on aging, community development and livable communities. Projects will be judged on the degree to which their goals make an immediate change that leads to longer-term impact in a manner that meets all other selection criteria, and grant awards can range from several hundred dollars for smaller, short-term activities to several thousand or tens of thousands of dollars for larger projects.

Applications are due on April 14, 2021 by 8:00 p.m. (ET), and interested applicants can click here to learn more about important dates, eligibility, recommended reading, application requirements and more specific information!

Hundreds of towns, cities and counties throughout the nation have enrolled in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities or received a “quick-action” AARP Community Challenge grant. Click here to view an interactive map and discover where and how AARP is helping communities become more livable and age-friendly so people of all ages can thrive – and make where they live and want to remain a lifelong home.

Questions? Email CommunityChallenge@AARP.org

Image Credits: AARP Community Challenge