communitychallenge@aarp.org

The AARP Community Challenge provides funding for projects that work to improve livability for all residents of a community. The 2021 application cycle will focus on public spaces, housing, transportation, civic engagement, coronavirus recovery, diversity, and inclusion. Applications from rural communities are encouraged.

Desired project outcomes include:

• 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 through 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 and inclusion while improving the built and social environment of a community
• Local needs for community improvement and innovative ideas for addressing them

Eligible applicants include:

• 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations
• Government entities
• Other types of organizations, considered on a case-by-case basis

According to the program website, "Grants can range from several hundred dollars for smaller, short-term activities to several thousand or tens of thousands of dollars for larger projects."

Links to additional guidance, application instructions, and the online application portal are available on the program website.