Apply Now for AARP’s 2024 Community Challenge Grants

En español | Nonprofit and government organizations with ideas for small projects that can have a big community impact are invited to apply for our 2024 Community Challenge grant program.

Applications are open through March 6 at 5 p.m. ET for the program, which funds quick-action projects that help make communities great places to live for people of all ages — especially those 50 and older.

We’re looking for projects to improve public places, transportation, housing, digital connections and more. Last year we awarded $3.6 million in grants for initiatives that included a self-service grocery store in North Dakota, an accessible community greenhouse in Wyoming, and a public computer and Wi-Fi access for veterans and their families in Michigan, among other small projects.

Grants can range from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the project. The average grant is $11,900.

“AARP is committed to meeting the needs of a rapidly aging population in communities across the country,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s chief advocacy and engagement officer. She added that the grants are meant to be “a catalyst for action in cities, towns and rural areas.”

In addition to our flagship grants, AARP will award $2,500 capacity-building microgrants for projects to improve walkability, bikeability and accessible home modifications. We are also offering demonstration grants, typically between $10,000 and $20,000, focused on improving digital connections to prepare for disasters, reconnecting communities divided by infrastructure, and housing choice design competitions.

Since it began in 2017, the Community Challenge grant program has awarded more than $16 million for more than 1,300 projects in all 50 states, as well as in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Learn more about the 2024 AARP Community Challenge grants and find out how to apply on AARP’s Livable Communities webpage. AARP is holding a Q&A webinar for interested applicants on Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. Registration is required.

Natalie Missakian covers federal and state policy and writes AARP’s Fighting for You Every Day blog. She previously worked as a reporter for the New Haven Register and daily newspapers in Ohio. Her work has also appeared in the AARP Bulletin, the Hartford Business Journal and other publications.