1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
AARP Community Challenge is sponsored by AARP. The AARP Community Challenge funds quick-action projects that help communities become more livable for people of all ages, with a focus on those 50 and older. Projects often involve tangible improvements in public places, transportation, housing, and digital connections.
While the 2026 application period is closed, this program is typically offered annually. Projects related to improving digital connections or public spaces could potentially incorporate design preferences for older adults.
Get alerted about grants like this
Save a search for “AARP” or related topics and get emailed when new opportunities appear.
Search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
Apply Now for a Community Challenge Grant Navigate today’s economy with helpful tips + enter our $26K Sweepstakes!
Enroll: Automatic Renewal Communication Preferences Customize Your Membership Communication Preferences Customize Your Membership {"dropDownLabel":"All Topics","dropDownValue":"everywhere"},{"dropDownLabel":"Entertainment","dropDownValue":"entertainment"},{"dropDownLabel":"Health","dropDownValue":"health"},{"dropDownLabel":"Money","dropDownValue":"money"},{"dropDownLabel":"Policy & Research","dropDownValue":"research"},{"dropDownLabel":"Travel","dropDownValue":"travel"},{"dropDownLabel":"Work","dropDownValue":"work"},{"dropDownLabel":"Member Benefits","dropDownValue":"member benefits"},{"dropDownLabel":"Caregiving","dropDownValue":"caregiving"},{"dropDownLabel":"Games","dropDownValue":"games"},{"dropDownLabel":"Rewards","dropDownValue":"rewards"},{"dropDownLabel":"Videos","dropDownValue":"videos"} AARP daily Crossword Puzzle Hotels with AARP discounts AARP Dental Insurance Plans Where is my membership card?
How do I get a digital card? Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
{"dropDownLabel":"All Topics","dropDownValue":"everywhere"},{"dropDownLabel":"Entertainment","dropDownValue":"entertainment"},{"dropDownLabel":"Health","dropDownValue":"health"},{"dropDownLabel":"Money","dropDownValue":"money"},{"dropDownLabel":"Policy & Research","dropDownValue":"research"},{"dropDownLabel":"Travel","dropDownValue":"travel"},{"dropDownLabel":"Work","dropDownValue":"work"},{"dropDownLabel":"Member Benefits","dropDownValue":"member benefits"},{"dropDownLabel":"Caregiving","dropDownValue":"caregiving"},{"dropDownLabel":"Games","dropDownValue":"games"},{"dropDownLabel":"Rewards","dropDownValue":"rewards"},{"dropDownLabel":"Videos","dropDownValue":"videos"} AARP daily Crossword Puzzle Hotels with AARP discounts AARP Dental Insurance Plans Where is my membership card?
How do I get a digital card? Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
Enroll: Automatic Renewal Advice on Tinnitus and Hearing Loss What to Know About Vaccines Tools and Explainers on Brain Health 30-Day Couch-to-Fit Challenge View and Report Scams in Your Area Take the Charitable Giving Quiz AARP Retirement Calculator 25 Ways to Save at the Grocery Store Job Search Help from AARP and Indeed Online Courses to Boost Your Career Part-Time Jobs (No Degree Required!)
Tips to Enhance Your Job Search Fighting to Protect Social Security Advocating for Strong Programs Supporting Family Caregivers Navigating important Social Security decisions? We Can Help.
Ask AARP: AI-powered Tool to Get the Most Out of Social Security 10 Things You Need to Know About Social Security Social Security Benefits Calculator: Maximize Your Benefits Managing Costs & Coverage Ask AARP: AI-powered Tool to Get the Most Out of Medicare Take This Course to Feel Prepared About Enrolling in Medicare Get Answers to Medicare Questions With Our On-demand Webinars Learn How AARP is Fighting for Better Medicare Understanding Basics of LTC Insurance Assistance and Services in Your Area How to Develop a Caregiving Plan How to Cope With Grief, Loss Right Again!
Trivia – Sports Throwback Thursday Crossword Budget-Friendly Locations No Real ID? $45 Fee Starts Feb. 1 How to Travel on a Retirement Budget Ideas to Capture Vacation Moments Getting Winter White, Right!
Essential Songs for Gen Xers Everything You Need to Know Great Ways to Bond With Your Dog Caregiver’s Guide to Smart Home Tech Creating Social Connections Weighing the Perils and Positives Tips to Prevent Dangerous Falls Is a 55+ Community Right for You?
What to Do With Your Unwanted Stuff Beware of Subscription Fees Assess Your Loved One's Driving Skills Building Resilience in Difficult Times Tips for Finding Your Calm Weight Loss After 50 Challenge Cautionary Tales of Today's Biggest Scams 7 Top Podcasts for Armchair Travelers Jean Chatzky: ‘Closing the Savings Gap’ AARP Things to Know This Week AARP Top Tips for Navigating Life Get Moving With Our Workout Series Events, News and Resources in Your State Enroll: Automatic Renewal Applications Open for $8 Million in AARP Community Challenge Grants Past projects include park benches, portable wheelchair ramps and safer sidewalks The mural in Souris, N.
D. , was funded by an AARP Community Challenge grant. Megan Langley/Strengthen ND Over the past decade, the AARP Community Challenge has invested $24.
3 million in grants in 2,100 communit y p r o j e c t s jump-starting improvements like pickleball courts, shaded walking paths, accessible bus stops and other projects that make towns more age-friendly. This year, due to th e program’s success, the pool of available grant money has doubled from $4 million to $8 million, says Mike Watson, director of AARP’s Livable Communities initiative, which oversees the grant program.
Watson anticipates the program will now be able to help twice as many nonprofits and local governments take on short-term, small-scale projects. These kinds of projects can have an immediate impact on a community and create long-term change. The deadline for applications is March 4.
“The Community Challenge is really designed to spark the imagination of the community,” Watson says. Accessible housing, local transportation and public spaces are the main funding focus, he says. The ideal project is something neighbors can see, feel or touch — a community garden, a safer intersection or, in the case of Souris, North Dakota, a mural that stretches across the side of a former bank.
Surrounded by corn, wheat and soybean farms, and located just nine miles south of the Canadian border, Souris once had a population of 400. Three banks, five churches and four general stores, along with hotels and restaurants, lined its streets at the dawn of the 20th century. Today, it’s a town of 37 with a post office, bar, gas station and fire department.
The local school closed in the 1990s. Applications and information on the Community Challenge grant are available here . The deadline for submissions is March 4, 2026.
A sample application is available to review, and a question and answer webinar will be held Jan. 27 at 2 p. m.
ET. Register here . When Megan Langley, executive director of the rural development nonprofit Strengthen ND , moved the organization to Souris , she applied for a Community Challenge grant to paint a mural on an old building to showcase the town’s history and raise spirits.
A $1 0, 500 grant from AARP enabled Strengthen ND to create a brightly colored mural featuring a blue jay, the town’s former school mascot. It was selected, says Langley, because the community expressed pride either for their time as students, when they worked at the school or watched the sports teams. The artist painted the mural over the course of a weekend in October.
Langley says she often spots people standing still and looking at it. “Some of the best responses are when people don’t say anything at all,” she says. “When you haven’t had anything good happen for a while, to get a little bit of a taste of what that could feel like and the pride that you can have back in your community, I think it’s so meaningful and helpful,” Langley says.
R e s p o n d i n g t o community needs The Community Challenge program grew out of local, individual initiatives that AARP state offices help communities undertake. Even after becoming a national program in 201 7, it has stayed true to those roots. Approximately 40 percent of grants are allocated to rural communities, providing many with the opportunity to show other grant-making institutions what they can deliver.
After completing a project, about half of Community Challenge grant recipients report that they go on to receive funds from other organizations. ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT Communities can apply for three types of grants. Flagship grants can range from a few hundred dollars to $15,000.
While the grants cannot be used to buy land, buildings or vehicles, they can improve housing, access to public transportation and create parks and gardens. Growing priorities in recent years have been disaster management and accessing high-speed internet, Watson says.
The Southern Oklahoma Library System used a flagship grant to create two private, soundproof spaces for telehealth appointments, saving the residents of rural Johnston County a two-hour drive to see doctors in Oklahoma City. Demonstration grants , typically $10,000 to $2 0,000, focus on specific issue areas: pedestrian safety, digital connections and housing design competitions.
Tucson, Arizona , used this type of grant to host a competition for accessory dwelling unit (ADU) designs to create more affordable housing options. Residents now have access to a library of 60 designs approved by the city. Capacity-building microgrants offer $2,500 and are built around expert support and A A R P resources, such as the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit and the AARP Bike Audit Tool Kit .
In Houston, Texas, the Citizens’ Transportation Coalition did a 4. 5-mile walk audit along a residential street, gathering data they shared with local leaders. Join Our Fight to Improve Aging in America Here's what you can do to help: Find out more about how we’re fighting for you every day in Congress and across the country.
AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Become a member or renew your membership today. Since the mural has been up in Souris, Langley says other communities have asked how they can create a mural in their town.
“I think what makes the program so special is that it really funds tangible, real things, and that’s intentional. We want people to see and understand what it means to be a livable community,” Watson says. Unlike many grants, the process from application to completed project is intentionally short.
Groups apply by March, receive an answer by May and wrap up their project in December. The application is designed to be easy for even the first-time grant writer, Watson says. Deirdre van Dyk is an AARP associate editor.
She previously worked at USA Today and Time , where she covered business, government, sustainability and innovation. Unlock Access to AARP Members Edition Flash Sale — AARP Membership Offer Join AARP for only $11 per year with a 5-year membership. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of benefits, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
Tough Decisions Ahead as ACA Tax Credits Expire Older adults struggle to afford health coverage as premiums rise AARP Tackles High Drug Costs Our advocacy efforts have yielded major savings for older adults Tips for Meeting New SNAP Work Rules Learn if these requirements impact you, plus tips for navigating paperwork %{ newsLetterPromoText }% ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT "articlePagePath" :"/content/aarpe/en/home/advocacy/community-challenge-grant-applications-2026", "aarpId" : "bcf27fac677758cdf14da8d4c31db3fc" "paginationReplyLimit" : "5" "featuredTabActiveThreshold" : "5" Benefits Recommended For You SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.
Legal Counsel for the Elderly AARP Rewards Terms & Conditions Vulnerability Disclosure Program
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Local eligible nonprofit organizations and governments. Projects should benefit residents, especially those age 50 and older. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Flagship grants: a few hundred dollars to $15,000; Demonstration grants: $10,000-$20,000 (not to exceed $25,000); Capacity-building microgrants: $2,500. Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
The Homeless Youth Program is a grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services that funds services for homeless and at-risk youth across Illinois. Administered through the Office of Community and Positive Youth Development, it supports nonprofit organizations delivering shelter, outreach, and support services to young people experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Eligible applicants are Illinois-based nonprofits with demonstrated capacity to serve youth. Awards range from $100,000 to $800,000 per year under CSFA number 444-80-0711. This is a FY 2026 funding opportunity with an application deadline of May 21, 2025.
Community Investment Tax Credit Program (CITC) is a grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development that provides state tax credit allocations to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, enabling them to attract private donations from individuals and businesses. Donors contributing $500 or more to approved projects receive tax credits equal to 50% of their contribution. The program has leveraged nearly $27 million in charitable contributions to approximately 700 projects statewide. Eligible project areas include education, housing, job training, arts and culture, economic development, and services for at-risk populations. Projects must be located in or serve residents of Maryland's Priority Funding Areas. The application period is typically held annually.
The Families First Community Grant Program is a competitive grant initiative from the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) offering approximately $27 million in funding to support nonprofit organizations serving low-income Tennessee families. Grants fund programs across four priority areas: education, health, economic stability, and family well-being, aligned with TANF goals of promoting self-sufficiency. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) nonprofits based in Tennessee that provide direct services to economically disadvantaged families. The 2025 application cycle closed July 10, 2025. This program reflects Tennessee's broader commitment to strengthening communities through strategic investment in local organizations that address the root causes of poverty.