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AARP Community Challenge Grants - Flagship is a grant from AARP that funds quick-action projects that make communities more livable for people of all ages, with a particular focus on those aged 50 and older. Funded projects typically address improvements to public spaces, transportation and mobility, housing accessibility, digital connectivity, and disaster preparedness and resilience.
The program emphasizes tangible, visible changes that can be completed within a short timeframe. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) nonprofits as well as government entities; other organization types are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Projects must align with serving adults 50 and older.
Awards range from $500 to $15,000. The 2026 application deadline was March 4, 2026.
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Announcing the 2026 AARP Community Challenge Explore the ways AARP can help you spend less and save more on your everyday expenses. Start now!
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{"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":"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.
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Visit the application portal to set up an account. Submit an application no later than March 4. AARP.
org/CommunityChallenge Since its inception in 2017, the AARP Community Challenge has awarded 2,100 grants totaling $24. 3 million to projects that benefit residents — especially those age 50 and older — and accelerate community change. AARP is accepting applications for the 2026 funding cycle that: Deliver tangible improvements to communities, such as new crosswalks, benches, bike lanes, housing designs, and public space enhancements.
Leverage additional support from public, private, and philanthropic sources Help communities overcome policy barriers and implement lasting change Foster new collaborations and increase community engagement Learn more by downloading the AARP Community Challenge Q&A Fact-Sheet and by using the Your Questions Answered tool.
2026 AARP Community Challenge Timeline January 27 : Question & Answer Webinar, 2 pm ET | 11 am PT Watch the Webinar Recording March 4 : Application Deadline, 5 pm ET | 2 pm PT See a Sample Application | Submit an Application May : Applicants will be notified of their status by email June 24: The grantees are announced— and the project work begins!
December 15 : Project completion deadline December 31 : Deadline for after-action reports 6. Related Links/Downloads In 2026, the AARP Community Challenge will accept applications across three distinct grant opportunities, each evaluated using a consistent scoring approach. (See the Scoring section below.)
AARP’s flagship Community Challenge grants range from a few hundred dollars for short-term activities to $15,000 for larger initiatives. Since 2017, the average grant has been between $10,000 and $12,000. AARP reserves the right to award compelling projects at any amount.
Eligible projects should benefit residents — especially those age 50 and older — in at least one of the following categories: Creating vibrant public places (i.e., parks, open spaces, community amenities) Expanding transportation and mobility options (i.e., walkability, bikeability, transit access) Increasing housing options (i.e., accessible and affordable choices) Enhancing digital connections and digital literacy Strengthening disaster resilience (i.e., disaster preparedness and mitigation) Capacity-Building Microgrants These $2,500 microgrants come with added support, including webinars, cohort learning, up to two hours of coaching from national nonprofit organizations working with AARP to support the AARP Community Challenge program, and AARP resources.
Eligible projects should benefit residents — especially those age 50 and older — in at least one of the following categories: Walk Audits : Conduct walkability assessments with support from America Walks and using the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit . Bike Audits : Conduct bikeability assessments with support from The League of American Bicyclists and using the AARP Bike Audit Tool Kit .
HomeFit Modifications : Implement education, simple home modifications and accessible safety solutions to create and maintain “lifelong homes,” especially for people age 50-plus, with support from the RL Mace Universal Design Institute and using the AARP HomeFit Guide .
Disaster Preparedness : Implement disaster preparedness training programs and resources for residents, especially those age 50-plus, with support from SBP and using the AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit . These grants support projects that can be replicated in other communities. Awards typically range from $10,000 to $20,000 and will not exceed $25,000.
Eligible projects should benefit residents — especially those age 50 and older — in at least one of the following categories: Pedestrian Safety : Improve the safety of streets and sidewalks; funding support from Toyota Motor North America. High-Speed Internet : Increase broadband access and adoption; funding support from Microsoft.
Housing Design Competitions : Promote understanding and implementation of housing policies that support a variety of community needs using the AARP Housing Design Competition Tool Kit . See Attachment B for examples of past AARP Community Challenge projects.
To be eligible for the AARP Community Challenge, each project must meet the criteria outlined in the Grant Opportunities section and satisfy the following requirements related to organization type, mission focus, and project type. Eligible organizations may apply for more than one grant opportunity and may submit multiple applications.
Organization Type : The program is open to: 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations recognized by the IRS Other types of organizations considered on a case-by-case basis Note: AARP does not fund for-profit companies or individuals. Mission Focus : Projects must align with AARP’s mission to serve people age 50 and older.
Eligible Projects : AARP Community Challenge grants support: Permanent, physical community improvements Temporary demonstrations that lead to long-term change New, innovative programming pilots or services Ineligible Projects : The following efforts are not eligible for funding: Partisan, political, voter, or election-related activities Planning activities, assessments, or surveys without tangible community engagement Studies with no follow-up action Publication of books or reports Land or building acquisition Purchase of vehicles or mechanical equipment (i.e., cars, trucks, buses, snow mobiles, snow grooming machines, tractors) Sponsorship of other organizations’ events or activities Research and development for nonprofit or for-profit ventures Promotion of for-profit entities or their products/services 2026 AARP Community Challenge Quick-Action Grants for Local Projects!
Deadline: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 To be considered for funding, applicants must: Meet all eligibility requirements outlined in the program guidelines Submit a complete application through the AARP CommunityChallenge Application Portal no later than March 4, 2026, 5 pm ET | 2 pm PT Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Eligible projects will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Impact (60 points): The project demonstrates strong potential to create meaningful change by addressing community-identified needs aligned with livable communities priorities — particularly those of people age 50 and older. It shows a clear ability to overcome barriers and effectively accelerate, expand, or sustain efforts that make the community more livable.
Execution (30 points): The applicant demonstrates the capacity to complete the project on time and within budget, effectively engage residents and stakeholders, and leverage volunteers in implementation. Innovation (10 points): The project incorporates creative approaches, unique designs, or engagement strategies that enhance its impact on residents — especially those age 50 and older.
Grant recipients will be selected by an AARP panel of experts in aging, community development and livable communities. Projects will be evaluated based on their potential to create immediate, meaningful change that leads to long-term impact, as well as how well they meet the established selection criteria.
All applicants — both selected and not selected — will be notified via email in May 2026 Selected applicants must complete and return a signed grant agreement and eSupplier vendor registration to AARP by June 10, 2026. Failure to meet this deadline may result in disqualification or delayed funding 6.
Related Links/Downloads 2026 AARP Community Challenge Announcement (PDF) Frequently Asked Questions (Interactive Tool) Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) Attachment A: Sample Application (PDF) Attachment B: Project Examples (PDF) Attachment C: Deliverable Examples (PDF) Questions: Email the AARP Community Challenge Learn more about AARP Livable Communities .
An Opportunity for Other Possible AARP Funding: By submitting a proposal to the AARP Community Challenge, you and your organization give AARP permission to reach out to you and others at your organization about other possible AARP funding opportunities that your proposal may be eligible for based on the AARP Community Challenge criteria.
However, please note that AARP is not obligated in any way to consider your proposal for any additional AARP funding. Note Regarding Other Potential Funders: AARP might be contacted by other potential funders that could be interested in funding projects that were not funded through the AARP Community Challenge. The potential funders may have additional process steps and funding requirements than those of the AARP Community Challenge.
If requested, AARP would like to send your business contact information, organization name and a short description of the proposal, including the community where the project would take place (“Project Information”). Please note that these projects will be subject to any potential funder’s own terms, conditions and review.
Please indicate in your application whether or not you give permission to AARP to share your “Project Information” with other potential funders. We will alert you before this “Project Information” is given to potential funders.
SUBMISSION TERMS AND CONDITIONS If you submit this application, you agree on behalf of yourself and your organization to release AARP and its affiliates and their respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents and representatives from all liability associated with submission and evaluation of your organization’s application.
By submitting an application to AARP, the applicant affirms they are an authorized representative of the potential grantee, and by and on behalf of potential grantee agrees that: The decisions of AARP regarding the eligibility of applicants and the validity of entries shall be final and binding.
All submissions will be judged by AARP, whose decisions and determinations as to the administration of the award and selection of award recipients are final. AARP has the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, or suspend any grant award. All projects and applications will comply with applicable law and will not violate any third-party rights.
Except where prohibited by law, participation in the AARP Community Challenge constitutes the Applicant’s consent to AARP’s use of the organization’s name and corporate logo, street address, city, state, zip code, county, and names, likenesses, photographs, videos, images, and statements made or provided by the Applicant’s representatives regarding the award for promotional purposes in any media without further permission, consent, payment or other consideration in perpetuity.
Receipt of grant funding requires execution of a grant agreement with AARP and completion of eSupplier registration by June 10, 2026, and compliance with the promotional toolkits. Further, Grantees will be responsible for all grant activities performed under the AARP grant agreement.
Grantees must maintain insurance coverage sufficient to cover the activities, risks, and potential omissions of the grant activities in accordance with generally accepted industry standards and as required by law. Grantees must also ensure contractors, agents, subcontractors, and providers of services maintain insurance coverage consistent with this section.
All promotional materials (such as newsletters, press releases), events and signage related to the funded project will include a statement indicating that support was received from AARP in compliance with the AARP Community Challenge Promotional Toolkit to be provided to selected grantees. Grantees are required to capture photos, videos and/or stories from the project.
As Grantee captures photos, videos and/or stories from the project, if an identifiable individual appears in the photos, videos and/or stories, grantee is responsible for having him/her sign the AARP General Release. (This document will be provided to grantees.)
In addition, grantee agrees not to include any element in photos or videos or other materials provided to AARP that violates third party rights, such as artwork (including sculptures) and trademarks in text and logo used without permission. Grantee may be asked to send work-in-progress photos to AARP upon request. Following the grant period, grantees are required to respond to periodic requests for updates from AARP.
The submission of the After-Action Report at the conclusion of the project is required by the deadline. Failure to submit the required report will result in the removal from the AARP website until the time of submission, and non-completion will disqualify a grantee from future AARP Community Challenge grant programs.
AARP and its affiliated organizations, subsidiaries, agents and employees are not responsible for late, lost, illegible, incomplete, stolen, misdirected, illegitimate, or impermissible submissions or any other error whether human, mechanical or electronic.
INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION FOR LOCAL LEADERS Find more articles and livability resources by clicking the AARP LIVABLE COMMUNITIES text above the page title or by tapping the button below. More from AARP. org/Livable Use the dropdown to choose a livability topic.
AARP. org/Livable Home Page AARP Age-Friendly Network AARP Livable Communities Newsletter Community Health and Wellness Local Solutions Collection Public Places and Outdoor Spaces %{ newsLetterPromoText }% SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.
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Scoring criteria used to review proposals for this grant.
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) nonprofits and government entities are eligible. Other organization types reviewed case-by-case. Projects must align with serving people aged 50 and older. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $500 - $15,000 Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is March 4, 2026. 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.