AARP Community Challenge Grants Are Back in 2018!

The AARP Community Challenge “quick-action” grant program, which is now accepting applications for 2018, is designed to spark change and improve the quality of life for people of all ages in communities nationwide. We know that great communities take a long time to build and sustain. But we also believe that quick actions can be the catalyst for long-term progress. These grants provide localities and nonprofits the chance to fund innovative projects that can inspire change in transportation, open spaces, housing and other area, thereby improving communities.

The Community Challenge is open to 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits and government entities and other types of organizations will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Projects may range in scale from small, short-term activities costing a few hundred dollars to larger projects with budgets of a few thousand dollars. The program will accept applications for projects in the following categories for 2018:

• delivering a range of transportation and connectivity options through permanent or temporary solutions that increase walkability, bikeability, wayfinding, access to transportation options and roadway improvements
• creating vibrant public places through permanent or temporary solutions that activate open spaces, improve parks and improve access to amenities
• supporting the availability of a range of housing through permanent or temporary solutions that increase accessible and affordable housing options
• Other innovative approaches to improving the community

“The AARP Community Challenge program is aimed at catalyzing change and improving the quality of life for people of all ages in communities nationwide,” said AARP Kentucky State President Charlotte Whittaker. “There are tremendous opportunities for positive change in communities across Kentucky, and we encourage eligible organizations to apply for these quick-action grants to make their communities more livable for all people of all ages.”

In 2017, the first year that Community Challenge grants were awarded, 88 projects were supported across the nation, including right here in Kentucky, where the winning projects included placing ADA-accessible benches along a trail in Lexington’s Idle Hour Park and a mural conceptualized by alumni of the Over Fifty Academy (a leadership group within the Age-Friendly Bowling Green effort) and members of Companions of Respected Elders (CORE) a student group at Western Kentucky University.

The application deadline for 2018 AARP Community Challenge grants is 5 p.m. ET, May 16, 2018. All projects must be completed by November 5, 2018.

For more information or to apply, visit AARP.org/CommunityChallenge.