Seven Iowa Organizations Awarded 2025 Community Challenge Grants

Seven organizations throughout Iowa will receive a combined $75,506 in 2025 AARP Community Challenge grants. The grants are part of AARP’s $4.2 million commitment to fund 383 quick-action projects nationwide aimed at making communities more livable for people of all ages, with a focus on the needs of older adults. The funds will support efforts to improve public places, transportation, housing, and more.

The AARP Community Challenge funds innovative projects that inspire change in areas such as public places; housing; transportation; diversity, equity, and inclusion; digital connections; community resilience; and more.

Iowa's seven 2025 grantees are listed below:

• Bloomfield: Bloomfield Main Street ($15,000) – This project will enhance pedestrian safety and accessibility in Bloomfield’s Main Street District by adding high-contrast crosswalks and installing benches.

• Bettendorf: Quad City Area REALTORS ($15,000) – The Quad City Area REALTORS will host an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) design competition. Local students and architects will submit designs, with top entries displayed publicly and eligible for cash prizes.

• Holy Cross: Holy Cross Hometown Pride Committee ($12,000) – The project will renovate the tennis court and add two pickleball courts with ADA access and portable benches.

• Iowa City: Cycling Without Age @ Bike Library ($12,560) – This project will expand Cycling Without Age @ Bike Library's programming to include people in wheelchairs through a new Nihola trishaw.

• Nevada: Main Street Nevada ($10,000) – This project will transform two underutilized downtown areas into accessible gathering spots with handicap seating and sunshades.

• Villisca: Villisca Community Betterment Association ($8,446) – This project will add 20 weatherproof display stands to the local walking trail, creating a StoryWalk with children's book pages, discussion prompts, and activity challenges.

• Manning: City of Manning ($2,500) – This project will advance disaster preparedness by creating a disaster response kit for the community, enabling volunteers to assist safely and effectively. Community-wide trainings will help individuals prepare with checklists and personal kits.

The grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages, with an emphasis on people ages 50 and older. Since 2017, AARP Iowa has awarded 42 grants and over $457,000 through the program to nonprofit organizations and government entities across the state.

View the full list of grantees and their project descriptions at aarp.org/communitychallenge and learn more about AARP’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.