AARP Community Challenge Grants Available

AARP New Hampshire invites community organizations and local governments across the state to apply for the 2021 Community Challenge grant program, now through April 14. Grants fund quick-action projects that can range from several hundred dollars for small, short-term activities to several thousand or tens of thousands for larger projects. Now in its fifth year, 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.

“We are thrilled to bring this grant opportunity back to New Hampshire in 2021 and we encourage all eligible organizations to apply,” said AARP NH State Director Todd Fahey. “We’ve seen great results from the Community Challenge grant program in communities across the Granite State, and this year we are increasing our support for projects that focus on diversity and inclusion and aid in local recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.”

AARP will prioritize projects that deliver inclusive solutions that meet the needs of diverse populations, as well as those that directly engage volunteers through permanent or temporary solutions that aim to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:

• Create vibrant public places that improve open spaces, parks and access to other amenities.
• Deliver a range of transportation and mobility options that increase connectivity, walkability, bikeability, wayfinding, access to transportation options and roadway improvements.
• Support a range of housing options that increase the availability of accessible and affordable options.
• Increase civic engagement and demonstrate the tangible value of “Smart Cities” with innovative and tangible projects that bring residents and local leaders together to address challenges and facilitate a greater sense of inclusion.
• Support local recovery from the coronavirus pandemic with an emphasis on economic development, improvements to public spaces, and transportation services.
• Ensure a focus on diversity and inclusion while improving the built and social environment of a community.
• Other community improvements. In addition, AARP wants to hear about local needs and new, innovative ideas for addressing them.

The Community Challenge is open to 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits and government entities. Other types of organizations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The application deadline is in about four weeks on April 14, 2021 at 8 pm. All projects must be completed by November 10, 2021. To submit an application and view past grantees, visit www.AARP.org/CommunityChallenge.

AARP NH works in collaboration with communities across the state, bringing people together, and providing resources and expertise to help make the Granite State’s counties, towns and cities great places to live for people of all ages.

During the 2020 grant cycle, the NH communities of Fremont and Wilton were named recipients. In Fremont, the grant was used construct a ramp with railings that allow safe and full accessibility to the Town's Memorial Park Ballfields. In Wilton, the grant was used to build an ADA-compliant walkway along the bank of the Stony Brook River to provide river access and a connection to a veterans’ Memorial Park and the downtown core.