AARP community challenge grant returns to Idaho for quick-action projects

The AARP Community Challenge grant program is back for its 10th year and open for submissions, including in Idaho.

The Community Challenge program invites proposals for quick-action projects that help communities become more age-friendly. The Prairie River Library District in Lapwai received a $20,000 grant in 2024 and used the funds to improve its outdoor space and seating, also adding a covered bus stop outside the library.

The district’s director, Ellamae Burnell, advised people who want to apply for the grant to pick something manageable. She said her proposal may have seemed simple but it’s had a big impact.

“Just having a comfortable chair that is easy to get up out of makes a huge difference for someone that is coming to the library every day,” Burnell said, “to work or to read the newspaper, to read their books, check their email, all those kinds of things.”

The deadline for applications is March 4. If selected, the project must be completed by Dec. 15.

The program has three grants that cover different kinds of projects: flagship grants, demonstration grants and capacity-building micro-grants. Burnell noted the program is especially important for rural communities, where people don’t have the same access to resources as in metropolitan areas.

“We don’t have as many opportunities,” Burnell added, “so to be able to have something, especially focused on making those tangible improvements and setting that up for long term, is really impactful for us.”

Since its inception in 2017, the Community Challenge grant program has funded more than 2,100 projects across the nation, including 35 in Idaho.

This story was provided by Northern Rockies News Service, a bureau of the Public News Service.