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Eleven communities across Indiana are receiving a boost in their efforts to become more livable for residents of all ages.
AARP is proud to announce the 10-year anniversary of the AARP Community Challenge, a decade-long effort to accelerate community improvements through quick-action grants. To make this milestone – and in response to high demand – AARP has doubled the size of the program in 2026, enabling us to support more communities and more high-impact local projects than ever before.
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In 2026, $8.3 million in quick-action grants are being awarded to 750 projects across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The AARP Community Challenge supports innovative projects that create immediate change while paving the way for long-term improvements. Grants focus on priority areas including public places, housing, transportation, digital connectivity, and more.
Additional 2026 program funders include:
- Toyota Motor North America, supporting pedestrian safety initiatives to improve streets and sidewalks nationwide.
- Microsoft, funding digital connections projects that expand high-speed internet access and promote broadband adoption.
Here in Indiana, AARP is thrilled to support 17 projects that are helping to create great places for people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities. As local leaders work to create more livable communities, these grants provide essential support – especially in areas where small, flexible investments can lead to big change.
The 2026 program includes three grant types:
- Flagship Grants
- Capacity-Building Microgrants
- Demonstration Grants
2026 Grantees in Indiana Include:
- Memorial Park Neighborhood Association – Install basic home safety equipment through workshops and share prevention information with older residents, improving awareness and access to home modification services in Fort Wayne.
- Fort Wayne City Utilities – Place new benches along a public wetland path, helping older visitors rest and enjoy nature with less physical strain.
- HOPE of Evansville – Add accessibility upgrades such as zero-step entries, grab bars and safer lighting to 16 affordable homes, helping reduce fall risks and support aging in place.
- Community One – Install handrails or grab bars in 25 homes for residents aged 50 and older, supporting safer and more independent living in Evansville.
- Marshall County Emergency Management Agency – Enable the purchase and distribution of 100 weather radios to residents in high-risk areas, helping older adults receive timely warnings during severe storms.
- YMCA Vincennes – Improve an existing transportation booking portal so community agencies can schedule rides for older adults more easily, reducing missed appointments and transportation confusion.
- YMCA Vincennes – Add sheltered covers over benches at key public transit stops, making waiting safer and more comfortable for older riders.
- Main Street Corydon – Add permanent and portable shade structures to the downtown farmers market, helping older adults shop and socialize more comfortably.
- City of Huntingburg – Deploy a portable radar speed sign along high-crash pedestrian corridors, helping slow traffic and improve safety for people walking to essential destinations.
- Flowers Feed Folks – Add gardening tools, carts and small storage sheds at multiple community garden sites, allowing older volunteers to garden more comfortably while helping others in Kokomo.
- Aspire Higher Foundation – Install four artist-designed traffic circles on residential streets to slow traffic and connect key neighborhood destinations, making it safer for older residents to walk between housing, parks and community spaces in Indianapolis.
- Rocky Ripple Community Association – Add painted traffic-calming designs at key intersections, helping lower vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian safety for older residents and visitors in Indianapolis.
- Town of Montgomery – Construct a missing sidewalk segment along a busy curve on Highway 50, creating a safer walking connection between neighborhoods and downtown.
- Northwest Landing Housing Association – Conduct walk audits to document sidewalk gaps and hazards affecting older residents, helping guide repairs that improve access to daily destinations in Indianapolis.
- Porter County Aging and Community Services – Host home safety workshops teaching older adults practical, affordable accessibility modifications that support aging in place in Valparaiso.
- Gibson County Council on Aging – Allow the council to offer monthly disaster preparedness programs for older adults, providing guidance, radios and basic emergency supplies tailored to seasonal hazards in Princeton.
- Carver Community Organization/RSVP Program – Provide disaster preparedness training for older adult volunteers, equipping them with practical skills to protect themselves and assist others during local emergencies in Evansville.
For more information about past Community Challenge Grants winners in Indiana or to see photos of finished projects, click here.
The AARP Community Challenge is part of AARP’s broader Livable Communities initiative, which supports neighborhoods, towns, cities, and counties in becoming great places for all residents. A livable community is one where people of all ages can thrive, with:
- Safe, walkable streets
- Affordable and accessible housing and transportation
- Access to essential services
- Opportunities for people of all ages to engage in community life
To learn more about the AARP Community Challenge – here in Indiana and nationwide – visit aarp.org/CommunityChallenge. You can also explore the AARP Livable Communities Map, an interactive tool featuring AARP Community Challenge grantees and members of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.
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