AARP Connecticut Commits Thousands of Dollars to Strengthen Communities Across the State

What Is The Next Step In Your Life? 05 Dec, 2025

AARP Connecticut has awarded grants for 51 projects across the state since the inception of the program in 2018.

By Nora Duncan, AARP CT Director

AARP Connecticut is dedicated to working in partnership with local leaders, organizations, and residents across the state to support Livable Community ideas and projects that will make everyday life better for people of all ages. As part of that effort, AARP Connecticut recently selected six recipients for the 2025 Livable Communities Grant Program, a state extension of the national AARP Community Challenge grant initiative.

Now in its eighth year, the grant program funds quick-action projects that help Connecticut’s neighborhoods, towns, and cities be great places to live for people of all ages. AARP Connecticut has awarded grants for 51 projects across the state since the inception of the program in 2018.

Building and sustaining well-designed, age-friendly communities for individuals to grow, thrive and be included at any stage of life is vital to the success of creating places that are livable for all as they age, fosters economic growth, and makes for happier, healthier residents.

We know it takes time, work, and commitment to develop great communities and we also believe quick-action, tangible projects can be the spark toward long-term progress. AARP Connecticut’s Livable Communities Grant Program, combined with our national Community Challenge initiative, provides us with tremendous and rewarding opportunities to collaborate with leaders and advocates across the state on projects that are helping make communities more livable for people of all ages.

AARP Connecticut launched the Livable Communities Grant Program to provide nonprofit organizations and municipalities in Connecticut with up to $5,000 each for projects that help make immediate improvements or jumpstart long-term progress that will support residents. The program is open to incorporated organizations that are 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) nonprofits and Connecticut municipalities who seek to make improvements in their neighborhood or community. The 2025 recipients are:

Learn more about the 2025 recipients at www.aarp.org/ct. The AARP Connecticut Livable Communities Grant Program’s focus on tangible projects, community engagement, and its quick-action timeline helps selected grantees fast-track ideas and replicate promising practices. Previous projects have demonstrated the ability to garner additional funds or support from public and private funders, encourage innovation, overcome local policy barriers, and receive greater overall awareness and engagement. Projects range from small, short-term activities to larger, permanent solutions, but they must be completed within 12 months of receiving the funding.

While AARP Connecticut’s Livable Communities Grant Program is only open to Connecticut towns and nonprofits, AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative funds projects in all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. AARP announced on June 18 that it will fund 383 projects across the country in 2025, including five in Connecticut, as part of its ninth annual AARP Community Challenge grant program. More than one thousand projects have been funded since grant program began in 2017. Visit www.aarp.org/communitychallenge in early 2026 for an announcement regarding the launch of the 2026 application process.

AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative also provides resources and publications to encourage local action, such as the Roadmap to Livability and the AARP book-series Where We Live: Communities for All Ages. To learn more about AARP’s livable communities work, in communities across the country, please visit  www.aarp.org/livable.