AARP Eye Center
Age-Friendly Minnesota Community Grants
Posted on 10/03/24
Do you have an idea to make your community more age-friendly? The Age-Friendly Minnesota Council announced its second round of Community Grants, offering up to $80,000, in support of projects that strengthen and improve communities for people of all ages, including older adults. Applications are due Friday, November 8, 2024, before 4:00 p.m. CT., and the funding period is expected to run from February 2025 through March 2026.
This round of Community Grants is focused on four Funding Areas in alignment with Minnesota’s new Multisector Blueprint for Aging:
- Connected Communities
- Emergency Preparedness, Individual Rights and Safety
- Optimized Health and Longevity
- Economic Security and Vitality
AARP is committed to making communities more livable for everyone and has successfully advocated for funding to support these impactful local projects. Since 2019, the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council has awarded $2.9 million for community projects. With similar funding available now, don’t miss this opportunity to improve your community and our state!
The Age-Friendly Minnesota (AFMN) Community Grant Program has been designed to encourage participation from a diversity of organizations across the state. Technical assistance is available free of charge and include:
- Virtual Grant Applicant Conference, Wednesday, October 16, 2024,10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT
- Request no-cost application assistance from an AFMN Technical Assistance Provider before October 17, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. CT. See page 8 of the application packet for more details.
- For accommodation requests, please contact mn.dhs.agefriendlymn@state.mn.us.
BACKGROUND
The Age-Friendly Minnesota Council was established in 2019 with Governor Walz’s executive order. Based on recommendations from the Council, AARP advocated for and the Minnesota Legislature approved funding for its operations and grant programs in 2021 and again in 2023. A total of $2.9M was awarded for approximately 100 projects in the first round, and a similar total amount is available through this second round. The State of Minnesota enrolled in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities in 2022, and there are currently 25 local Minnesota communities enrolled in the Network.
