Opportunities for Funding

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and paving the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. To achieve that vision, we are deepening our focus on dismantling structural racism, one of the biggest barriers to health in America. Racism and injustice have become embedded in many structures of American society, including the delivery and financing systems that support medical care, public health programs, and social services.

Effective solutions to systemic racism require medical care organizations working in partnership with public health and social services systems. RWJF’s Systems for Action (S4A) signature research program since 2015 supports research studies. The studies test novel ideas for aligning delivery and financing systems across sectors in ways that address the health and social needs of people experiencing health inequities.

This 2025 call for proposals (CFP) will provide funding for a new cohort of community-led pilot studies to produce new, actionable evidence about how to help medical, social, and public health systems work together to address forms of systemic racism. This CFP focuses specifically on systems alignment (SA) interventions that have the potential to dismantle or disrupt the health effects of systemic racism and to positively affect the health and wellbeing of communities that experience systemic racism. S4A prioritizes SA interventions that, if successful, can be rapidly replicated and spread to many communities and contexts across the U.S. in order to achieve broad national impact.

The purpose of the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (Rural MOMS) program is to support collaborative improvement and innovation networks to improve access to and delivery of maternity and obstetrics care in rural areas.

The purpose of this Rural Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Planning and Development program is to improve health care in rural areas, including expanding access to medical care and long-term services, for rural aging populations by expanding PACE programs into rural areas.

Demonstration Grants
This opportunity funds projects that encourage the replication of promising local efforts. Grants tend to fall between $10,000 and $20,000 and will not exceed $25,000.

The demonstration grant opportunity will accept applications for projects that benefit residents, especially those age 50 and older, in the following categories:

NEW! Enhancing pedestrian safety by creating safer streets and sidewalks, with a focus on people age 50-plus, with funding support from Toyota Motor North America.

NEW! Expanding high-speed internet (broadband) access and adoption, with a focus on people age 50-plus, with funding support from Microsoft.

Reconnecting communities divided by infrastructure, with a focus on people age 50-plus, as highlighted in the award-winning AARP Livable Communities article series Before the Highway.

Implementing housing design competitions that increase community understanding and encourage policies that enable greater choice in housing, with a focus on people age 50-plus, by using the AARP Housing Design Competition Tool Kit.

Mission Focus: AARP will evaluate each project based on its consistency with the AARP mission to serve the needs of people age 50-plus. The project types described below will be prioritized over those that support ongoing programming or events.

Permanent physical improvements in the community

Temporary demonstrations that lead to long-term change

New, innovative programming pilots or services

Projects that are NOT eligible for funding:

Partisan, political or election-related activities

Planning activities and assessments and surveys of communities without tangible engagement

Studies with no follow-up action

Publication of books or reports

Acquisition of land and/or buildings

Purchase of a vehicle or mechanical equipment (such as a car, truck, bus, snow mobile, snow grooming machine or tractor)

Sponsorships of other organizations’ events or activities

Research and development for a nonprofit endeavor

Research and development for a for-profit endeavor

The promotion of a for-profit entity and/or its products and services

Capacity-Building Microgrants
Combining $2,500 grants with additional resources (such as webinars, cohort learning opportunities, up to 2 hours of one-on-one coaching with leading national nonprofit organizations and AARP publications), this grant opportunity will accept applications for projects that benefit residents — especially those age 50 and older — in the following categories:

NEW! Disaster Preparedness Training: Implement disaster preparedness training programs and resources for residents, especially those age 50-plus, with support from SBP and using the AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit.

Walk Audits: Implement walk audit assessments to enhance safety and walkability in communities, especially for people age 50-plus, with support from America Walks and using the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit.

Bike Audits: Implement bike audits to enhance safety and bikeability in communities, especially for people age 50-plus, with support from The League of American Bicyclists and using the AARP Bike Audit Tool Kit.

HomeFit Guide Modifications: Implement education, simple home modifications and accessible safety solutions to create and maintain “lifelong homes,” especially for people age 50-plus, with support from the RL Mace Universal Design Institute and using the AARP HomeFit Guide.

Mission Focus: AARP will evaluate each project based on its consistency with the AARP mission to serve the needs of people age 50-plus. The project types described below will be prioritized over those that support ongoing programming or events.

Permanent physical improvements in the community

Temporary demonstrations that lead to long-term change

New, innovative programming pilots or services

Projects that are NOT eligible for funding:

Partisan, political or election-related activities

Planning activities and assessments and surveys of communities without tangible engagement

Studies with no follow-up action

Publication of books or reports

Acquisition of land and/or buildings

Purchase of a vehicle or mechanical equipment (such as a car, truck, bus, snow mobile, snow grooming machine or tractor)

Sponsorships of other organizations’ events or activities

Research and development for a nonprofit endeavor

Research and development for a for-profit endeavor

The promotion of a for-profit entity and/or its products and services

Flagship AARP Community Challenge grants have ranged from several hundred dollars for smaller, short-term activities to tens of thousands of dollars for larger projects. Since 2017, AARP has funded projects with an average grant amount of $10,000 to $12,000. Nine out of 10 grants (or 92 percent) are for $20,000 or less.

In 2025, grants will not exceed $25,000. (AARP also reserves the right to award compelling projects of any dollar amount.)

We are accepting applications for projects that benefit residents — especially those age 50 and older — in the following categories:

Creating vibrant public places that improve open spaces, parks and access to other amenities.

Delivering a range of transportation and mobility options that increase connectivity, walkability, bikeability and access to public and private transit

Supporting a range of housing options that increases the availability of accessible and affordable choices

Increasing digital connections and enhancing digital literacy skills of residents

Supporting community resilience through investments that improve disaster management, preparedness and mitigation for residents

Mission Focus: AARP will evaluate each project based on its consistency with the AARP mission to serve the needs of people age 50-plus. The project types described below will be prioritized over those that support ongoing programming or events.

Permanent physical improvements in the community

Temporary demonstrations that lead to long-term change

New, innovative programming pilots or services

Projects that are NOT eligible for funding:

Partisan, political or election-related activities

Planning activities and assessments and surveys of communities without tangible engagement

Studies with no follow-up action

Publication of books or reports

Acquisition of land and/or buildings

Purchase of a vehicle or mechanical equipment (such as a car, truck, bus, snow mobile, snow grooming machine or tractor)

Sponsorships of other organizations’ events or activities

Research and development for a nonprofit endeavor

Research and development for a for-profit endeavor

The promotion of a for-profit entity and/or its products and services

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will enter into cooperative agreements with States, territories, and Tribal Governments to expand upon prior LFPA and LFPA Plus work, and to provide an opportunity for State/territories and Tribal governments that did not participate in LFPA or LFPA Plus to establish projects through LFPA25. States, territories, and Tribal governments will purchase local, unprocessed or minimally processed domestic foods from local producers, targeting historically underserved farmers/producers/fishers and small businesses including processors, aggregators, and distributors. Food purchased will target distribution to underserved communities. In addition to increasing local food consumption, funds are expected to help build and expand economic opportunity for local and historically underserved farmers/producers/fishers and small businesses including processors, aggregators, and distributors.

AMS encourages projects that benefit historically underserved farmers/producers/fishers and small businesses, provide food distribution to underserved communities that are not part of the normal food distribution networks, and incorporate culturally relevant foods, including kosher and halal, as appropriate based on community preferences. For cooperative agreements intending to serve these entities, recipients should engage and involve those beneficiaries when developing their Project Summary. AMS would like these relationships and purchase and distribution channels to continue past the conclusion of this program. USDA will provide the State, territory, or Tribal government funding for food purchases as well as guidance, technical assistance, instruction, and monitoring throughout the life cycle of the cooperative agreement.

Funding can only be used for food procurement. Recipients may not request direct or indirect costs associated with developing or administering the program. All food purchased must be unprocessed or minimally processed, and must meet the definitions of domestic and local, as defined in section 1.2.1 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). See section 4.6.2 “Allowable and unallowable costs and activities” of the NOFO for more information.

$100 million in funding will be available for Tribal agreements, $50 million of which will be allocated for Tribes enrolled in past rounds of LFPA, the remaining $50 million will be allocated to Tribes that have not previously participated in the LFPA program. The remainder of the funds, $371.5 million will be available to state governments and territories. These funds will be awarded through a non-competitive process. Funds awarded to States and territories will be based on the statutory The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funding formula. This formula considers the poverty rate and unemployment levels in each state to ensure the distribution of funds corresponds to feeding needs in each state. Cooperative Agreements will be awarded based on acceptability of the Project Summary and the ability of the recipient to meet the goals of the program.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces a notice of funding opportunity, subject to appropriation, of up to $10 million in competitive grants to assist communities with extremely high energy costs. The grant funds may be used to acquire, construct, or improve energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities serving communities where the average annual residential expenditure for home energy exceeds 275% of the national average. Eligible projects also include on-grid and off-grid renewable energy projects and the implementation of energy efficiency and energy conservation projects for eligible communities. Projects cannot be for the primary benefit of a single household or business. Grant funds may not be used for the preparation of the grant application, operating costs, or for the purchase of any equipment, structures, or real estate not directly associated with the provision of community energy services.

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program makes federal funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized tribal governments , and local governments for hazard mitigation activities. It does so recognizing the growing hazards associated with climate change , and the need for natural hazard risk mitigation activities that promote climate adaptation and resilience with respect to those hazards. These include both acute extreme weather events and chronic stressors which have been observed and are expected to increase in intensity and frequency in the future. The BRIC program’s guiding principles include supporting communities through capability and capacity-building; encouraging and enabling innovation, including multi-hazard resilience or nature-based solutions including the use of native plants; promoting partnerships; enabling large, systems-based projects; maintaining flexibility; and providing consistency. Through these efforts communities are able to better understand disaster risk and vulnerabilities, conduct community-driven resilience, hazard mitigation planning, and design transformational projects and programs.

Awards made under this funding opportunity are funded, in whole or in part, by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, which will grow a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy by enhancing U.S. competitiveness. The BIL appropriates billions of dollars to FEMA to promote resilient infrastructure, respond to the impacts of climate change, and equip our nation with the resources to combat its most pressing threats. In doing so, FEMA encourages investmen of these funds toward projects that are implemented using Good Jobs Principles to expand the availability of good, family-sustaining jobs with the free and fair opportunity to join a union for all Americans. FEMA recommends applicants design projects that are aligned with The Good Jobs Prinicples, a description of the elements of a Good Job that has informed the investment of billions of dollars through the Biden-Harris Administration's Invest in America Agenda.

FEMA will provide financial assistance to eligible BRIC applicants for the following activities:

• Capability and Capacity-Building activities – activities that enhance the knowledge, skills, and expertise of the current workforce to expand or improve the administration of mitigation assistance. This includes activities in the following sub-categories: building codes, partnerships, project scoping, hazard mitigation planning and planning-related activities, and other activities;

• Hazard Mitigation Projects – cost-effective mitigation projects designed to increase resilience and public safety; reduce injuries and loss of life; and reduce damage and destruction to property, critical services, facilities, and infrastructure (including natural systems) from a multitude of natural hazards, including drought, wildfire, earthquakes, extreme heat, and the effects of climate change; and

• Management Costs – financial assistance to reimburse the recipient and subrecipient for eligible and reasonable indirect costs, direct administrative costs, and other administrative expenses associated with a specific mitigation measure or project.

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s (Department) Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Projects (AERP) provides a framework for Federal leadership and assistance to restore and protect aquatic ecosystems in support of the Department’s priorities. Through AERP, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with States, Tribes, and other entities as they study, design and construct aquatic ecosystem restoration projects that are collaboratively developed, have widespread regional benefits, and result in an improvement to the health of fisheries, wildlife, and aquatic habitat through restoration or improved fish passage. Restoring and connecting aquatic ecosystems offers wide-ranging benefits for both communities and the environment. Functioning aquatic and wetland ecosystems provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife, improve water quality, store excess carbon, help mitigate the impacts of drought and flood events, and support water supply resiliency for multiple uses.