Funding for community transportation

Looking for funding for a community transportation service or coordination effort? Check out these federal, state, foundation, and other funding opportunities.

Apply today! Upcoming deadlines

• Community Compact- Best Practice Program - municipalities that did not receive awards in FY23 can apply for the FY24 program. Municipalities can apply for up to two best practices, which include practices related to transportation and age-friendly transportation. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, until funds run out.

State funding

Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) funding

Name	Description	Timeline	Example
Community Transit Grant Program	Massachusetts distributes federal and state funds for community transportation to expand services for older adults and people with disabilities through MassDOT’s Community Transit Grant Program. This includes the federal 5310 program and the state Mobility Assistance Program (MAP). Transit authorities, state agencies, municipalities, and non-profits can apply annually to MassDOT for capital or operating assistance.	FY24 operating & mobility management cycle accepted applications in May and June 2023. Award notifications expected in late fall 2023 FY24 vehicle cycle will open November 28, with applications due December 22, 2023	Report highlighting examples of strong projects Most recent awards Past years' awards
Helping Hand Mini-Grants	Small grants of up to $1000 to support transit services in rural and small urban areas Offered through MArtap	Annual competitive process usually opens in the spring Sign up for the MArtap newsletter to receive notification	Equipment such as laptops, printers, or scanners Safe steps to help older adults access a vehicle Marketing supplies
Complete Streets	Technical assistance and funding to support implementation on Complete Streets for all travelers Available to municipalities	Program due dates and additional information	Improved crosswalk near Natick Senior Center Improved sidewalk near Leominster Senior Center

 

Other state funding

Name	Description	Timeline	Example
Taxi/Livery Partnership Grant Program	Statewide grant program providing funding to contract with taxicab, livery, or hackney businesses for transportation and delivery needs for the Commonwealth’s vulnerable populations and others Run by MassDevelopment. Previously administered by MAPC	Approximately once or twice a year	Meal delivery, workforce transportation, homeless transportation, and more
Transportation Network Company (TNC) disbursements	Municipalities receive annual funding based on the number of TNC rides originating there	Distributed annually to municipalities	Senior transportation services, shuttles, and more
Efficiency and Regionalization Grant Program	Funding for efforts to regionalize services Affiliated with the Community Compact, which offers technical assistance to cities and towns that pledge to implement best practices such as transportation, age-friendly policies, and other topics	Usually annual; in 2022, opened in January and closed in February	Piloting a first mile/last mile service in Beverly
Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds	Department of Public Health funds to improve population health outcomes through innovative and sustainable approaches that bring together a variety of people and partners Recognizes transportation as a social determinant of health that affects community health and healthy aging	The inaugural round of applications opened in fall 2019, and grants were announced in fall 2020. A second round was held in 2022	Transportation to healthy food and fitness for low-income seniors Age-friendly walkability in a rural region All grantees
Community Connections	Boston Region MPO funding for first- and last-mile solutions, community transportation, and other small, nontraditional transportation projects such as updating transit technology and improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities The 97 cities and towns that are part of the Boston MPO are eligible, as well as Regional Transit Authorities within the region	Annual program. Applications typically due in December	New funding stream as of 2020
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)	Municipalities can apply for public social services funding to offer free or reduced-fare rides to low-income individuals	Opens in December, due in March	Wareham uses CDBG funds to offer discounted dial-a-ride fares, bus passes, and out-of-town medical transportation to low-income seniors
COMMBUYS	State contract opportunities

 

Federal funding

• Federal Transit Authority (FTA) 5310 funds are disbursed through MassDOT’s Community Transit Grant Program
• Besides FTA, other federal agencies also provide some funding for transportation. Visit www.grants.gov for information on federal grants and competitive funding opportunities
• Rural transportation improvements are an eligible expense under USDA's annual Rural Business Development Grant
• The Corporation for National and Community Service funds initiatives that leverage senior volunteers through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
• Special federal funding opportunities sometimes become available. Recent examples include:

Source	Example
FTA discretionary grants	Rides to Wellness Mobility on Demand
National Center for Mobility Management	Springfield NCMM grant
Transit Planning for All	Worcester Inclusive Planning grant
National Aging and Disability Transportation Center	Berkshire County NADTC grant

 

Additional Resources

Report on when you can and cannot use federal funds as a match for other federal funding - June 2020

Private funding

Massachusetts foundations and initiatives

• Arc Tank - annual opportunity for initiatives disrupting disability services in order to improve lives of people with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, or autism. Past winners include a transportation initiative.
• Barr Foundation - supports transportation projects as part of its climate change focus area.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation - grants funding community organizations to expand healthcare access and affordability among low-income populations in Massachusetts
• Fallon Health - grants supporting senior health initiatives, including transportation to medical appointments
• Smith Family Foundation’s small capital grants initiative funds one-time capital expenses for nonprofits, including purchase of vehicles.
• Tufts Health Plan Foundation supports healthy aging in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Collaborative transportation projects are eligible.
• United Way local affiliates are involved in community transportation in some regions
• Funding related to COVID-19 compiled by Philanthropy Massachusetts

Regional foundations and initiatives

• The Boston Foundation - focus areas include the social determinants of health and transit-oriented development; they also accept community-based proposals that do not fit into established focus areas. Their catchment area includes 80 cities and towns in Greater Boston.
• Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts - grants supporting the health of people who live or work in Central Mass; recent grants include a planning grant supporting rural transportation as a social determinant of health

National foundations and initiatives

• AARP Community Challenge - small grants for quick-action projects promoting livable, age-friendly communities including transportation projects
• AmericaWalks Community Change grants supporting walkable communities
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - grants supporting health equity, including built environment and social determinants of health

Fundraising from local businesses

• Local banks have sponsored vehicles and transportation services in some regions of Massachusetts
• Many restaurants are willing to partner with nonprofits to host fundraisers where some of the profits from a meal go to your organization
• Corporate giving programs based in Massachusetts may be a source of funds or volunteers - example from Lowell

 

Additional Resources

Grantsmanship Center's list of Massachusetts-based foundations

Philanthropy Massachusetts

Candid (formerly The Foundation Center and GuideStar)

Other fundraising strategies

• Fundraising events can be targeted to transportation or mobility efforts
  • Example from Brookline
• Individuals can leave money in their wills to support local transportation services
  • For example, the Belchertown Council on Aging (COA) received funds from the estate of a senior who had been a regular customer of the COA van
• The Town of Acton implemented a meals tax to increase local funding available to support transportation
• Crowdfunding sites provide a platform to raise funds from individual donors in support of a defined project

Funding to improve walkability in Massachusetts

WalkBoston compiled a listing of funding opportunities to improve walkability in Massachusetts communities.

Funding for individuals

Individuals looking for help funding their own transportation expenses can look to the following sources for help:

• Social Security Work Incentives
  • Contact Work Without Limits or Project Impact to learn more
• If you are currently receiving services from a state agency, ask your case manager if you may be eligible for any transportation benefits. For example:
  • DTA offers a transportation benefit to eligible TAFDC participants
  • Some Career Centers have funding available through the federal WIOA program to assist eligible jobseekers with transportation expenses
  • Transportation is a service available to consumers enrolled in DDS waiver programs
  • Some MRC programs can help pay for vehicle modifications for eligible consumers
• Attainable Savings Plan - individuals with disabilities may be eligible for an Attainable Savings Plan. Money saved in this account can be used towards transportation expenses. Learn more or enroll.
• Families who incur transportation expenses due to a child's medical condition may be eligible for reimbursement through the state's Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund (CICRF)
• Loans for wheelchair-accessible vehicles and other assistive technology from Easterseals Massachusetts
  • Examples
• Contact your transit authority to find out if they are auctioning off any retired vehicles
• Some individuals use crowdfunding sites to gather donations from friends, family, and the general public

Create an organization whose mission is to fundraise for transportation

• Tasks for Transit is a nonprofit dedicated to raising funds from individuals and corporations, using those funds to buy Worcester Regional Transit Authority bus passes, and distributing the bus passes to partner charities to give to their consumers.
• A grassroots initiative chose accessible transportation as the beneficiary of a fundraising initiative they took on

Grantwriting tips

• Tips on writing grants from the National Center on Mobility Management (Sections 1 & 2)
• Grant Writing 101 – webinar from National Rural Transit Assistance Program

Data sources

These data sources may be helpful as you craft the case for why your project will effectively meet an important need:

• Coordinated Human Service Transportation Plans - regional analyses of transportation resources and unmet needs for older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Transportation Study, National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, 2021
• Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report - find data on your city or town - updated in 2018
• A Scan of Transportation Options Available for Older People in Massachusetts, UMass Boston Gerontology Institute, 2018
• Travel Patterns of American Adults with Disabilities, US DOT, 2018
• Transportation Needs Assessment: Survey of Older Adults, People with Disabilities, and Caregivers. National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, 2018
• Massachusetts Travel Survey, 2010-2011 - statewide information on how residents take trips

National resources

Funding, financing, and fares - information and links from the National Center for Mobility Management