Grant Guide for Local Partners

LAST UPDATED: 3/20/2024

A Note from the Team: How to use this PAGE

Commuters Trust Partners:

As you apply for grants and seek to write in Commuters Trust related components in grant narratives and budgets, please use this document as a resource! In it you will find:

• Ideas for why and how to incorporate Commuters Trust benefits into grants 

• Copy/text that you can use in grant narratives about Commuters Trust

• Commuters Trust impact stats to quote in grant applications

• Budget examples that can inform how you write 

• Contact information for collaboration, requests for letters of support, matching or in-kind partnership questions, etc. 

We encourage employers, other government agencies, non-profits, and other civic partners to apply for grants and incorporate Commuters Trust benefits into their models. Please contact us at info@commuterstrust.com and we’d be happy to help you ideate!

Ideas for why and how to incorporate Commuters Trust benefits into grants

Keep in mind that CT benefits can be a small to medium part of many philanthropic endeavors - anything that requires transportation or would work better if transportation inequity was addressed. Some examples to consider: 

• If you are pitching a grant proposal for a training or educational program, include CT in your budget to get your participants to your training facility and/or job interviews.

• For a public health grant, include subsidized transportation for patients who need to get to and from medical appointments

• For a higher education grant, provide subsidized transportation for college students who need to get to and fro low paying or unpaid internships

• For an arts and culture grant: provide subsidized transportation for local residents to access community gardens, cultural art centers, museums, theater, etc.

• For an economic development grant: provide subsidized transportation to underserved neighborhoods/geographic areas, MUDs, or other partners to increase access to employment opportunities, job training, healthcare and childcare. 

Copy that you can use in Grant Narratives about Commuters Trust

The Problem

1 in 3 South Bend residents cite transportation inequality as a barrier to employment and 2.4% of St. Joseph County residents do not have access to a car. When someone’s primary mode of transportation is nonexistent or unreliable, they need to rely on expensive rideshare services, bus routes, or rides from family and friends which can be emotionally straining. The only other alternative is to miss their shift which can put their job in jeopardy.

Our Approach 

Commuters Trust was launched by the City of South Bend with funds from Bloomberg Philanthropies to help individuals overcome transportation barriers. In partnership with local employers and community organizations, Commuters Trust provides subsidized transportation options in and around South Bend, Indiana.

How it Works

Commuters Trust offers free and discounted rides utilizing existing Uber, Lyft, and Transpo Bus infrastructure. These rides are offered to individuals living and working in St. Joseph County through partner employers and nonprofit organizations local to South Bend. By relying on existing rideshare solutions and public transportation infrastructure, Commuters Trust is able to address transportation needs more efficiently than building a new infrastructure from the ground up. Participants register through the Commuters Trust web app and can redeem their Uber/Lyft voucher or bus pass through the web app portal. Once that is completed, participants can use their rides for eligible trips within St. Joseph County depending on their organization’s restrictions.

Commuters Trust offers rides through the Employer Partner Program (EPP), a cost share program whose program’s purpose is to reduce worker stress, reduce tardiness and no-shows, and increase productivity of hourly wage workers. The program partners with 12 local employers and operates on a cost-share basis with transit costs shared between Commuters Trust, the employer, and the employee.

From 2021 - 2023, Commuters Trust tested a philanthropic Community Nonprofit Partner Program (CNPP) focused on providing rides through nonprofit partners. The CNPP program involves partnerships with 13 local nonprofits and works to connect vulnerable residents to essential services. These essential services include doctors appointments, childcare, and job interviews. The CNPP program was sponsored by United Way and the City of South Bend.

Impact

Employer Partner Program (EPP)

• Key Figures (2023)

• 556 Participants

• 7,733 Uber & Lyft Rides

• 32,460 Transpo Rides

• 85% of enrollees are women, higher than the proportion of total female employees

• Full-time employees are more likely to enroll in the program

• 45% of enrollees are Black or African American

• More than a third of interviewees do not have a car of their own

• Enrolled participants are more likely to be moderately or severely transportation insecure, indicating the program is being used by those who need it

• At one employer, the program has on average increased hours by 1.27 shifts per month, resulting in an extra $151 dollars a month earned per worker

Community Nonprofit Partner Program (CNPP)

• Key Figures (September 2021 - September 2023)

• 204 participants

• 10,167 Uber rides

• 36,160 Transpo rides

• $84.50 Average Monthly Savings

• 66% of enrollees are women, higher than their population share in the city

• 67% of enrollees have an annual household income of less than $10,000

• 46% of enrollees are Black or African or American

• Enrollees are 53.3% less likely to feel “very stressed” about their ability to travel after enrolling in the program

• Enrollees’ Transportation Security Index score improves by 19.6% after enrolling in the program

• 90% of the enrollees were able to spend less on transportation and more on other needs

Agencies who could lead grants: 

1. Workforce Development Agencies

2. Hospitals and Medical Centers

3. Colleges and Universities

4. Theater and Art Centers

5. Social Services Organizations (shelters, food banks, community centers, household assistance agencies, refugee resettlement programs, etc.)

Budget Line Examples: 

Below is a table that shows a guideline for how to budget for CT benefits in different circumstances that might apply for your grant.  Please feel free to contact the CT team if you want to work through any specific budget ideas with us.