DRIVE
Offers up to $5,000 in grants for Maine's volunteer transportation programs
by Chelsea Chapman

Volunteer drivers across Maine gave more than 32,000 rides last year. That number comes from 32 Volunteer Transportation Programs (VTPs) that answered a survey Lifelong Maine sent out in May and June of 2026. Behind those rides stand 742 volunteer drivers; 23 of the programs are fully volunteer-run, with no paid staff.

Many VTPs started with a few people offering rides to friends who could not drive themselves, and grew from there. Coordinators recruit volunteers and schedule the rides. Drivers pick the days and hours that work for them.

Volunteer drivers use their own cars and pay for their own gas. Most programs cannot reimburse them for mileage. None of the programs get state or federal funding. They keep going because neighbors show up for neighbors.

The rides matter, but so does the time in the car. Riders get to know their drivers. Drivers get to know their communities. Along the way, people get to medical appointments, pick up groceries, and stay connected to the people and places that keep them going.

Lifelong Maine has supported these programs by providing excess liability insurance, scheduling software, background and driving record checks, and a spot in the Find-a-Ride directory. Our goal is to make it easier for grassroots volunteer programs to fill the transportation gap, so older adults and people with disabilities can get where they need to go. We have not always had the resources to offer more. Until now.

A new partnership with the Governor's Cabinet on Aging has allowed us to launch Directions, Resources, and Information for Volunteer Transportation Enhancement, or DRIVE.

DRIVE will expand what we can offer existing and emerging VTPs through mini-grants, on-site driver training, and regional meetings where communities can share information.

DRIVE mini-grants of up to $5,000 are available to current VTPs and to communities looking to start a program. Applications open August 15 and close September 15, with award notification by September 30 and funds distributed in October. Grant work must be completed by July 30, 2027, with final reports due August 27.

Download a copy of the application here to use for planning purposes. Questions? Send an email to Lifelong@maine.edu.