Community Action Resource & Empowerment (CARE) Program
The Community Action Resource and Empowerment (CARE) program is a funding, grant and implementation program to center community voice, strengthen community and multi-sector partnerships and support community-led solutions that improve mobility, climate change effects and housing for all people in the Bay Area.
The Community Action Resource and Empowerment (CARE) program advances collaboration to build community power and drive community-led solutions. The $23 million program is funded by a mix of local, state and federal sources to support a mix of community-based transportation initiatives that have been identified as a high priority by local communities and through community power-building and engagement efforts. CARE will also support capacity building and technical assistance for community-based organizations and local governments.
Program Overview & Components
MTC is investing in expanded mobility access and opportunity throughout the Bay Area. Rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach, CARE seeks to support local community-based transportation needs through targeted strategies to reach shared regional goals. The program is made up of three components:
- A Power-building and Engagement Grant and Learning Action Lab;
- A fund source program to advance community-based transportation project development; and
- A program that funds high-priority neighborhood-level projects identified through a robust, participatory community engagement process.
The goals of the CARE program are to:
- Strengthen multi-sector partnerships to deliver community-based transportation projects.
- Build community power to broaden civic engagement.
- Support leadership and practices that advance transportation solutions with and for older adults, people with disabilities, youth and communities with low income.
Moving Forward: Next Steps
The first component of the CARE program is the $1.3 million Power-Building and Engagement (Pb+E) grant program, developed through engagement with housing and transportation community-based organizations and governmental organizations, with input and review from a 15-member Community Advisory Working Group.
The approach and advancement of the remaining CARE program components – which include technical assistance funds for project development and neighborhood-level projects – were approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission at its November 19, 2025 meeting.
The Pb+E grant program includes direct funding as well as technical assistance, peer learning, professional coaching and connections to tools and practices to support community-based organizations build local leadership, collaborate with other organizations, develop capacity in transportation and housing, and implement community solutions.
More information about the grant, including information sessions, the application and technical assistance is available on the Pb+E grant webpage.
Background
The CARE program expands MTC's community-based investment approach by building on the Lifeline Transportation Program serving Equity Priority Communities and similar designations. CARE prioritizes the needs identified by individual Bay Area communities in their Community-Based Transportation Plans, the Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan, or similar local or county plans.
MTC in 2023 initiated a Call for Interest process to help shape the CARE program and to better understand community organizations' needs for technical assistance and capacity building. This process informed development of the program's funding guidelines, approved in November 2023 through MTC Resolution 4604. These guidelines describe the funding available as well as the rules around areas eligible for federal funding through the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) program and those eligible for state funding through the Regional Early Action Planning (REAP 2.0) grant program.
Additional CARE Program Details: Three CARE Components
Community Power-Building and Engagement Grant & Learning Action Lab
- Grant Program (Application period closed October 9, 2025): $1.3 million in REAP funds notification of award by December 1, 2025 to community-based organizations. Approximately 15 projects will be selected through a competitive application process. Grants up to $50,000 per project for capacity building; up to $100,000 per project for multi-sector partnership and collaboration development; and up to $250,000 per project for community projects. Grantees will have access to coaching, technical assistance and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
- Learning Action Lab Fellowship Program (Participation details to be announced by March 2026): Fellows from up to 20 organizations will be selected through a competitive application process to participate in one of two Learning Labs and will receive a stipend of $20,000 per organization. Fellows will receive coaching, technical assistance and targeted training to support the development of projects that advance Pb+E goals.
Funding Program: Project Development Technical Assistance for Community Based Transportation Plan or Coordinated Plan projects
- Next steps announced in December 2025
Participatory Budgeting Process and Project Implementation for High Priority Neighborhood-level projects
- Next steps announced in December 2025
Across the nation’s transportation sector, movements have been and are taking place to strengthen community engagement and standardize inclusive processes. These efforts are in response to growing public demand for transparency, accountability and more collaboration directly with communities.
“Participatory grantmaking” invites community-based organizations and other “on the ground” stakeholders to help prioritize where funds should be spent, to help determine the priorities for transportation and mobility within local communities. These stakeholders help set priorities, develop strategies and are directly involved in how funding decisions are made. The approach shifts power in grantmaking decisions to the people most affected by the issues.
MTC’s participatory grantmaking considers the following core elements in its practice:
- It is values-based;
- Involves community in the grantmaking process;
- Application and reporting processes are simple and relatively flexible and transparent; and
- Builds and strengthens larger collaboration efforts.
The Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG) was responsible for providing input and feedback to inform Power-building and Engagement (Pb+E) components of the CARE Program, including:
- Process for outreach, applications and Pb&E focus areas.
- Questions and/or prompts included in the call for applications for Pb+E.
- Criteria and scoring rubric for Pb+E.
- Capacity and technical assistance needs to foster partnerships across sectors and community engagement in housing, transportation and well-being initiatives.
- Framework for evaluating and learning from the initial round of Pb+E applicants.
MTC facilitated meetings and gathered input from the CAWG, while MTC made final decisions on program design and implementation.