Lyft’s DC advisory council drove $25K in transportation grants to local nonprofits

The D.C. chapter of Lyft’s City Works Council has awarded an inaugural $25,000 in transportation grants to five local nonprofits.

The 15-member council was established in the District back in November, following chapters in Los Angeles and Chicago. The ridesharing company said at the time that it launched the advisory board to gather “civic leaders of transportation and philanthropy, activists in business, education, and the arts to help make D.C.’s city life better, more inclusive, more equitable, and more sustainable.”

Members of the Lyft City Works DC Advisory Council include Shelly Bell, founder of Black Girl Ventures; Timothy Chi, CEO of The Knot Worldwide; and Melissa Bradley, managing director of 1863 Ventures. This local grant program is part of Lyft’s commitment to help solve transportation challenges in major cities through an investment of $50 million or 1% of its profits — whichever is the larger amount — via the Lyft City Works program.

Each of the five nonprofits selected to receive transportation grants will be able to use the funds as Lyft ride credit for any needs, such as helping community members attend events or catch a ride to work. This first group of awardees was announced last month.

“Lyft is proud to partner with all five of these organizations who are addressing some of the issues that impact the District, like homelessness and access to mental and physical healthcare,” said Lyft GM Mike Heslin in a statement. “We look forward to supporting these hard-working organizations who want to take their efforts even further and to help them provide access to reliable and affordable transportation.”

The five nonprofits awarded with $5,000 transportation grants include (with descriptions provided by Lyft):

• Calvary Women’s Services, a nonprofit empowering homeless women in Washington D.C. to transform their lives through housing, health, education, and employment programs
• Nueva Vida Inc., an independent, community-based, nonprofit in Washington D.C. providing free, comprehensive, and culturally competent services in Spanish to Latinos with or at high-risk for developing cancer
• The Safe Sisters Circle, an organization providing culturally specific, trauma-informed and holistic services to Black women survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse living primarily in Washington D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8
• Shelters to Shutters, a nonprofit that transitions individuals and families out of homelessness to economic self-sufficiency by providing employment and housing opportunities through direct partnerships with the real estate industry
• Women Involved in Reentry Efforts, a nonprofit that serves formerly incarcerated women and girls who have incarcerated mothers as well as girls who are at high risk of becoming incarcerated

Dr. Laura A. Logie, director of research at Nueva Vida, said in a statement that the nonprofit plans to use the funds to provide transportation to its clients with Nueva Vida’s bilingual/bicultural patient navigators in order to access cancer care at institutions throughout the District.

Lisa Buchs, senior manager of institutional giving at Calvary Women’s Services, said the funding will help the organization provide transportation for women searching for employment, trying to further their education, getting to medical appointments and searching for housing.

City Works Council grants will be awarded on a quarterly basis.