Grants for Vehicles 2026: 64 Funders, $35,000 Median

Grants for Vehicles: What 990-PF Filings Show

64 foundations made 90 human services vehicle grants to 81 recipients, worth $3,468,537 in all, according to Grantsights analysis of 990-PF filings pulled November 5, 2026. According to IRS guidance on Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab), private foundations file that return each year, and the grant list on it is where a purpose like "replace delivery box truck" shows up.

The size is the first thing to plan around. According to the Grantsights vehicle data, the median grant was $35,000, a quarter of the grants were $15,250 or less, a quarter were $50,000 or more, and just 2 of the 90 (about 2%) were $5,000 or less. That's 5 to 7 times the typical human services grant in the statewide table further down. Many of these grants still paid only part of a vehicle: the filings say "toward," "help purchase," "partial grant" and "truck fund" again and again.

The total isn't driven by one giant gift. The 3 largest grants add up to $430,000, about 12% of the national total:

The Hillcrest row folds a box truck into supplies and a building, so it isn't a pure vehicle gift.

Vehicle gifts reach well past the human services tag. Across every cause, the same match pulled November 5, 2026 found 382 foundations, 685 grants and $29,016,695, with a median just under $30,000. 392 of those 685 grants (57%) carried no cause tag at all, and youth (51 foundations), education (41) and faith (30) carried most of the rest. Grantsights checked 40 all-cause recipients by hand: 35 were nonprofits, churches, schools or youth groups buying vehicles, and the 5 misses were a truck-driving class, a hand truck, a city electrician's van, a city fire department and a van used abroad.

What Vehicle Grants Pay For: 5 Kinds of Requests

52 of the 90 human services vehicle grants (58%) moved food, according to Grantsights analysis of the purposes written on the November 5, 2026 filings. Food banks, pantries, food rescue groups and meal programs are the largest single group of buyers, and funders know what a refrigerated truck does for them.

A grant can sit in more than one row: a refrigerated box truck for a pantry counts three times. The passenger row is the hardest to sort because many filings just say "vehicle purchase," so treat it as a floor.

Food groups get funded for the cold chain. The Cannon Foundation gave Bounty and Soul in Black Mountain, North Carolina $65,000 in 2023 for a refrigerated van, and Emanuel Food Pantry in Concord $57,000 in 2024 for another. The William H. Donner Foundation gave Golden Corner Food Pantry in South Carolina $55,000 in 2023 for a mobile pantry refrigerated truck. If you run a pantry, grants for food pantries, grants for food banks and grants for food rescue programs cover the rest of the budget around the truck.

Passenger vans go to shelters, refugee groups and youth housing. The Hillcrest Foundation gave For the Nations Refugee Outreach in Garland, Texas $65,000 in 2024 for a new 15-passenger van. One organization in Washington, The Rescue Mission in Tacoma, received $75,000 from the Korum for Kids Foundation in 2025 for a 15-passenger van to carry children and families. Meal delivery programs replace vans on a cycle; grants for home-delivered meal programs covers that work in full.

Grants for Vehicles by State

9 states had 3 or more human services vehicle funders in the November 5, 2026 pull. Each row counts vehicle grants by the recipient's state.

California's sample on the free preview is the Bothin Foundation, whose filings say it takes requests and list what to send and a contact. In the human services pull it gave 5 recipients $220,000 for vehicles. StreetCode Academy in East Palo Alto got $50,000 in 2023 for a vehicle to distribute food on the Peninsula. Committee on the Shelterless in Petaluma got $45,000 in 2024 for a box truck to pick up produce and deliver meals and groceries for Mary's Table. TLC Child & Family Services in Sebastopol got $40,000 in 2024 for a vehicle for its transition-age youth housing program.

The other samples follow the same pattern. Texas opens with the Hillcrest Foundation, whose filings list what to send, deadlines, limits and a contact. Georgia's sample, the Scott Hudgens Family Foundation, gave Norcross Meals on Wheels $50,000 in 2023 toward a new kitchen and new delivery vans. Massachusetts opens with The Beveridge Family Foundation, which paid toward a new refrigerated truck for Rachel's Table of Western Massachusetts in 2024. New Jersey's sample, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, gave Jewish Family Service Agency of Central New Jersey $20,000 and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newark $15,000 in 2023 for transportation vehicles.

Florida's sample is a caution. The Windhover Foundation gave Mobile School Pantry in Hollywood $35,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for a refrigerated truck lease fund, plus $10,000 in 2024 for the truck's higher insurance costs, but its filings don't say it takes unsolicited requests. A gift history like that shows what's possible, not an open door.

Funders That Treat Vehicles as a Regular Request

4 foundations made 23 or more vehicle grants each in the all-cause pull of November 5, 2026, and they're worth knowing even if your state isn't theirs, because they show how a vehicle request reads when a funder expects it.

• The Ahmanson Foundation (California): 32 vehicle grants worth $2,673,853, about 53% of California's all-cause vehicle total. Its filings read like a fleet list, with seat counts and vehicle types (see the table below).
• The Hyde and Watson Foundation (New Jersey and New York): 27 grants worth $348,000, every one between $7,500 and $20,000 and nearly all written "purchase of a transportation vehicle." That's a funder paying a fixed slice of the price.
• The Champlin Foundation (Rhode Island): 23 grants worth $1,317,941, every one to a Rhode Island group, from a 15-passenger van for Silver Lake Community Center ($65,593, 2023) to a refrigerated truck for Farm Fresh Rhode Island ($100,000, 2024).
• Bothin Foundation (California): 23 grants worth $983,650 across causes, including $40,000 in 2024 to Wise Choices for Girls for a used van.

Copy the habit, not the funder. A strong request names the vehicle type, the seat count or cargo need, and the program it serves, the way the Hoblitzelle Foundation's filing for Buckner Children and Family Services reads "toward two 12-passenger vans" ($50,000, 2024). Hyde and Watson's generic wording is the exception, and its fixed grant sizes tell you to bring other funders.

The grant per vehicle varies widely. This table divides each grant by the vehicles named; several were partial gifts, so read the last column as what the funder paid per vehicle, not the sticker price.

Church Van Grants and Wheelchair-Accessible Vans

30 foundations put a faith tag on 32 vehicle grants worth $747,900 in the all-cause pull of November 5, 2026, so church van grants exist, but they come from ordinary local funders. For example, Celebration Church in North Carolina received $35,000 from the Cannon Foundation in 2023 for a refrigerated box truck. The John T. Stevens Foundation gave Kershaw Second Baptist Church in South Carolina $10,000 in 2024 for a new bus, and the Antone and Marie Raymus Foundation gave Calvary Community Church in California $10,000 in 2024 toward a 15-passenger van.

A church request gets stronger when the vehicle serves the public. St. Peter Parish in Massachusetts got $7,500 in 2024 from Saint Francis Community Health Care toward a new or used van to pick up food for its pantry, and New Beginnings Apostolic Church in Tennessee got $10,000 in 2023 from Round Room Gives for a van to carry food donations. Funders that bar religious activities can still pay for a pantry truck. Grants for churches explains how those limits work.

Wheelchair-accessible vans are a gap in the human services tag: none of the 90 purposes there said "wheelchair" or "accessible." They sit in the untagged rows instead. The Moody Foundation gave Sunshine Center in Galveston, Texas $200,000 in 2023 for a wheelchair-accessible van plus added staff and training. The David C. Copley Foundation gave The Arc of San Diego $65,000 in 2024 for a new wheelchair-accessible van, and the Enterline Foundation gave L'Arche Chicago $15,000 in 2024 toward one. Disability agencies will find more of their funders in grants for disability services.

Why the Human Services List

64 foundations made human services vehicle grants, more than any other single cause tag in the November 5, 2026 pull (youth had 51, education 41). That's why this guide points to the human services list: food banks, shelters, meal programs, refugee groups and Habitat affiliates are the buyers, and their funders give under that tag. A youth program buying a bus should also read each funder's youth giving.

These rows count every human services grant on 990-PF returns in each state, according to Grantsights analysis of filings pulled October 29, 2026, not only vehicle gifts. Between 21% (California) and 34% (Pennsylvania) of these funders say they take requests. Start here, and look for the ones whose past grants run $25,000 or more, because a vehicle request below that line is usually a partial ask. The free preview on the human services funder list shows each state's sample. The full human services funder list covers every state in one purchase, and if it doesn't help your search you can ask for your money back within 30 days.

Private foundations aren't the only source, and for some groups they aren't the main one. Community foundations and United Ways file a different return, so their vehicle grants aren't in these counts. Individual donors often fund a named "truck campaign," state transit programs fund some senior and disability vans, and county contracts sometimes pay for meal delivery vehicles.

Federal Money for Vans and Buses: 4 Routes

4 federal routes can reach a nonprofit's vehicle, and none of them is a grant you apply for directly in Washington. Each flows through a state, a transit agency or a local office, and Grantsights couldn't confirm an open call for any of them on November 5, 2026.

FTA Section 5310 (Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities). Under 49 U.S.C. 5310, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds a recipient, which is a designated recipient, a state, or a state or local government running public transit. A subrecipient can be a private nonprofit that gets money indirectly through that recipient. At least 55% of a recipient's apportionment goes to capital projects for seniors and people with disabilities where public transportation is insufficient, inappropriate or unavailable. According to the statute, the federal share of a capital grant is 80% of net capital costs, and the rest can come from sources that include a service agreement with a state or local social service agency or a private social service organization. Projects must be in a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan, so get your agency into that plan before you ask. The statute splits the money 60% to large urbanized areas, 20% to small urbanized areas and 20% to rural areas.

FTA Section 5311 (rural areas). Under 49 U.S.C. 5311 (opens in a new tab), a state or tribe is the recipient, and a nonprofit can be a subrecipient. Capital projects get an 80% federal share in most states, and each project must be in the state's program for public transportation. It fits a rural nonprofit that runs or contracts for public rides.

Older Americans Act Title III-B. 42 U.S.C. 3030d (opens in a new tab) lists transportation among the supportive services states may fund, for older people reaching supportive services, nutrition services and area agency on aging services. According to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) page on supportive services for older adults (opens in a new tab), states pass the money to area agencies on aging by formula, and those agencies choose local services. The law names services, not vehicle purchases, so a senior agency's van usually rides on a service contract.

USDA Community Facilities grants. According to USDA rules in 7 CFR part 3570, subpart B (opens in a new tab), Community Facilities grants can help rural public bodies, tribes and nonprofits with strong local ties buy "major equipment" that itself provides an essential service, and the named examples include solid waste collection trucks and fire service equipment. Grants run on a graduated scale up to 75% of cost for communities of 5,000 or fewer with the lowest incomes, and they can't pay annual recurring costs. A nonprofit's own van isn't among the named examples, so ask your state Rural Development office first. The USDA Community Facilities guide explains how towns qualify.

What the Section 5310 Statute Doesn't Tell You

5310 is the federal program most often named for nonprofit vans, and 5 gaps sit between its text and a van in your lot.

1. It doesn't say when your state takes applications. Calls run on each state's or transit agency's schedule. Grantsights couldn't load FTA's own program page on November 5, 2026, so this guide doesn't describe a current deadline.
2. It doesn't cover a food truck. The program is for transportation of seniors and people with disabilities. Section 5310(b)(7) lets a public transportation provider that receives 5310 money help with regular meal delivery for homebound people, if it doesn't cut passenger service. That's a coordination rule, not a grant for a pantry's truck.
3. It doesn't pay the whole price. At 80% of net capital costs, your agency still owes the rest, which is exactly the slice a local foundation tends to fund.
4. It doesn't make the vehicle yours outright. Under the federal equipment rule at 2 CFR 200.313 (opens in a new tab), title to equipment bought with a federal award vests in the recipient or subrecipient as a conditional title. You must use it for the project as long as it's needed and can't encumber it without approval.
5. It doesn't name your local contact. That's a regional transit planner or state transportation office; the DOT transportation grants guide explains who runs which transit streams.

If your work is rides for older adults rather than buying a vehicle for any program, grants for senior transportation programs is the closer guide.

What a Vehicle Really Costs After the Grant

Most groups underestimate the cost of keeping a vehicle on the road. The Moody Foundation's $100,000 grant to the Resource and Crisis Center of Galveston County in 2024 paid for a 12-passenger van and two years of insurance and maintenance, and that's the model to copy. This table is illustrative, not data: prices and rates vary by state, vehicle and insurer.

Used or new. Funders pay for both. The Henry L. Guenther Foundation gave Project Understanding in Ventura, California $35,000 in 2024 to buy a used truck for food donations, and the John W. and Anna H. Hanes Foundation gave Winston Salem Rescue Mission $20,000 in 2025 for a used vehicle and a scissor lift. A used vehicle with a mechanic's inspection report attached is a reasonable ask.

Licensing. Under 49 CFR 383.5, a vehicle designed to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver, or a single vehicle rated at 26,001 pounds or more, is a commercial motor vehicle for CDL purposes. A van built for 15 people including the driver falls under the passenger line, and many box trucks are rated below the weight line. Check the rating plate and your state licensing office before you pick a model your volunteers can't legally drive.

Title. Title the vehicle in the organization's legal name, not a board member's, and list it on your insurance and asset records. Funders that see a personal title see a red flag.

Donated vehicles. Under 26 U.S.C. 170(f)(12) (opens in a new tab), when a donor claims more than $500 for a vehicle, the charity's written acknowledgment is part of the deduction, and a charity that sells the vehicle without significant intervening use limits the donor to the sale proceeds. According to IRS Publication 4302, which gives an example that fits a meal program exactly, a charity that uses a donated van to deliver meals every day for one year makes a qualifying use. In that case the acknowledgment is due within 30 days of the contribution, and Form 1098-C can serve as the acknowledgment. Dealers and local businesses sometimes give vehicles or discounts in kind; treat that like any gift and record it the same way.

Common Mistakes in Vehicle Grant Requests

These 6 mistakes cost groups $35,000 asks, and each is easy to fix.

• Asking for "transportation support." A common mistake is a request with no vehicle type, seat count or cargo need. The paid filings say "15-passenger van," "refrigerated box truck" or "two 12-passenger vans."
• Asking one funder for the whole price. With a median of $35,000, many grants covered only part of the vehicle. Line up two or three funders, name each one's share, and show your own reserve.
• Skipping the operating lines. A truck without insurance, a driver and fuel is a red flag. The Galveston grant above shows funders will pay those lines when asked.
• Picking a vehicle your drivers can't drive. Check the CDL lines before you request a 16-passenger bus or a heavy truck.
• Mixing up emergency vehicles. Fire, rescue and ambulance rigs have their own funders and federal programs; read grants for volunteer fire departments or grants for EMS and ambulance services instead.
• Reading a funder's size, not its habits. A funder whose vehicle gifts run $7,500 to $20,000 won't fund a $90,000 bus. Check what it actually paid for using how to read a 990-PF before you write.

Related Guides for Vehicle Buyers

38 of the 90 human services vehicle grants named no food or meal work in the purpose: shelters, refugee programs, youth housing and Habitat crews. Shelters and rescue missions buying a passenger van will find more of their funders in grants for homeless shelters, and refugee groups like Western Kentucky Refugee Mutual Assistance Society, which got $50,000 from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation in 2023 for vehicles at two locations, can compare notes with grants for refugee resettlement. A pantry buying a walk-in cooler or shelving with the truck can look up equipment funders in grants for nonprofit equipment, and senior housing communities that want a resident shuttle should also read grants for assisted living facilities.

Youth programs buying a bus should read grants for youth programs, and groups fitting a vehicle as an exam room should read grants for mobile health clinics. For open public notices, search the Grantsights grant database by state and keyword.

FAQ: Common Questions

Are there grants for vehicles for nonprofits? Yes. 64 foundations made 90 human services vehicle grants in the pull of November 5, 2026.

How much is a typical vehicle grant? The median was $35,000, and only 2 of 90 were $5,000 or less.

Are there church van grants? Yes. 30 foundations put a faith tag on 32 vehicle grants in the all-cause pull.

Can a nonprofit get federal money for a van? Sometimes, as a Section 5310 subrecipient through a state or transit agency.

Do our drivers need a commercial license? For a vehicle built for 16 or more people including the driver, or rated at 26,001 pounds or more, yes.

Should we accept a donated vehicle instead? It can work if you'll use it in your program and budget for repairs and insurance.

Sources

• 49 U.S.C. 5310, formula grants for the enhanced mobility of seniors and individuals with disabilities (U.S. Code, 2024 edition) (opens in a new tab)
• 49 U.S.C. 5311, formula grants for rural areas (opens in a new tab)
• 42 U.S.C. 3030d, grants for supportive services under the Older Americans Act (opens in a new tab)
• 26 U.S.C. 170, including (f)(12) on contributions of used motor vehicles (opens in a new tab)
• 7 CFR part 3570, subpart B, USDA Community Facilities grants, including major equipment (eCFR) (opens in a new tab)
• 49 CFR 383.5, CDL definitions (eCFR) (opens in a new tab)
• 2 CFR 200.313, equipment bought under federal awards (eCFR) (opens in a new tab)
• ACL: Home and Community-Based Supportive Services (opens in a new tab)
• IRS Publication 4302, A Charity's Guide to Vehicle Donation (opens in a new tab)
• IRS: About Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab)