Project CARS
Project CAR is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) transportation ministry founded in 1980 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, providing free curb-to-curb rides to medical, work, worship, and community activities for seniors, low-income neighbors, and people with developmental disabilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersSioux Falls, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Project CARS does
Project CAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit transportation ministry founded in 1980 and headquartered at 2425 S Western Ave, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The organization recruits and matches volunteer drivers with riders to provide free curb-to-curb transportation for seniors, low-income and financially marginalized neighbors, and people with developmental disabilities, with destinations spanning medical appointments, work, worship, and volunteer opportunities. The service operates Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday mornings, with no Saturday or federal-holiday service, and rides must be requested at least one week in advance via an online form (Microsoft Forms), phone, text, or email.
The operating model is structured around a 17-organization member network — 11 named churches and 6 social-service agencies — that supplies referrals, while four named case-management partners (LifeScape, Dakotabilities, Volunteers of America, and Resources for Human Development) coordinate scheduling for developmental-disability clients. The technology layer is intentionally minimal: there is no proprietary platform, no mobile app, no API, and no AI; ride requests are handled through basic web forms and SMS, and the volunteer driver program supplies a centrally maintained vehicle fleet, radio support, and liability coverage. A single paid staff member, Executive Director Rev. Dr. Christopher Montgomery, runs the program alongside a 10-person Board of Directors.
The revenue model is donation-only. All rides are provided at no charge to riders, and operating costs — fuel, scheduling, vehicle maintenance, insurance — are funded by contributions from foundations, health systems, community partners, and individual donors. The organization has set a 2026 fundraising goal of $138,153; no actual revenue figure, Form 990 disclosure, or multi-year financial trend is available in the source data. Marketing is passive, relying on word-of-mouth and member-organization referrals, and geographic scope is explicitly restricted to Sioux Falls.
Project CARS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project CARS
- Legal name
- Project CAR
- Website
- https://projectcarsf.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Project CAR is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) transportation ministry founded in 1980 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, providing free curb-to-curb rides to medical, work, worship, and community activities for seniors, low-income neighbors, and people with developmental disabilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project CARS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Transportation Services
- NAICS
- Special Needs Transportation (485991), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Volunteer Driver & Community Transportation Programs (TLAFAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Door-to-Door Senior Ride Services (Non-Medical) (HSABAOAB), On-Demand Ride Coordination & Assisted Rides (TNC/Taxi Brokerage) (HSABAOAJ), Recreational Outings, Community Participation & Mobility Support (Non-Clinical) (HSABAAAI)
Keywords
Where Project CARS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sioux Falls
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Project CARS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Project CAR relies entirely on donations from foundations, health systems, community partners, and individual donors to sustain operations including fuel, scheduling, coordination, and vehicle fleet maintenance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free rides for eligible passengers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Project CARS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project CAR provides free, volunteer-driven curb-to-curb transportation rides for seniors, low-income neighbors, and people with developmental disabilities within Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Rides are delivered Monday through Friday 7:30am-5pm and Sunday mornings, with no service on Saturdays or federal holidays, and are funded entirely by donations from foundations, health systems, community partners, and individual donors. The service covers medical appointments, work, worship at member churches, and volunteer opportunities, and is supported by a trained volunteer driver pool using the organization's vehicle fleet with radio coordination.
Product overview
Project CAR is a volunteer-powered transportation ministry providing a single, unified service: free rides for seniors, low-income neighbors, and people with developmental disabilities in Sioux Falls. The core offering consists of transportation rides to medical appointments, religious activities through member churches, and employment-related transportation for those with developmental disabilities. The service is coordinated through an online and phone-based scheduling system, powered by volunteer drivers using the organization's fleet of vehicles. Rides are curb-to-curb, operating Monday through Friday 7:30am to 5pm and Sunday mornings, with no service on Saturdays or federal holidays.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Transportation Rides Service A volunteer-powered transportation service providing free curb-to-curb rides to medical appointments, religious activities, and employment-related transportation for seniors, low-income neighbors, and people with developmental disabilities in Sioux Falls, operating Monday-Friday 7:30am-5pm and Sunday mornings.
- Volunteer Driver Program A program recruiting and supporting compassionate volunteer drivers aged 25-79 by providing a safe, reliable vehicle fleet, radio support, and liability coverage, matching drivers with riders who need transportation in Sioux Falls.
- Rider Scheduling and Request System A scheduling and request system allowing riders to request free rides at least one week in advance via online Microsoft Forms, phone or text to 605-332-2777, or email to [email protected], with coordination among all rides scheduled for a given day to maximize efficiency.
Quantifiable outcome
- 876,860 total rides provided from 1980 to 2025
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Project CARS
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Project CARS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Project CARS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- LifeScapecorePartnership for developmental disabilities transportation - LifeScape case managers and social workers help schedule rides for individuals with developmental disabilities for learning skills and employment transportation.
- DakotabilitiescorePartnership for developmental disabilities transportation - case managers coordinate ride scheduling for individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Volunteers of AmericacorePartnership for developmental disabilities transportation - case managers coordinate ride scheduling for individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Resources for Human DevelopmentcorePartnership for developmental disabilities transportation - case managers coordinate ride scheduling for individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Member Churches (11 churches)core11 member churches provide religious activity transportation: Asbury United Methodist Church, First Congregational Church, First Evangelical Free Church, First Lutheran Church, First Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Peace Lutheran Church, St. John American Lutheran Church, St. Mark's Lutheran Church.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Project CARS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Uber Health: Rideshare platform's healthcare-vertical arm providing scheduled, non-emergency rides for patients; an alternative channel that health-system donors may increasingly fund, potentially displacing volunteer programs.
- Modivcare: Large publicly traded NEMT/paratransit broker that coordinates non-emergency medical rides for Medicaid and Medicare populations; the commercial, scaled analog that competes for the same health-system and foundation dollars as Project CAR.
- Lyft Healthcare: Rideshare platform's healthcare-vertical offering scheduled medical transport with HIPAA-compliant tooling; competes for the same medical-access mission and Medicaid/Medicare-funded ride demand.
Emerging players
- GoGoGrandparent: On-demand senior ride coordination service that brokers Uber/Lyft rides for older adults; represents the technology-enabled alternative to volunteer-driven transportation that Project CAR may increasingly compete against for donor attention.
Direct peers
- Ride Connection: Portland-area nonprofit providing volunteer-driven transportation for seniors and people with disabilities, including medical and community trips — same volunteer-led, donation-supported mission serving a comparable rider population.
- Faith in Action: Interfaith volunteer-caregiving network that organizes local congregations to provide transportation, errands, and companionship for seniors and people with disabilities — closely mirrors Project CAR's faith-based referral model.
- ITN America: National nonprofit using a volunteer-driver model to provide dignified, door-through-door rides for older adults; operates a network of regional affiliates with a shared brand and operational playbook, making it the closest structural analog to Project CAR.
- Shepherd's Centers of America: Federation of faith-based community centers that deliver volunteer transportation, social, and wellness programs for older adults; directly comparable mission and congregation-driven volunteer model.
Others
- Community Transportation Association of America: National association supporting community, public, and nonprofit transportation providers through advocacy, training, and funding access; relevant ecosystem organization that Project CAR could leverage for federal grants and peer learning.
Regional players
- ITN Central Florida: Regional ITN affiliate providing volunteer-driver rides for seniors in Central Florida; illustrates how the ITN model scales regionally without the brand going national, paralleling Project CAR's local-only footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Project CARS social profiles
Digital presenceProject CARS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project CARS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Project CARS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project CARS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Project CARS
What does Project CARS do?
Project CAR provides free, volunteer-driven curb-to-curb transportation rides for seniors, low-income neighbors, and people with developmental disabilities within Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Rides are delivered Monday through Friday 7:30am-5pm and Sunday mornings, with no service on Saturdays or federal holidays, and are funded entirely by donations from foundations, health systems, community partners, and individual donors. The service covers medical appointments, work, worship at member churches, and volunteer opportunities, and is supported by a trained volunteer driver pool using the organization's vehicle fleet with radio coordination.
Is Project CARS a public or private company?
Project CARS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project CARS founded?
Project CARS was founded in 1980. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Project CARS based?
Project CARS is headquartered in Sioux Falls, United States, in the North America region.
How does Project CARS make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Fundraising.
Who are Project CARS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Uber Health, Modivcare and Lyft Healthcare. GoGoGrandparent is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Ride Connection, Faith in Action, ITN America and Shepherd's Centers of America. Community Transportation Association of America is listed as an others. ITN Central Florida is listed as a regional player.
Does Project CARS have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project CARS.
What industry is Project CARS in?
Project CARS's product category is Community Transportation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAKAH, Volunteer Driver & Community Transportation Programs, with a secondary code of HSABAOAB, Door-to-Door Senior Ride Services (Non-Medical). Its NAICS code is 485991 and its SIC code is 4700.