WASHINGTON – About $3.57 million is open for volunteer programs that drive people to medical visits and help them at home. The Administration for Community Living announced it on November 2, 2026. The agency is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The money flows through Community Care Corps, a program the agency funds.
| Key fact | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Total | About $3.57 million, through the program’s 2027 request for proposals. |
| Rides with a volunteer | $1.5 million. |
| Other help at home | More than $2 million. |
| Deadline for groups | Wednesday, January 6, 2027, at 5:00 p.m. ET. |
| Who runs it | The Oasis Institute, with USAging, Caregiver Action Network and Altarum. |
| Grant size | $30,000 to $200,000 for 18 months, per the program’s application page. |
| Who can lead an application | A nonprofit organization. |
What changed#
The agency says the program “will make approximately $3.57 million available” for volunteer programs. Those programs give “practical, nonmedical assistance” to family caregivers, older adults and adults with disabilities.
The money comes in two parts.
The first part is $1.5 million for what the agency calls volunteer chaperone transportation. The agency says these programs “pair transportation with volunteer assistance and companionship.” The aim, it says, is to help people “safely access nonemergency medical appointments and outpatient procedures.”
The second part is more than $2 million for other volunteer help. The agency lists companionship, help with household tasks and other everyday support. Its stated aim is to help people “remain independent at home and in their communities.”
All of this help is nonmedical. The program’s application page says, “All volunteer assistance must be nonmedical.” A volunteer driver is not an ambulance, and a volunteer visit is not a nurse visit.
The program spells out what nonmedical means. Its questions page says these are tasks volunteers can do “without specialized training, education, or certification.” They do not include bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, transfers, feeding or medication management. Laundry, meal preparation, housekeeping and yard work are allowed.
The same page sets limits on the money. It says the grant “cannot cover the costs of paid caregivers.” It also will not pay for medical staff, such as a certified nursing assistant at a respite program.
The agency says the program will keep expanding “a nationwide network of locally driven volunteer programs.” Those programs, it says, “connect families with practical support and strengthen communities.”
The agency ties the money to the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. It names Goal 3, which focuses on strengthening services and supports.
The program is managed by the Oasis Institute under a cooperative agreement with the agency. Its partners are USAging, Caregiver Action Network and Altarum. The agency says the program began in 2019. Since then it has supported community groups across the country as they build volunteer programs tailored to local needs.
The agency’s program page gives results for the first five years. About 10,542 volunteers helped more than 34,400 older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers. That work ran through 109 sub-grants to community groups. From 2019 to 2024, the program gave more than 185,541 hours of help.
The program runs under a five-year cooperative agreement, with money and direction from Congress, the page says. In 2024, the Oasis Institute received a new $5 million grant for another five-year cycle.
Who it affects#
Three groups stand to gain if the grants reach their area. They are older adults, adults with disabilities and the family caregivers who help them. The application page counts adults with disabilities as those age 18 and older.
The agency’s program page explains why it backs volunteers. It says more than 53 million family caregivers help older adults and people with disabilities live in the community. It says the paid direct care workforce, 2.3 million people, is “currently in crisis.” It names high turnover and trouble hiring and keeping workers. Volunteer help, the page says, “does not replace” the skilled care that paid workers give.
The groups that apply are organizations across the country, and funded programs are local. The program’s application page lists many kinds of eligible groups. They include nonprofit community groups, Area Agencies on Aging, and aging and disability service providers. They also include tribal entities, faith-based groups, local governments, health systems, volunteer agencies and colleges.
One rule shapes who can lead. “For profit organizations are not eligible to function as the lead applicant,” the page says. A for-profit company may join an application as a partner. The lead applicant, which receives and manages the money, must be a nonprofit.
Applicants must be able to meet a 25 percent match, in cash or in-kind. The page does not explain in this section how the match is counted.
Grants run from $30,000 to $200,000, per the application page. The application page does not say how many groups will win. The program’s questions page gives a range: it expects to fund “between 23 and 27 new grantees each funding cycle.” Over six funding cycles, it says, it received 904 applications and funded 154 grantees. It also does not say which towns will get programs.
The help itself comes from those local programs. The page says the aim is to “reduce unmet needs.” It says funded programs “must use trained volunteers” to give nonmedical help in home or community settings. Grantees must make sure all volunteers complete required trainings, and must run criminal background checks on all volunteers.
The page lists more duties. Grantees send requests for payment and program reports every quarter. They collect data from the people they help and from volunteers. They join monthly calls, learning groups and a kickoff meeting. They also collect stories and write a short blog post about the program.
The program’s page for its 2026-2027 grantees shows the kind of work its grantees do. In Mesa, Arizona, Aster Aging plans to add volunteer assisted transportation, pet support and companionship to its Neighbors Program. In central Oregon, the Council on Aging of Central Oregon describes its existing Caring Connections service. It matches volunteers with people 60 and older for friendly calls and visits. It calls this a “no-cost service.”
The sources do not say whether rides paid by this new round will cost families anything.
What to watch, with dates#
The page lists these dates.
- November 2, 2026: the application portal opened.
- November 4, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET: an optional webinar for groups.
- January 6, 2027, at 5 p.m. ET: applications are due.
- About April 1, 2027: award announcements, which the page calls anticipated.
- April 1, 2027 to September 30, 2028: the grant period.
So new programs paid by this round would not start before the grant period opens on April 1, 2027. Nothing in the announcement means free rides are available now.
Each proposal must include at least one focus area from a list on the page. The list includes volunteer chaperone programs for non-emergency medical appointments and more access to respite programs. It also includes support for grandparent and kinship-led households, and virtual or low-tech access.
Four more focus areas are on the list. One is using ready-made, off-the-shelf materials. Another is bringing in college students or interns to connect generations. The others are building volunteer skills and following the principles of the national caregiver strategy.
For how rules shape care at home, see how algorithms decide home care hours. For care that happens away from a clinic, see care at a distance.
Source: Administration for Community Living, “ACL-Funded Community Care Corps Opens $3.57M Funding Opportunity to Expand Volunteer Support,” November 2, 2026; read November 4, 2026. Also the Community Care Corps application page, read November 4, 2026.