Capital funding for transit program needs can be difficult to obtain. To assist agencies, the NADO Research Foundation has released the Tribal Transit Funding Handbook (PDF), created by Michia Casebier, MG Tech Writing, LLC.
This handbook includes descriptions of federal funding sources and how to access them, including formula and discretionary programs through the U.S. Department of Transportation and its modal administrations, as well as other federal agencies whose programs are flexible enough to include transportation-related uses.
In addition to the specific funding information within these pages, the Handbook stresses that the pursuit of capital project grant funding should not focus on the receipt of federal funds, but rather, on the project goal of constructing durable transit infrastructure that is designed to serve transit riders, tribal transit agency staff, and tribal communities well into the future.
Access the handbook here (PDF). To read the PDF, use a viewer such as Adobe Reader.
Grant writing training
Tribal and other rural transit agency staff may be interested in learning more about grant writing to help with securing funding from sources like these. The National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) is holding a mini-conference with a grant writing training track on October 13-15, 2026, in Boston, MA.