NORTHWEST VALLEY CONNECT - TOHONO OODHAM 2017.PDF

Created: 05/04/2017 • Last updated: 05/08/2017
General information
Organization Northwest Valley Connect
Contact First name Kathryn
Contact Last name Chandler
Contact e-mail kchandler@northwestvalleyconnect.org
Contact phone number 623-282-9304
Address
Street 9445 N 99th Ave
City Peoria
State AZ
ZIP Code 85345
From what tribe is the Tohono O’odham Nation
organization requesting the
grant?
Total grant amount request 46000
1 / 1

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
P. 0. BOX 2508
CINCINNATI, OH 45201
Employer Identification Number:
Date: 46-4635030
DLN:
17053288365004
NORTHWEST VALLEY CONNECT Contact Person:
PO BOX 9303 MRS. M. TAYLOR ID# 52449
SURPRISE, AZ 85374 Contact Telephone Number:
(877) 829-5500
Accounting Period Ending:
December 31
Public Charity Status:
170(b)(1) (A) (vi)
Form 990 Required:
Yes
Effective Date of Exemption:
March 14, 2014
Contribution Deductibility:
Yes
Addendum Applies:
No
Dear Applicant:
We are pleased to inform you that upon review of your application for tax
exempt status we have determined that you are exempt from Federal income tax
under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to you are
deductible under section 170 of the Code. You are also qualified to receive
tax deductible bequests/ devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106
or 2522 of the Code. Because this letter could help resolve any questions
regarding your exempt status, you should keep it in your permanent records.
Organizations exempt under section 501 (c)(3) of the Code are further classified
as either public charities or private foundations. We determined that you are
a public charity under the Code section(s) listed in the heading of this
letter.
For important information about your responsibilities as a tax-exempt
organization, go to www.irs.gov/charities. Enter "4221-PC" in the search bar
to view Publication 4221-PC, Compliance Guide for 501(c)(3) Public Charities,
which describes your recordkeeping, reporting, and disclosure requirements.
Sincerely/
^3
Director/ Exempt Organizations
Letter 947

Northwest Valley Connect; Call Click Connect Center and transportation programs
Northwest Valley Connect (NVC) seeks a grant to support and expand our services to connect seniors and
persons with disabilities of all ages to transportation options to medical appointments and more. This grant
would provide for Health Care trips (such as Dialysis, cancer treatments and other medical appointments)
which is one of the Tohono O’odham Nation Distribution Priority Areas for Fiscal Year 2017.
a) Statement of Need and proposal
NVC was formed in 2014 in order to facility the coordination and education northwest valley (of the Metro
Phoenix area) residents about the transportation options available to the citizens in the area. The west valley
has a large proportion of senior citizens and persons with disability, but does not have a well‐coordinated
transportation system that caters to them. There is a great need to create better awareness transportation
among the residents of the area, as well as to improve transportation options.
Our Call Click Connect Center was developed with volunteer operators trained to assist seniors and persons
with disabilities to find the rides they need using a database of transportation providers.
Call Click Connect Center received 288 calls in 2014, 1457 calls in 2015 and 3654 calls in 2016.
From an analysis of the phone calls received in 2016, it was determined that NVC could not address the
concerns of 25% of the callers because of the following gaps:
1. Trips where the level of service that is needed is higher than the Dial a Ride or Taxis offer
2. Trips when Dial‐A‐Ride is closed – evening and weekend trips
3. Low Income trips
4. Same day trips that could not be accommodated by Dial‐A‐Ride
5. Trips needed until the Dial a Ride certification was complete
Hence, there is a need for not only greater coordination among existing transportation services in the
Northwest Valley, but also for more transportation options to cater to the needs of the community. Our
projects seek to address these issues.
Program Descriptions:
The Call‐Click‐Connect Mobility Center is a service that directs community residents to available public,
private and volunteer transportation resources based upon their need.
Our Mobility Center operators ask some general questions to determine the kind of trip a caller wants to make
(medical appointment, shopping, social, etc.), the level of service needed (wheel‐chair accessible vehicle, help
through the door, a helping hand or arm to guide a person who is sight‐impaired, etc.), the location of pick‐up
and drop‐off, and the time and day.
Our Provider Database has about 85 providers of transportation in with various services (including individual
providers who specialize in taking clients to doctor’s appointments and then make sure they understand
medications and doctor’s orders; taxi companies that provide transportation for long‐distance trips, small local
taxi companies; specialized transportation for bariatric riders in wheelchairs or on stretchers; and bus routes).
Our Mobility Center hours are 8am to noon and 1pm to 5pm, Monday through Friday, with an answering
machine catching calls after hours.

NVC continues to develop and build on the Provider Database, maintain the website, develop the education
program for Call Agents in order to give best information to callers, and gather information about existing
needs, and share this information with area providers to advocate for new/expanded service.
Many of our callers to the Call‐Click‐Connect Mobility Center are seniors who can no longer drive and need
assistance of the call agent to explain what their options are. In some cases, their need is not met by the
options that are available. To fill these gaps in transportation services, NVC launched the Ride Connect
program in April 2015.
Testimonial: “We desperately need the services of Northwest Valley Connect here in the West Valley,” said Sun
City West resident Barbara Chambers. “We’re out in the boonies here when it comes to transportation and for
those of us who no longer drive, the need is critical if we’re going to stay in our homes and maintain our
independence.”
“I used to drive my friends and neighbors wherever they needed to go and many have returned the favor up to
a point,” said Barbara, “but my needs have become so great that I have to have a more professional resource
to get my transportation. So, I called Northwest Valley Connect after reading about them in the newspaper and
they have “connected” me with the transportation I need.”
Ride Connect is a volunteer driver program. We have developed a corps of volunteers who are willing to offer
rides and door‐through‐door service to seniors and persons with disabilities when there is no other service
available to meet the rider’s needs. The volunteer drivers take clients to medical and other appointments,
shopping and social events.
Whenever we get a caller to the Mobility Center who we are not able to refer to a provider, we book the ride
using a volunteer driver in our routing software. These trips do not have fares, and riders are encouraged to
give a donation for their rides. Our routing software gives us the ability to pull reports with mileage, trip
counts, and more.
Clients eligible for this program go through an intake process with NVC. This process includes asking the
required information in order to schedule a ride for the client, such as address and special needs. The process
also includes an education component for the client about how the program works, and what they can expect.
Whether or not a client makes a donation for their rides has no bearing on their ability to access future rides.
With the services of a contracted company, Intellicorp, NVC conducts interviews and reference checks to,
select appropriate volunteer drivers. Background checks include driving record and criminal record. We also
require volunteers to undergo Level I fingerprinting with the Department of Public Safety. NVC conducts a
driving test for each volunteer, and trains selected volunteers on defensive driving, passenger safety and
service, and blood borne pathogens. NVC assures that each volunteer driver has a valid driver’s license and
valid auto insurance.
We purchase and maintain an insurance policy to be a secondary policy for each volunteer driver who drives
their personal vehicle, as the volunteers’ personal auto insurance would serve as primary insurance in the
event of an emergency. NVC also has two grant funded vehicles, two donated vehicles and one that is owned
by NVC. Two of our vehicles are accessible for wheelchair transport.

Volunteers driving their own vehicles are offered mileage reimbursement rate of $0.14 per mile, which is the
IRS approved rate for miles driven in service to charitable organizations, or they may choose to donate their
mileage reimbursement to NVC and take this amount as a tax deduction.
Testimonial: "I have lots of doctors' appointments and I don't drive so transportation is my biggest challenge,"
notes Charlie (Goodyear resident). "My insurance covered some initial rides to and from the Phoenix VA but
that benefit ran out, leaving me to find some alternatives. I dialed 211 one day and they referred me to
Northwest Valley Connect. I called, talked to their volunteer dispatcher Mickey and my transportation
problems were quickly behind me. Mickey has been so kind and helpful and keeps me posted about the status
of my many requests," added Charlie. "She is highly competent and talking to her is the highlight of my day!"
The Group Connect program is for social trips for seniors and other groups. It was launched in December
2014, and is so popular that it has waiting lists. These all important social trips help those seniors and persons
with disabilities who are isolated in their homes get out for social outings. In some cases this is the only time
some riders have a chance to talk to a person during their week.
We conduct social trips to malls, movies, casinos, games and other social outings, charging riders a round‐trip
price that may be as low as $7 for a fare to subsidize the cost of the trip.
NVC partners with the Senior Centre’s in the cities of Surprise, Peoria and Sun City in order to offer the
information for callers to participate in the group trips offered by each of these programs.
Testimonial: “I went with a group of ladies on a trip recently said Lynnette. Two of our group use walkers and
walk slowly. Mary walks so slow that when we wanted to cross the street she said you go ahead and I will just
wait on a bench. She said she was afraid to walk across the street. We told her we would walk with her and
convinced her to come with us. We went through shop after shop and just had a blast. What I noticed by the
end of the day was that Mary was walking faster and with her bent back straighter. She was really enjoying
herself. She said this was the only way she can get out and appreciates it so very much. What a wonderful
service!”
b) Population served – West Valley of Metro Phoenix area to include Peoria, Glendale, Surprise, the Sun
Cities, Goodyear, Avondale and Buckeye.
The center has received 288 calls in 2014, 1457 calls in 2015 and 3654 calls in 2016.
Elderly callers – 85%
Disabled callers – 10%
Other (elderly disabled callers) – 5%
c) Grant Budget
Requested items Grant request Total Budget
Fuel & Vehicle Maintenance $5,000 $7,500
Volunteer recruitment, training, background checks and $3000 $7000
retention
Office supplies (paper, printing, notebooks, Postage, etc.) $3000 $6,000
Salaries – (Executive Director, Dispatchers (2 part‐time), $20,000 $110,000
Volunteer Coordinator)
Facility Maintenance & Utilities $5,000 $9,680

Insurance $10,000 $21,000
Total $46,000 $161,180
Total NVC Budget $300,700
d) Other grant requests
NVC has applied for a Federal Transit Administration 5310 grant through City of Phoenix for some
insurance, volunteer background checks and Mobility Managers salary funding –still waiting approval –
would cover 50% of insurance and background checks up to $7000 and 50% of the Executive Director
salary.
e) Previous 12% grants:
NVC has not received any 12% grants.
f) Contact persons:
Kathryn Chandler Executive Director, Location: 9445 N 99th Ave Peoria AZ 85345, Mailing address: PO
Box 9303 Surprise AZ 85374, Phone 623‐282‐9304 cell‐928‐607‐9467 fax‐623‐282‐9301
g) Priority Area
Health Care – NVC provides the safety net rides to those who no longer drive or should no longer
drive to their life saving medical trips such as Dialysis, chemo or radiation cancer treatments, and
other medical trips. All of the hospitals and most of the medical offices in the area refer their
patient to NVC. Case Managers call for patients often.
h) Proposal is from a non‐profit organization
NVC will work through Maricopa County to facility this grant should we be approved for funding.
Awards & Achievements
 2015 October – received Sub‐Regional Mobility Manager designation from Maricopa Association of
Governments along with first 5310 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant.
 2015 October – grant approved for an Accessible vehicle (85% paid by 5310 FTA grant – 15% donation)
 2016 August – Moved into our own building –leased from the Sun Cities Lions Foundation for low rent
to cover the replacement of air conditioner only. (This allowed us to increase capacity for more call
operators and secure, fenced space for more vehicles)
 2016 October – continued support for NVC as Mobility Management
 2016 October – grant approved for a 12 passenger van for group trips (80% paid for by 5310 FTA grant)
 2016 – Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce Legacy Award for Small Non‐profit of the Year
 2017 March – Surprise Honda offers Northwest Valley Connect a new Odyssey for two years – Honda
pays for lease, insurance, maintenance and car washes. NVC pays for fuel.
 2017 March – First Fundraising Special Event, Motors and Meals (car show and food trucks)
 2017 April – Kathryn Chandler NVC Executive Director is Awarded the Transit Individual of the Year by
ADOT(Arizona Department of Transportation) / AZTA (Arizona Transit Association)
 2017 April – Sun City West Foundation donates accessible van to NVC

Charlie ‐ VET