Drivers help move the people of Austin, and we want to contribute to what moves them. With that goal in mind, we’re proud to announce the first round of winners of Project Jumpstart in Austin.

Project Jumpstart is a program that supports local initiatives important to our Austin partners.

The groups who benefit from the Project Jumpstart grant have Uber’s driver-partners to thank. They took time to tell us about what’s important to our community, and we listened carefully. That is why we’re excited to introduce the first round of Project Jumpstart finalists and announce the winner.

We were blown away by the level of interest we received—more than 1,000 drivers voted for the finalists, and all three of the finalists received a considerable amount of support from the Austin driver community.

With that in mind, we made sure nobody went home empty handed.

First Place: United for the People

Duane Waits nominated United for the People, a nonprofit that offers transportation and temporary housing for disabled and homeless veterans in Austin and the surrounding area. This organization is working to end the homeless veteran epidemic in Austin by providing shelter, counseling, and job training to veterans in need. They are represented by Jermaine Shorter, a veteran and the group’s Managing Director.

Second Place: Skillpoint Alliance

Steven Harris nominated Skillpoint Alliance, a nonprofit that provides rapid workforce education training in the healthcare and construction industries. Skillpoint has been a part of the Austin community for over 23 years and is strongly committed to helping individuals access a successful career, while meeting employers’ needs for a qualified workforce.

Third Place: Islamic Center of Brushy Creek

Nabil Alameddine nominated the Islamic Center of Brushy Creek, which was established in 2007 as a nonprofit organization to help meet the spiritual and social needs of the Muslim community in Northwest Austin. ICBC’s vision is to become a comprehensive center of learning and spirituality.

Thanks again to our driver-partners and the groups they chose for caring about the community. We’re really proud to call you our partners. Project Jumpstart is part of an ongoing commitment, the next application period will open in September.

About Project Jumpstart:

Every three months, drivers can nominate causes that are important to them. In turn, we’ll award funding to the local initiatives that are winning the most support from the driver community.

There are three primary categories for sponsorship:

  • Education and Arts
  • Community Development
  • Health and Public Safety