TEXAS RAMP PROJECT

The Texas Ramp Project provides free wheelchair ramps to low-income older adults and people with disabilities who have been referred by local health care providers and social workers. The ramps greatly improve clients’ quality of life, increase their independence, and ensure they can exit their homes safely in the event of fire or other emergency. The ramps provide relief to caregivers, often elderly spouses, and cut down on calls to EMS for assistance. The ramps also enable clients to remain in their homes, where they truly want to be, rather than being forced to enter a nursing facility, usually at taxpayer expense at up to $100,000 per year.

Because of their all-volunteer labor, community partnerships, donated warehouse space, and low administrative costs, local projects can build ramps for about one-third the cost of a for-profit contractor. Last year more than 88% of all funding went directly to the purchase of ramp materials and tools. In 2022, volunteers built 1,919 ramps. In 2023, TRP expects to build at least 1,900 ramps on a budget of $1,630,000.

Last year 8% of the ramps built by TRP were reimbursed by referring agencies. The remaining activity is funded by foundations, churches, service clubs, businesses and individual donors. TRP has received over 54,000 referrals statewide and continues to receive about 550 referrals per month.

Referrals are received through our website (www.texasramps.org) and directed to the regional coordinator. Once a referral is accepted, a volunteer surveyor goes to the residence to evaluate the client’s need and the home’s physical requirements. The surveyor designs the ramp and orders the lumber. On the day of the build, materials are transported to the site and the team leader and crew of four to six volunteers install the ramp within four to five hours.

Last year TRP was able to build about 33% of the referrals it received. Ramps are built without regard to age, gender, religion, race or ethnicity. We would love to be able to build every referral, as each referral represents an elderly or disabled person in need. Our vision is that no Texas resident shall lack safe access to and from his or her home because of financial limitations. The ramps are always free to clients.

We believe in using local partners in every region in which we build. TRP employs a highly successful model that involves (1) establishing relationships with social service agencies that provide referrals, (2) securing funding from a variety of sources, and (3) building up a solid base of volunteers. After initially locating these sources and recruiting volunteers, we are ready to identify leadership, train workers and begin building ramps.

Volunteers in any region are recruited from local churches, service clubs, businesses, college and university student and alumni groups, high school students, military bases, Scout troops, and even our referral sources. Our newest partners in several regions are at-risk youths from Juvenile Services. They build monthly with their supervisors, giving the boys an opportunity to see what it’s like to participate in something positive.

The local recruits develop and manage the region, with assistance and training from the executive director. If a region grows too large, it can be subdivided to bring volunteers closer to clients in outlying areas. We have done this in regions such as Austin, San Antonio, Texarkana and East Texas. The statewide organization provides centralized administration, such as liability insurance, training, web site and database management, financial management, etc.

Because about 90% of our funding is restricted to local regions or counties, we actively seek unrestricted funding from foundations and major businesses. We also have contracts with 16 Area Agencies on Aging across the state.

The executive director travels each new region to speak with health care providers (hospitals, dialysis and rehab facilities, home health agencies, etc.); agencies that may become partners and offer reimbursements; key community partners (churches, civic organizations, colleges, businesses, military); and potential funding sources such as foundations whose focus is on health and human services. A three-year timeline is expected as regions grow from their genesis to having the ability to work independently, not just to build ramps but to secure their future by building key relationships locally.

TRP’s success is due to its innovative business model, which uses volunteer leaders to manage the regions and volunteer labor to build ramps. The Texas Ramp Project has followed this model successfully into 22 of Texas’s 24 COGs. The use of volunteers has held the cost of an average ramp (about 28 feet) to about one third the cost of a ramp built by a for-profit builder. Our largest cost is in lumber and other materials, which has escalated since the pandemic began. Lumber, materials and tools are stored in donated space in many locations. We also use the warehouses to build ramp modules and stage construction.

The Texas Ramp Project has several strengths that have carried the project to the level it is at now:
• The vision of its founder and a strong working board, which has allowed TRP to grow from 42 ramps in 2006 to over 1,900 last year.
• Low administration costs. Over 91% of 2022 spending was for ramp materials, tools and warehouse.
• A strong working board of directors with defined responsibilities.
• Commitment of volunteers. Many of our board members, area coordinators, team leaders and other have remained committed for years, because the work is so rewarding.
• Simplicity of the model. We build ramps and only ramps. This means that we can use unskilled volunteers and limit their time on site to four or five hours.
• Experience leading to best practices. Over the years we have established guidelines that follow ADA rules, prebuild modules to reduce time at the site, and use the referring source to qualify the client as a low-income person.

Since incorporating in 2006, the Texas Ramp Project has demonstrated a consistent record of performance as builders, as fundraisers and as reliable partners. That steadiness is an important aspect of our reputation and our ability to bring credibility with us as we enter new regions or widen our capacity to serve in existing regions. We have a model and we stick to it. We have seen exponential growth over the years in regions, builds, budgets and personnel.

The Texas Ramp Project has completed more than 24,500 ramps across the state—comprising over 125 miles of ramp footage. In 2022, TRP volunteers built 1,919 ramps in 123 Texas counties. For the past six years TRP has received over $1 million in revenue, including grants, other donations, fee-for-service payments, and donated warehouse space. To date volunteers have contributed over 622,000 hours of labor, valued at over $15.7 million.

We estimate our volunteer base at 3,500, including regulars and one-time builders such as youth mission trips.
We have not yet accomplished our goal of serving every county in Texas, but each year we grow closer to meeting that goal through regional expansion. As our organization grows into greater maturity, we will need to identify ways to bring more people into our organization who can travel to support our regions and assist with administrative tasks at home. This will require an increase in funds for centralized administration and executive compensation, which to this point have largely yielded to use of funds for ramp building.

The Texas Ramp Project has accomplished much in just 17 years. In addition to growing our organization in Texas, we have mentored new projects in Oklahoma, Indiana and New Mexico. Our work is unique and innovative, and new volunteers are drawn to it. That is always our best aspect and our key to success.