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CIDER executive director warns of ‘shrinking pot’ as rural transit costs surge
Summary
Jordan Posner, executive director of Champlain Islanders Developing Essential Resources (CIDER), told the Senate Transportation committee that CIDER’s local-match requirements have risen sharply while federal funding has not, forcing the nonprofit to use fundraising and earned revenue to cover a growing gap in services.
Jordan Posner, executive director of Champlain Islanders Developing Essential Resources (CIDER), told the Senate Transportation committee that rising local-match requirements and operating costs threaten the small nonprofit’s ability to provide transit and other services in Grand Isle County.
"We budgeted $20,000 for local match. This year we are running closer to $80,000," Posner said, describing what he called a roughly 1,500% increase in the match component since 2024 and a 0% increase in federal funding. He said CIDER has also experienced a 182% increase in costs and a 117% increase in ridership.
Posner described CIDER as the only transit option in its community and listed additional services the nonprofit provides, including building accessibility ramps for residents, offering a wellness program and delivering a majority of the community’s meals on wheels. He said CIDER employs more than 25 local residents and keeps money circulating in Grand Isle County.
Faced with those pressures, Posner told committee members that the organization is relying on fundraising and revenue from contracted services to meet local-match requirements. "Every dollar that we put towards transportation is a dollar we can't put elsewhere," he said, noting the organization has historically stretched grants by tapping its own resources.
Committee members asked whether CIDER has accessed microtransit (MTI) funds and about school-transportation contracts. Posner said CIDER has received MTI dollars in the past and that school-district transportation and Medicaid transportation are among its largest current programs. He described a case in which CIDER replaced an out-of-area contractor to keep student-transport dollars and service local.
Posner asked the committee to recognize the broader role that nonprofits play in delivering services, and to consider state support for technical assistance, grantmaking and capacity building for organizations that deliver essential local services. He said Common Good, a membership organization for nonprofits, is advocating for those initiatives at the legislature.
No formal vote or committee action on funding was recorded during this presentation; Posner provided the committee packet for posting on the committee web page and offered to follow up with additional details on grant access and budgets.
