Bicycle drives

Bicycle drives or bike collections operate much like canned food drives. An area in a community is flyer'd and either told to put their bikes/parts out at a certain date and time, or instructed to bring them to a certain location on a certain date and time. The following outline is from Pedals for Progress.

Introduction

The “used bike collection” is the principal means by which Pedals for Progress collects bicycles for its overseas projects, and raises the funds to ship them. To organize a collection you must do the following: (1) event publicity & marketing to the community and (2) managing a presence on the day of the collection.

Organizing the Collection:

a) Experience shows that a 3 hour, one-day weekend collection, in either the spring or the fall, is the most effective and minimizes the “waiting around” time. Time slots are as follows: Saturday 9am -12pm and 12pm -3pm or Sunday 1pm - 4pm.

b) Site Selection The best sites are centrally located, easily identifiable, and associated with a reputable institution. While empty lots can work well, a nearby building is advisable (for bathroom facilities or in case of bad weather). A covered walkway also works well in case of rain. Collections run Rain or Shine!

c) Basic Tools and Supplies: A P4P Collection Manager will provide organizers with the following:

• Pedal wrenches
• Adjustable wrenches
• Three ended Allen wrenches
• Plastic zip ties for attaching pedals
• Lubricant
• Volunteer Sign in Sheet
• P4P Tax Deductible Receipts
• Newsletters

Please provide at least 6 - 8 volunteers, a table with chairs, and if possible, a tarp in case of bad weather.

d) Site Preparation: Be sure to get to your site at least an hour before the collection start time to post signs, set up the table and to organize the volunteers. Late sponsor arrival combined with and early influx of bikes can disrupt any preliminary site organization, cost time and energy, and fray relationships with volunteers and the public.

Event Publicity / Overall Marketing Strategy

The number of bikes received will depend heavily on the strategy and effort employed in publicizing a collection. If the collection is not adequately publicized, you will get significantly fewer bikes. PUBLICITY IS KEY! P4P will create a poster master and news release to aid you in publicizing your event. Contact: Local Press, churches, temples. Distribute flyers through: corporate office E-mail, flyers, schools and local libraries. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE 20 PEOPLE WITH 5 POSTERS THEN 5 PEOPLE WITH 20 POSTERS!

All bicycles received should be in repairable condition, relatively rust free, and accompanied by a cash donation. We DO NOT accept “bikes for parts” nor disassembled bikes. Frames or bikes with rusted frames should be rejected, a little rust on bright metal such as handlebars and rims is acceptable. P4P also collects used working sewing machines at it’s bike collections. While bikes are easily repairable, sewing machines are not. It is important to ask if it is in working order, DO NOT ACCEPT if it is not. We DO NOT ACCEPT sewing machines in cabinets. We also request a $10 donation with each machine.

FUNDING

P4P suggest that every bike donation be accompanied by a $10 donation that supports the handling and shipping costs. DO NOT ACCEPT BIKES WITHOUT A DONATION. Most collections meet this goal, if the donation has been clearly explained in the publicity. P4P’s program, specifically mentions the donation policy and highlights the tax-deductibilty of both cash and material donations. The bikes are shipped a very long way! The actually cost of collecting, processing and shipping a bike is $30 per bike. Requesting donations cuts down on the delivery of “trash” bikes, broadens P4P’s income base and permits P4P to scale-up to a significant scale, and builds credibility with corporate and foundation funders. P4P is an IRS 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization, eligible to receive tax-deductible donations and a registered charity in Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey , Pennsylvania & Vermont.

BIKE PROCESSING

Processing is done to compact bikes as much as possible, facilitating tight packing and minimize damage during shipping. It is straightforward requiring little skill and no previous experience. As the bikes arrive, please have volunteers ready to write a receipt and collection donations from each donor and then the bike should be processed for shipping by your volunteers. (please see attached step by step illustrations)

SHIPPING BIKES

P4P is located in Western NJ. If you are within 100 miles of the Pedals for Progress storage facility, we will make arrangements to pick up the bikes from the collection site. If you are further away special arrangements will have to be made with our office. If you have the ability to deliver the processed bikes to our storage facility, that is of great assistance.

REMEMBER!

Collecting the bikes is the easy part. It is only half of the story. Ensuring long-term success requires raising funds along with receiving bikes. Pedals for Progress cannot ship bikes without money. If you accept bikes without the $10 donation, your organization must find an alternative source of funds (such as a local sponsor). It is recommend to include the donation information in your publicity so that it is clear to the donors. That way people will be able to make their decision ahead of time. History has taught us that bikes which come without donations are of poorer quality and do not have a high resale value. The goal is to collect the best bikes possible for our overseas partners. Asking for the donation insures our success and our partners.

References

P4P 2006 Bike Collection Guide