Community Collaborations to Promote Bicycling

Posted by on August 08, 2011

Bikes Belong Announces Special Grant Round for Community Collaborations to Promote Bicycling
Deadline: August 26, 2011

Bikes Belong, which provides grants to organizations and agencies within the United States that are “committed to putting more people on bicycles more often,” is accepting applications for Community Partnership Grants, which are designed to foster and support partnerships between city or county governments, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses working to improve the environment for bicycling.

Grants largely will be used to fund the construction or expansion of bicycle facilities such as bike lanes, trails, and paths. The grants committee also will consider advocacy projects that promote bicycling as a safe and accessible mode of transportation.

To be eligible for a grant, a partnership must include collaboration between at least one city/county government office or department; one nonprofit organization with a mission specific to bicycling, trails, or recreation; and one local business. “Collaboration” means that each partner contributes time, labor, materials, or money to the project. The project must support bicycling among all age groups and ability levels. The lead (submitting) organization must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization or a government entity (city or county government office).

Additional consideration will be given to projects that have more than one business engaged as a partner; are located in an area with Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists; whose business partner does not belong to the bicycle industry but has Bicycle Friendly Business designation from the League of American Bicyclists; are designed to reach the 70 percent of people who do not ride regularly but would if safety and accessibility concerns were addressed; can expect significant contributions of funding, goods and services, and employee time by the business partner; and have a long-term plan to maintain and/or promote the project with continuing involvement from the partner organizations.

Bikes Belong will only consider Community Partnership Grants for this funding round. Following completion of this special round, Bikes Belong will again accept applications for its regular grant program, which is aimed at providing funding to organizations working to improve bicycling in the U.S. through facility projects such as the building of trails and paths, or through promoting general bicycling advocacy and awareness. Upcoming deadlines for the grant program are February 29, 2012, and June 29, 2012.

For program guidelines and application procedures, visit the Bikes Belong Web site.

http://www.bikesbelong.org/grants/apply-for-a-grant/