Im creating a bike CHARITY!

Thread started by
coolassmike at 04.7.10 - 1:46 pm

But I want to know what you think the best type of charity should be;
Im thinking a domestic program that provides bikes to kids that cannot afford bikes to encourage riding and healthy lifestyles!
I'd like to develop an inexpensive LOW to NO maintenance bike that wont look to be stolen or sold for money. Then send bikes to parts of the world where there too impoverished to afford bikes and or shops. But there are plenty of kids!
Can WE DO CHARITY?
BTW, this would include a bike manufacturer as a SPONSOR!
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Sounds like you might want to talk to some of these folks and maybe open up an L.A. chapter.
http://workingbikes.org/about
http://www.bikesfortheworld.org/
If you can figure out how to build a low maintenance bike that won't get stolen, please let us know.
JB04.7.10 - 1:54 pm
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you mean like a non profit co-op?
_iJunes04.7.10 - 1:57 pm
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I dont intend to create it mself. I want to parther with a company like Ross or Schwinn to make this happen. It starts with an idea...
coolassmike responding to a
comment by JB
04.7.10 - 2:16 pm
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when i think charity, i think of people with $$$ looking for place to dump their cash for their deductions and how the costs of operation are often greater than the services/benefits yielded.
so i think the target sponsor audience should be distributors seeing as how many manufacturers operate outside the US and probably have less tax benefits to donating to such a charity. wouldn't it be better to go off building a prototype low cost bicycle and seek financial sponsorship to produce and distribute? the few American based companies already give away thousands of bikes to children during the holiday season. does this not take away from meeting their quota of donations?
and a bike that nobody wants to steal is probably a bicycle nobody wants to ride.
_iJunes04.7.10 - 2:23 pm
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"Founded by SRAM Corporation and Trek Bicycles in 2005 and supported by many individuals, foundations and corporations, World Bicycle Relief specializes in large-scale, comprehensive bicycle programs by providing supply chain management, technical knowledge and logistics expertise to poverty relief and disaster assistance initiatives. "
Sounds like they're doing it right.
JB04.7.10 - 2:32 pm
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yep, now if you truly care donate 20% of your annual income to the world bicycle relief.
_iJunes responding to a
comment by JB
04.7.10 - 2:37 pm
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this picture makes me wonder if its more a photo op, since none of the bikes have been ridden yet and doesnt look like its going out for a spin. though i know people who have kept the plastic covers over their cell phone displays for 2 years. even with all the air bubbles forming under.
_iJunes04.7.10 - 2:39 pm
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bahati foundation focuses on the sport aspect of it, which is slightly different from what the OP hinted at.
_iJunes responding to a
comment by dannyzuko
04.7.10 - 2:54 pm
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i do dig his youth outreach programs though
_iJunes04.7.10 - 2:56 pm
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charity can be AWESOME. I recommend that you start by donating time to the Valley Bikery! they are a fledgling young group and the valley is one of the areas that is under served by co-ops.
Roadblock04.7.10 - 3:01 pm
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Not everybody has TIME. Im a busy man! But I have resources and access to people willing to give time and product and money.
And as I mentioned earlier, there are bike companies that NEED this kind of access!
coolassmike responding to a
comment by Roadblock
04.7.10 - 3:24 pm
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Thanx! This is a great start. See COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER!
coolassmike responding to a
comment by _iJunes
04.7.10 - 3:25 pm
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1000 Bikes for Foster Kids by 4-20-2011 is the Charity. More details in new post...
coolassmike04.22.10 - 12:04 am
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I think there are plenty of places where people don't steal bikes...we just don't happen to be one of them
adrian04.22.10 - 9:05 am
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