For This Nonprofit, Local and National Grants Keep the Wheels Turning

sandee@communitycycles.orgNews

In the first half of 2023, Community Cycles brought more bicycles (and e-bikes!) to people in Boulder through the generosity of local and national grants. We are proud of our work seeking grants that will make Boulder better for people who ride bikes, improve air quality, lessen traffic congestion, and keep more materials out of the landfill.

Throughout the year, we keep in mind what it means to have the support from individuals, businesses, foundations and government agencies. We are honored to have received a number of grants, donations and other funding that allows us to maintain current programs and bring new programs to Boulder.

Highlighting 2023 Programs

City of Boulder  We value the City’s continued support of Winter Bike to Work Day and June’s Walk and Bike Month.

2023 also brought ebike vouchers funded by the City. Community Cycles has played a vital role in supporting the City by developing resources hosted on our website. These resource pages have been recognized state-wide as a comprehensive and well laid out place to answer many of the questions for people new to e-bikes. The state is referring their own e-bike rebate participants to our pages!

Boulder County supports Community Cycles in a number of ways each year. We receive a ‘Zero Waste’ grant that has allowed us to expand our “all things bike” recycling program with more publicity and more bike donation drives throughout Boulder County. Interested in hosting a bike donation drive? Contact us here.

In terms of tons of recycled materials, our data so far is:

  • tires recycled – 5149 pounds 
  • Bikes donated: 1856

And of course, the County continues support of Winter Bike to Work Day and June’s Walk and Bike Month.

New in 2023, we are working with Boulder County Housing Authority sites with support and funding from Boulder County to bring residents bike safety and repair workshops and a chance to earn a new bike. It’s great to be out in the community, getting people back on their bikes, and learning how to maintain them. Read our latest blog post about this program.

The State of Colorado Dept of Transportation,  Colorado Energy Office and DRCOG have funded new ebike programs with us in 2023. These grants promote and facilitate longer-distance ebike commuting, along with getting ebikes out to 60 low-income people who will use them for commuting. We’re also excited about funding this fall to purchase 2 cargo ebikes for use by staff and Members.

Read the latest update on our program, Community Access to Electric Bikes, to distribute 60 ebikes to low income commuters who work at Boulder Valley School District, Downtown Boulder, Boulder Community Health and the University of Colorado Boulder. 

We’re also in the midst of a campaign to quantify how ebikes are changing the carbon emission landscape for commuters. Read more and join the conversation by sharing your ebike habits with us. 

Moving the Needle on Climate Change

This update wouldn’t be complete without a shout out to our Community Cycles’ grant writers and other Staff, Volunteers, and Board of Directors, under the leadership of our Executive Director Sue Prant and Board President Elaine Erb. 

Together we are making progress on climate change. We’re a community organization making bicycling a truly sustainable, equitable, and affordable means of everyday transportation; where human-powered transportation is prioritized in fact and not just in words; and where transportation betters all residents’ lives physically, emotionally, and economically.

Giving back in 2023

Thanks for reading. We know there are many distractions available to every one of us so we appreciate your time and consideration. If you’re someone who plans ahead or is looking for a way to fulfill your New Year’s resolution of giving back, we have 2 great options for you:

Become a Member. Your membership supports programs to get more people riding bikes for transportation, lobbies local government for safer infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, and comes with some stellar benefits. Join Today!

Set up monthly giving. An automatic gift every month adds up to year-round generosity! Many of our monthly donors appreciate knowing that charitable giving is checked off to their to-do list. Some donors find it is easier to give more with a manageable deduction every month. Select any amount, which you can change at any time. Set Up Today!