Grant Seeker's Guide

This guide is designed to help you navigate our application process and better understand our funding requirements. It also outlines our evaluation process.

Bikes Belong will accept requests for funding of up to $10,000 for facility and advocacy projects. We do not require a specific percentage match, but we do look at leverage and funding partnerships very carefully. We will not consider grant requests in which our funding would amount to 50% or more of the project budget.

• Address the goals of the grants program strategic plan
  • Encourage ridership growth
  • Support bicycle advocacy
  • Promote bicycling
  • Build political support
  • Leverage funding
• Address the project objectives of the facility or advocacy funding categories (following).
• Propose a specific program or project that is measurable. Bikes Belong will not fund general operating costs.

Priority is given to:

• Bicycle organizations, coalitions, and associations—particularly those that have not received Bikes Belong funding in the past.
• Projects that build coalitions for bicycling by collaborating the efforts of bicycle industry and advocacy.

Because of our limited funds, we rarely award grants to organizations and communities that have received Bikes Belong funding within the past three years.

Please review the following specifics of the facility and advocacy programs to ensure that your proposal meets our guidelines.

Facility Project Objectives

"To connect existing facilities or create new opportunities; leverage federal, state, and private funds; influence policy; and generate economic activity."

Eligible facility projects include:

• Bike paths, trails, and bridges
• Mountain bike facilities
• Bike parks
• BMX facilities

Generally, Bikes Belong will consider funding construction costs and matching funds for facilities projects. We will also consider funding advocacy work for high-profile bike facilities.

Bikes Belong will NOT consider facility applications that request funding for:

• Master plans and other policy documents or litigation
• Signs, maps, and travel
• Trailheads, information kiosks, benches, and restroom facilities
• Bike Racks, shelters, or lockers
• Bicycles, helmets, tools, and other accessories or equipment
• Events, races, clinics/classes, or bicycle rodeos
• Bike recycling, repair, or earn-a-bike programs
• Bike-share programs
• Projects in which Bikes Belong is the sole or primary funder.

Advocacy Project Objectives

"To support large-scale, innovative, replicable advocacy initiatives that significantly increase ridership and improve conditions for bicycling in big U.S. cities."

Eligible advocacy projects include:

• Programs that transform city streets, such as Ciclovia.
• Innovative pilot projects
• Initiatives that have a significant political impact

Generally, Bikes Belong will consider funding projects that have a reasonable degree of measurable success and future sustainability. Bikes Belong will only fund advocacy projects where the applicant's primary purpose is bicycle advocacy.

Bikes Belong will NOT consider advocacy project applications that request funding for:

• General operating costs
• Staff salaries
• Rides and event sponsorships
• Planning and retreats
• Bicycles, helmets, tools, and accessories or equipment
• Bike-share programs
• Organizations whose primary mission is not expressly related to bicycle advocacy

Evaluation Process

Applications received by Bikes Belong will be initially reviewed by the Grants & Research Director to determine eligibility.

All grant applicants will receive an e-mail acknowledgement confirming receipt and letting them know if the proposal is complete, eligible, and when it will be reviewed.

Applications that are complete and eligible will be considered by the Bikes Belong Grants Committee on a quarterly basis. The committee will either recommend approval, rejection, or request more information. If the committee:

• Approves the application, it is sent to the full Board of Directors for final approval. The applicant will be notified of the proposal's outcome shortly afterward.
• Rejects the application, the proposal is denied and the applicant will be notified.
• Requests more information, the Grants & Research Director will contact the applicant to resolve outstanding issues, then re-submit the proposal to the committee.

Please bear in mind that the Bikes Belong application and review process is fairly rigorous, and we are only able to fund 15–20% of the applications we receive.

If your proposal is denied, it is not likely to be funded in a future cycle. Please do not resubmit a rejected proposal unless asked to do so.

Grants Committee members are volunteers from the Bikes Belong Board of Directors. Applicants who attempt to lobby individual members of the committee will hurt their proposal's chance of success.

Only e-mailed applications are accepted. Mailed or faxed applications will not be considered.

Have more questions about the grant process? Visit our Grants FAQs page.