How to Donate a Bike

Bikes for the World collected and shipped 5,601 bikes in 2005 and another 7,797 bikes in 2006.  It made its first 2007 shipment, of 485 bikes, in January of the year, and expects to receive and donate another 7,000 to 8,000 bikes in the following 11 months.    

The bulk of bikes are donated by the public at scheduled collections—public events sponsored by a community service organization, typically held on a weekend morning in the spring or the fall, and staffed by the sponsoring organization's volunteers.  Beginning March 10, 2007, collections will take place, concentrating in the Washington DC-Baltimore area but ranging as far south as Charlotte NC and as far north as southern New Jersey.

A provisional collection schedule can be found here, and will be updated regularly.

Bike donors will be asked to contribute an additional minimum $10 per bike to defray a share of shipping & handling costs, and be provided a receipt for the value of the bike and the accompanying financial donation.

Potential donors unable to make a scheduled collection have four additional options for getting a bicycle to us.

1. Bring the bike(s) and a $10 financial contribution to one of our scheduled collections or participating bikes stores (see here for details).   Upon pick-up, Bikes for the World will mail a receipt for tax purposes (this receipt will confirm that BfW actually received the bike).
   
   
2. Drop-off at the home of a volunteer. For a drop-off location, write BfW directly at info at bikesfortheworld.org and mention your location/preferred drop-off area.
   
   
3. BfW also accepts drop-offs by appointment only at the home-office of its director in Arlington VA—write info at bikesfortheworld.org or call 703-525-0931 to make an appointment and receive directions.
   
   
4. Ship via FedEx or other shipper to BfW at 3108 17^th Street North, Arlington VA 22201.  This is suitable for individuals living at a distance from BfW's mid-Atlantic collection footprint.  In such cases, recognizing that the bicycle is likely to be of average greater value and the donor is making a significant expenditure in shipping the bike, BfW will welcome a bike without the suggested $10 donation (however, donors mailing bikes are always welcome to make this contribution as well!).  BfW will mail a receipt for the value of the bike (and the donor should know that any expenditure on shipping a donated bike to BfW is potentially tax-deductible "to the extent permitted by law").