How to Sponsor a Collection

Bikes for the World receives the bulk of the bicycles it handles through “bike collections”—public events sponsored and staffed by local community organizations and their volunteers. These events represent a tangible, satisfying means of reducing American waste and assisting poor people overseas.

Sponsoring organizations will typically hold these events on a weekend morning or afternoon in the spring or fall, at a site of its choice. The sponsor is responsible for most publicity. On the day of the event, the sponsor normally should have half a dozen or more volunteers at any one time, to assist donors in getting bikes out of their cars, making out receipts and handing out literature, compacting the bikes for storage and shipment, and loading the bikes into a waiting truck. Bicycle compaction does NOT require skilled labor (although it always helps). Volunteers will learn the best ways to remove and attach pedals, turn and rotate handlebars, lower seats, and remove baskets, training wheels, and child seats.

Bikes for the World will provide guidelines on planning and implementing a successful collection, be available for consultation leading up to the event, and generally provide a representative on collection day to assist at the event and take away the bikes at its conclusion.

For further info on sponsoring a collection, contact Keith Oberg at info at bikesfortheworld dot org or call 703-525-0931