Funding Sources for Bike Units

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Funding is available from a wide variety of sources. Obtaining it requires creativity and hard work. This information is designed as a starting point only. It provides advice on how to get started, describes a basic fundraising process, and identifies typical funding needs and potential sources. The rest is up to you.

Step I: Define the uses and the size of your bike team.

Be realistic, most teams can only effectively cover a small to medium size geographic area. Decide ahead of time what you want the bike squad to do and where they will work. Don’t limit yourself, but don’t write up your dreams either. The same is true with the size of the team.

Step II: Determine your equipment needs and project the cost of that equipment. Minimize but do not understate the expected costs.

What does a bike team need, and how much does it all cost? Do your research, determine your needs, and devise a realistic estimate of how much it will cost to obtain and maintain the necessary equipment.

Consult IPMBA, IPMBA conference vendors who specialize in outfitting public safety cyclists, bicycle publications, local bike shops, on-line suppliers, and established bike teams to get the most accurate picture of both the initial outlay (usually big-ticket items) and on-going costs.

Bikes: How will your unit be used? How many members do you project? Will it be full-time or part-time? Will each member have his/her own bike, or will they be shared?

Bike Team-Specific Equipment and Accompanying Costs: Uniforms, helmets, gloves, eyewear, shoes, day and night operations, summer and winter operations, medical equipment, etc. Some equipment may seem unnecessary to the oblivious budget specialist but are essential to your everyday operations. Be prepared to justify why you need a certain type of equipment. Try to identify items likely to be rejected by your agency and focus your efforts on obtaining those items through your fundraising efforts.

Maintenance and Repair: Do not overlook the on-going expenses of maintenance and repairs. Weigh the pros and cons of a service contract with a local bike shop against those of maintaining the bikes in-house. Consider the amount and type of use (and abuse) the bikes are likely to experience.

Step III: Determine your training requirements.

What type of training will your team members receive? How much does that training cost? When your administration thinks the training budget is high have them consider the liability and cost of a lawsuit. Will the training fees be the responsibility of the agency or the team member? How many members will your bike team have? Is it more economical to have one or more individuals certified as IPMBA Instructors than it is to send all members to a training course provided by another organization?

Step IV: Develop a realistic budget.

Your research will provide you with facts and figures on what it costs to fund a successful bike team. Use that information to develop a realistic budget. Your budget will help you plan your fundraising effort, sell it to prospects, and measure its success.

Step V: Identify what “funding” means to you and your department.

Policies and Procedures: Do not assume that your agency will appreciate your fundraising efforts. Familiarize yourself with any requirements and restrictions imposed upon donations of money and/or equipment by your agency or local governing bodies.

Cash Donations: Before you start, establish a procedure for receiving, processing, and allocating financial contributions for specific purchases. If possible, consider saving unrestricted funds to purchase equipment not donated by other sources.

Equipment Donations: Approach potential donors with a list of specific equipment and the projected costs. Do not accept items that you do not need and cannot use.

Benefits & Recognition: Be prepared to offer your donors something in return. Explain how their donation will ultimately benefit themselves, and put your plans for recognizing their contributions in writing. Make sure your plans are acceptable to your department and can be accomplished at no cost to you.

Step VI: Locate possible sources of funding.

Your Department/Agency: Traditional budget; unclaimed/seized property auction. Don’t forget special budgets and grants that your department is already receiving that might have a little extra for your unit. Try for a little from each pot.

Departmental Related Organizations: Police/Fire/EMS foundations, etc.

Government: Grants and monies may be available for local or national priorities, for example, federal transportation enhancement funding is available for bike safety education. The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security both have money to grant. Check out http://www.grants.gov for an overview.

Civic Organizations: Approach community & neighborhood associations, civic associations (Lions, Elks), and business associations (chambers of commerce, marketing co-ops, downtown partnerships). They are often generous to organizations providing services to their communities. Just remember not to promise them anything you can’t deliver. Be creative!

Corporate Sponsors: Never hurts to try. Some corporations will give sizable donations to generate publicity and goodwill. Local outlets of national companies (retail stores, banks, etc.) typically have funds to be distributed within the community at the discretion of the manager. Local law firms and other businesses are also good prospects. And large corporations typically provide significant support to the communities in which their headquarters, factories, etc., are located.

IPMBA: IPMBA notifes its members whenever it becomes aware of any potential donors. The IPMBA conference sometimes features a workshop on funding sources for bike units.

Local Bike Shops: Negotiate an exclusive supplier arrangement in exchange for a discount on parts and/or labor. Offer to provide support for their events as part of the deal.

Bicycle/Running Clubs: Most clubs have limited dollars, but they have members that represent companies, clubs, city, county, state governments etc. and assisting them achieve their goals can frequently help you. Sometimes they make bike units the beneficiaries of fundraising events.

Fundraisers: Traditional fundraisers still work and are limited only by your imagination and energy. If your department permits this type of activity, it can be both fun and easy. Try selling t-shirts, bumper stickers, or other items; sponsoring a race, bike rodeo, or bike wash & repair; throwing a pancake breakfast or spaghetti dinner; or holding the ever-popular bake sale. Be sure to publicize your event to both the corporate and the residential communities.

Foundations: A foundation is an entity that is established as a nonprofit corporation or a charitable trust, with a principal purpose of making grants to unrelated organizations or institutions or to individuals for scientific, educational, cultural, religious, or other charitable purposes. Foundations typically fund on a local level, and their funds are often less restrictive than grants.

Step VI: Review your department’s policy on fundraising again.

Step VII: Sell your unit to potential sources of financial and/or in-kind support.

Perspective: Try to see your agency through the eyes of the person you are asking for support. How has your agency benefited them in the past? How will your bike unit assist them in the future? Why do/should they care? Try to answer the question in their minds, “what’s in it for me?”

Build Relationships: Don’t expect to meet your financial goals overnight. Fundraising is not necessarily a quick process. It can take years, so cultivate important relationships within the community in the course of doing your job. Recognize all donors, no matter how small the donation; you never know the growth potential.

Develop a Pitch, and Stick with It: Be consistent in your needs, wants, and expectations. While it may be appropriate to tailor some of the details for a particular audience, don’t change your story. Members of a community – especially a small one – do talk.

Success Sells: Paint a realistic picture of your bike unit. Describe how effective public safety cyclists are (or can be) in the community, provide samples of the type of media coverage you have received, and share your own heart-warming (or chilling!) stories that will make it hard for them not to support you.