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Because our financial resources are very limited, our primary method of assistance is providing technical information to organizations working on some element of sustainable transport. In conjunction with projects that we are technical consultants on, we sometimes also provide limited amounts of material or financial assistance. Often these projects are characterized by a modest scale, innovative approach and being resource efficient. We do not provide grants to individuals, religious organizations, political organizations or organizations having discriminatory practices..
We don't publish funding guidelines because we don't want programs designed for us. We are looking for programs that empower local groups and respond to local needs. We look for programs that are a logically part of the requesting organizations mission, and that consistent with our priorities -- promoting sustainable transport.
If the project is in a developing country, we suggest you also explore other sources of funding such as embassies, multi-lateral aid programs, multi-sector non-governmental organizations, local insurance companies, financial institution and high profile consumer product corporations (i.e. soft drinks, fast food, sports equipment, etc.)
If you are seeking used bicycles, we can suggest:
- Find someone who is coming from the United State or Europe, (i.e. development worker/volunteer, friend, diplomat, missionary) and ask them to cooperate in your project. When they return they can bring a bike. Bicycles fly free, in lieu of the first piece of accompanied baggage, on some international flights. There are used bikes all over the U.S. that people are willing to donate. If someone stands up in a church and asks for a bike they will usually get one -- it may not be a state-of-the art, but it will provide transport.
- A couple organizations that have on-going programs to ship bicycles overseas see ..\encouragement\recycling\index.htm.
Sample Projects:
Bicycle Trailers
The International Bicycle Fund has provided financial, technical and material support to several projects to build proto-type bicycle trailers. These include: Hlekweni Rural Friends Service Centre, Zimbabwe; independent metal fabricators, Kenya; and Bike Youth, Ghana.
Bicycle Tour For Conservation
The Goa Association For Education and Development conducted a bicycle tour for 27 poor unemployed youth that focused their attention and those of the villagers they met, on the environment and conservation. Other activities included visits to temples, industrial sites, wind turbine, sustainable agriculture projects and viewing environmental films. Partial financial support was provided by IBF.
Zambia Bicycle Promotion Competition
Zambia school children who are members of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Zambia (WCSZ) have had the opportunity to enter a competition to design a poster encouraging the use of bicycles. WCSZ then published the winning entry and distribute it nationally. WCSZ hopes to expand their campaign from consciousness raising to gathering useful data on the potential use of bicycle transport and then begin to work towards those goals. WCSZ is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental conservation. They have a network of 1000 participating schools and produce a weekly radio show. For more information contact: Mwape Sichilongo, WCSZ, PO Box 30255, Lusaka, ZAMBIA. IBF has provided material and financial support to the program.
Future In Our Hands
Future In Our Hands is an international grassroots self-help network. IBF has worked with the Ghana chapter. The program in Accra includes instruction in agriculture, environmental protection and job skills. Part of the job skills program is teaching young people how to repair bicycles. IBF, with the assistance of Doug Hawley and Bicycle Africa, provide FIOH with technical and material support, including instruction in bicycle repair, a bicycle and tools set. For information on FIOH contact: Ebenizer Nortey- Mensah, PO Box 154, Accra - Trade Fair, GHANA.
Medical Students Address Transport
The "Standing Committee on Transportation and Health," Federation of African Medical Students, is addressing the health aspects of rural people, especially women, who have to travel long distances with heavy loads on their backs and heads. The committee's deliberation extend to bicycle transportation. The International Bicycle Fund has provided technical assistance. For information: Wasonga Adhoch, PO Box 47292, Nairobi, Kenya.
The Asociacion Vecinal Pro Saneamiento Ambiental, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Projeto Clínicas da Bicicleta (Bicycle Workshop Project), ViaCiclo, Florianópolis, Brazil have been awarded Cycle South America Grants.
The grant to Asociacion Vecinal Pro Saneamiento Ambiental is to buy materials for their campaign “Una Ciudad Mejor es Posible...Bicisendas Ya!” (A better city is possible...Bike lanes now!) during the La Plata Carfree day festivities. In September 2000, for their first Carfree Day, they printed and distributed 10,000 flyers, 10,000 pamphlets and 5,000 posters.
The aim of Projeto Clínicas da Bicicleta is to provide the participant with information and skills they need to feel more confident, secure and comfortable using their bicycles, whether it is for transport or leisure. They describe their objectives as “creating a vicious circle towards cycling.” The grant is to purchase permanent materials for a series of workshops.
The Cycle South America grants were made possible by Matt and Nicole Denniston.
In the year 2000, the Denniston’s made an extensive bicycle tour around South America. After they returned home they visited over 20 cities throughout the United States and gave slide show presentations of their South America journey. The proceeds from their presentations were donated to IBF to support grassroots advocacy for bicycle transportation in South America.
The types of proposal sought were:
- New organizations that need “seed money” to build visibility in their community.
- A specific campaign such as advocating for a bicycle infrastructure or forming a bicycle project.
Asociacion Vecinal Pro Saneamiento Ambiental objectives are to create a better city by getting bike lanes on main downtown streets and designating car-free areas in the city. As part of their campaign they are:
- Lobbying local government to implement an existing urban bike lane initiatives.
- Supporting Carfree Day, which the town council has already voted to support. Part of this program is car-free streets so that people can choose clean transport (walking, roller blades, bikes, skateboard, etc.), and do it safely.
During the last year and a half, the association has gotten people talking about the need for bike lanes, and there have been editorials and many articles in the city newspapers about the need for bike lanes.
ViaCiclo is the association of bicycle users from Florianópolis, capital of Santa Catarina State. ViaCiclo was formed as an outgrowth an Internet discussion group on the creation of a cycling infrastructure law. Some of their current issues are:
- Reconstruction of the cycle way linking the island to the continent;
- Cycle ways plans for the neighborhoods of Pantanal, Coqueiros and Itacorubi;
- Lobbying for the cycling infrastructure law; and
- Promoting cycling is all its forms (sport, transportation, leisure and tourism.)
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The International Bicycle Fund is an independent, non-profit organization. Its primary purpose is to promote bicycle transportation. Most IBF projects and activities fall into one of four categories: planning and engineering, safety education, economic development assistance and promoting international understanding. IBF's objective is to create a sustainable, people-friendly environment by creating opportunities of the highest practicable quality for bicycle transportation. IBF is funded by private donation. Contributions are always welcome and are U.S. tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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