Bicycle drives
Bicycle drives or bike collections operate much like canned food drives. An area in a community is flyer'd and either told to put their bikes/parts out at a certain date and time, or instructed to bring them to a certain location on a certain date and time. The following outline is from Pedals for Progress who has collected over 100,000 bikes.
Introduction
Bike drives are a great way to gather bicycles for your organization. To organize a collection you must do the following: (1) event publicity & marketing to the community and (2) managing a presence on the day of the collection.
Best Months
Only months in order (doesn't work other months):
- May
- October
- April
- November
- June
- September
Organizing the Collection:
a) Times: Experience shows that a 3 hour, one-day weekend collection, in either the spring or the fall, is the most effective and minimizes the “waiting around” time. Time slots are as follows: Saturday 9am -12pm and 12pm -3pm or Sunday 1pm - 4pm.
b) Site Selection: The best sites are centrally located, easily identifiable, and associated with a reputable institution. While empty lots can work well, a nearby building is advisable (for bathroom facilities or in case of bad weather). A covered walkway also works well in case of rain. Collections run Rain or Shine!
c) You will need:
- A Collection Manager
- At least 6 - 8 volunteers
- Volunteer Sign in Sheet
- P4P Tax Deductible Receipts
- Newsletters
- Table with chairs
- Tarp/Tent in case of bad weather.
d) Site Preparation: Be sure to get to your site at least an hour before the collection start time to post signs, set up the table and to organize the volunteers. Late sponsor arrival combined with and early influx of bikes can disrupt any preliminary site organization, cost time and energy, and fray relationships with volunteers and the public.
Event Publicity / Overall Marketing Strategy
The number of bikes received will depend heavily on the strategy and effort employed in publicizing a collection. If the collection is not adequately publicized, you will get significantly fewer bikes. PUBLICITY IS KEY! Contact: Local Press, churches, temples. Distribute flyers through: corporate office E-mail, flyers, schools and local libraries. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE 20 PEOPLE WITH 5 POSTERS THEN 5 PEOPLE WITH 20 POSTERS!