What is the purpose of a bike donation drive?
Bike drives give folks outside of Boston a chance to donate their old bike and connect with a cause larger than themselves without having to travel into the city, and it represents an efficient way for Bikes Not Bombs to collect the bikes that are critical to our programs. It also gives us a chance to get the word out about what we do, and conduct a bit of fund raising.


What kind of bikes does Bikes Not Bombs hope to receive?
We want bikes that are gathering dust in someone's garage or basement. We aren't looking for folks to donate bikes that they still actively use. We accept all types and sizes of bikes and bike parts except ones that have spent significant time out in the weather (rust ruins bikes). We also accept wheelchairs and aluminum crutches.


Are donations to Bikes Not Bombs tax deductible?
We are a 501 (c) 3 charity under the IRS code; donated bikes are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.


How can we find out more about how the donated bikes will be used?
Take a tour of Bikes Not Bombs! See the main page of our website or email for a schedule of upcoming tours.


As a local organizer, what am I expected to do?

1. Secure a venue, ideally one that is well known to residents of your town, and is easily accessible by car. Some examples would be the High School parking lot, the town green, or the parking lot of a well known church. On the day of the collection, we will need space for our 18' step van, plus a few hundred more square feet to sort and process the incoming bikes.

2. Round up 4 to 6 volunteers for the day of the event, to help us break down the bikes and prepare them for storage and shipment. The volunteers do not need to have any special skills- we bring tools, and show your crew what needs to be done.

3. Publicize your event far and wide. Good publicity is critical for a successful bike drive. In our experience, the two best publicity methods are a) Getting your local paper to do a story on your event, and b) Placing large signs in high visibility areas around town. Both of these methods take some work, but they pay off in turnout. Other ideas include asking your paper to put an item in the calendar section, sending messages out to town email lists, making announcements at school or church, printing up fliers and handing them out around town, (and posting on bulletin boards around town).

4. Let donors know about our suggested donation. We request a $10 donation with each bike, and this should be included as part of any publicity that you do. The donation is voluntary, but we don't like donors to hear about it for the first time at the collection site.

5. Contact Bike Donations Coordinator Stephen Bosco to let us know you are planning an event, and to secure a date on our calendar.


What support does Bikes Not Bombs provide on the day of the event?
A Bikes Not Bombs volunteer will attend your drive from start to finish with tools, literature, donation receipts and a van to transport the bikes to our warehouse at the end of the day. We coordinate your volunteers in greeting bike donors and processing the incoming donations.


What are some additional ways to boost turnout at my bike drive?
-See if your town will let you put an item on the "trash and recycling" page of their website
-Ask your local DPW or police if you can use their digital light up sign to publicize your event
-If your town has a transfer station, post a notice there well in advance of your event
-Visit your local bike shop owner- see if they have abandoned bikes or parts they are willing to donate.


Anything else?
Yes! Click here to read the musings of a local mom who organized a successful bike drive along with her son in 2005.