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Bikes for Kids Wisconsin

Making transportation accessible for all

Madison, WI   |  https://bikesforkidswi.org/

Mission

Bikes for Kids Wisconsin is powered by our love of cycling, our community, and our planet. We increase the use of bicycle-based transportation for everyone through access, low-cost repairs, and education.

Ruling year info

2016

Executive Director

Kristie GoForth

Main address

PO Box 6594 4515 Gordon Ave

Madison, WI 53716 USA

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Formerly known as

Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison

EIN

81-4356356

NTEE code info

Youth Development Programs (O50)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2023, 2022 and 2021.
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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Were a community making bicycling sustainable, equitable, and affordable for everyday transportation; where human-powered transportation is prioritized and betters all residents lives physically, emotionally, and economically. The bicycle has always been a symbol for personal mobility. We exist to increase access, safety, opportunity, and transportation equity to disadvantaged communities in southern Wisconsin so everyone can view a bicycle as a symbol for personal mobility. While bicycles are the catalyst for our pursuit of transportation and environmental justice, our mission transcends the joy of cycling itself. The journey toward making bicycles accessible to all has been a long and pivotal one. Within our bike-loving community, our efforts stand uniquely positioned to drive progress in the realms of environmental and transportation justice.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Bike Giveaway Program

Our Bike Giveaway Program creates a sustainable supply of bicycles for all by collecting unwanted and unused bikes from the community, refurbishing those donated bikes with the help of volunteers, and giving them back through a diverse network of nonprofit organizations and public schools. The nonprofits and schools select our bike recipients each year.

Bikes are the key to opportunity. They provide free transportation to work, school, and access to services and food. We give away approximately 2,000 bikes annually in Dane County, southern Wisconsin, and tribes in northern Wisconsin. In November 2023, we gave away our 10,000th bicycle to a sophomore in Madison who rides his bike daily to school and so he can participate on the wrestling team.

Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups
LGBTQ people
At-risk youth
Economically disadvantaged people
Immigrants and migrants

Bikes for Kids Wisconsin understands that bikes are vehicles and vehicles require maintenance, tools, and know-how to keep them rolling safely and efficiently. We are sharing our knowledge with middle school students through an afterschool Bike Mechanics program. Kids walk in to the shop and get their own bike repair stand and a robust set of tools. They find a box of parts to build a 20" coaster brake bike on day one. They learn how to build a bike out of the box, repair flat tires, adjust hand brakes, and more in this six-week program.

We hope to expand this program to e-bike repair with an area high school soon.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Children and youth
Ethnic and racial groups
Women and girls
LGBTQ people
Economically disadvantaged people
Children and youth
Ethnic and racial groups
Women and girls
LGBTQ people

Where we work

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

We firmly believe in the transformative power of bicycles to effect positive change. They represent an eco-friendly mode of transportation that not only delivers physical and mental health benefits but also serves as a therapeutic outlet for many of us who frequent the saddle. Riding a bike allows us to work through problems, process conflicts, and reduce stress, all while having a great time. More bicycles on the road equate to reduced air pollution and healthier communities.

Uphold our dedication to providing 2,000 bicycles annually in Dane, Milwaukee, and Racine Counties, while extending our bike giveaway initiative to Tribal communities in Wisconsin.
Construct a 15,000 sq. ft. warehouse to bolster our existing operations and accommodate future growth and sustain our essential role as southern Wisconsin's community bike shop.
Strengthen our workforce training program (Bike Mechanics) in collaboration with public schools.
Further develop our preliminary work in modifying wheelchairs for children. By replacing tires with pneumatic tires (bike tires & tubes), they are suitable for outdoor environments. This work is currently not available in Dane County. To date, we have modified three wheelchairs but more space and resources would allow us to develop this fully into a new program.

These strategies will result in:
Enhanced equity and increased bicycle accessibility for all community members.
Improved workforce reliability stemming from affordable transportation options.
Reduced air pollution, lower carbon emissions, and alleviated traffic congestion.
The cultivation of a more diverse pool of skilled bike mechanics within our community.
Decreased truancy rates, as some parents/caregivers who are unable to drive their children to school will have an alternative means of transportation.
A healthier and more vibrant community overall.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time

Financials

Bikes for Kids Wisconsin
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Bikes for Kids Wisconsin

Board of directors
as of 05/22/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Keith Kunugi

James Statz

Stafford Rosenbaum

Simon Fallai

Sound Billing

Andrew Litt

Edward Jones

Mike Ivey

Journalist

Baltazar De Anda Santana

Nonprofit Leader

Awais Khaleel

Attorney

Mandy Ayers

Human Resources Manager

Colleen Hayes

City Employee

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 12/29/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Native American/American Indian/Alaska Native/Indigenous
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 12/28/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.