- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

Job Opportunity - Pittsburgh
by Katie Blackburn 01 Nov '22

01 Nov '22

Hello bike folx! Here in Pittsburgh our local bikeshare organization is hiring a bicycle technician. Passing along the message if any of yinz might be interested and/or know someone who might be. Looks like starting pay is $18hr + relocation support if someone is coming in from out of town. Healthcare, 401k, 3 weeks PTO. www.pogoh.com/join-our-team/ and PDF attached. Thanks!

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Bike!Bike! En todas partes! pronto ocurrirá / Bike!Bike! Everywhere! is coming soon
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 01 Nov '22

01 Nov '22

****English Below***** :) Bike!Bike! En todas partes! 2021 <https://es.bikebike.org/> es una conferencia virtual para proyectos de bicicletas comunitarios, ocurriendo viernes el 11 de noviembre ~ domingo el 13 de noviembre. <https://es.bikebike.org/> Todavía puedes inscribirte! <https://es.bikebike.org/> 🎉 El calendario de talleres está PUBLICADO: - Horario para varias zonas horarias <https://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/Bike!Bike!_Everywhere!_2022_Workshop_S…> Aquí hay una copia del acuerdo para espacios más seguros de Bike!Bike! <https://es.bikebike.org/policy/> INTERPRETACIÓN: Los talleres tendrán interpretación simultánea en español e inglés. Por favor presta atención a las señales de lxs intérpretes para apoyar a la comunicación. Si puedes, dona en apoyo de Justicia del Lenguaje <https://opencollective.com/bikebike-everywhere/donate?amount=30>. Te Necesitamos como Voluntarix SE BUSCAN FACILITADORXS: Si no tenemos alguien para facilitar estos grupos van a ocurrir de cualquier forma. Sin embargo, escoger una persona para hacerlo tomará solo unos minutos. Lo mejor es ofrecerse como voluntarix con anticipación ¡así por lo menos ya lo esperas! - grupo para personas negras, racializadas y de pueblos originarios - cotorreo de europexs, australianxs, asixns, y noctámbulxs - de guardia (Si recibimos muchas más personas de las que anticipamos, estaría bien tenerte disponible para unirte y ayudar.) SE BUSCAN MEDIADORXS DE GUARDIA: Necesitamos más personas con capacitación en mediación disponibles, por si acaso. VOLUNTARIXS TÉCNICXS: Necesitamos 5 personas más para que haga el equivalente digital a “revolverse con el micrófono” y “poner la presentación en el proyector” para cada. uno. de. los. talleres. Te entrenaremos. El trabajo compartido es más llevadero. Por favor ayuda. INSCRIBIRSE PARA B!B!E! <http://es.bikebike.org> - DONAR <https://opencollective.com/bikebike-everywhere/donate?amount=30> ******************* :) ******************* Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 2021 <https://es.bikebike.org/> is a virtual conference for community bike projects, happening Friday, November 11 ~ Sunday, November 13. <https://es.bikebike.org/> You can still sign up! <https://es.bikebike.org/> 🎉 Workshop schedule is POSTED - Find the workshop schedule in your time zone <https://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/Bike!Bike!_Everywhere!_2022_Workshop_S…> Here is a copy of the Bike!Bike! safer space agreement <https://en.bikebike.org/policy/> INTERPRETATION: Workshops will have bi-directional simultaneous interpretation in Spanish and English. Please be attentive to the interpreters for cues on how to support communication. Donate to support Language Justice <https://opencollective.com/bikebike-everywhere/donate?amount=30>! We Need YOU to Volunteer FACILITATORS WANTED: Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 2021. If we don't get facilitators, these will happen anyway. However, picking a facilitator will take a few minutes away from the group. Best to volunteer ahead of time so you at least know to expect it! - BIPOC group - Europeans, Australians, Asians, and night owls hang out - On Call (If a workshop gets a lot more people than anticipated, it would be nice to have you available to join in and help out.) ON-CALL MEDIATORS NEEDED: We need more people with mediation training to be available on call, we hear it’s best practice. TECH VOLUNTEERS: We need 5 more people to do the online equivalent of "fumbling with the microphone" and "connecting the powerpoint presentation to the overhead projector" for every. single. workshop. We'll train you. Many hands make light work. Please help. REGISTER FOR B!B!E! <http://bikebike.org> - DONATE <https://opencollective.com/bikebike-everywhere/donate?amount=30>

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Application Precedents / Models / Templates / Help
by Gordon Hamachi 20 Oct '22

20 Oct '22

Josh: Good luck! It sounds like an exciting opportunity for the Mechanical Gardens. I like your instinct to collaborate on your application. I can help, but I hope you can also get local collaborators who are familiar with DCAS, understand local issues, or who bring a variety of relevant perspectives to the process. If you can’t get any local help with something as important as this, how are you going to get local help actually providing any useful services? Sometimes, funding agencies are surprisingly willing to work with applicants. If appropriate, I suggest you make some phone calls to make sure people at DCAS are familiar with you and your organization and all the ways that you are an ideal match for what they need. Feel them out about whether they will meet with you and your team over lunch to get acquainted, or allow you to come in to give a presentation about your organization. Be sure to talk about all of your measurable community benefits to date, such as the number of bicycles repaired per year over the last few years, or the number of people you have engaged in various ways. At the same time, you should gather as much information as possible about what they want. After reading their Request, what important, insightful questions do you have, that will also demonstrate that you are the right organization to partner with them? See if you can get a better idea of what they are looking for. Ask them what parts of your presentation are of particular interest to them. Are prior successful applications available? What is their evaluation process? Are details of their scoring system available? Who are the key decision makers? Think about what concerns DCAS might have with your organization, the Mechanical Gardens. Do you have the organization, the expertise, enough motivated employees or volunteers, to do what they need you to do? If you can anticipate and respond effectively to their concerns, you will be on the bike lane to success! Finally, keep exploring all opportunities until you reach an agreement with someone. Listen carefully to what DCAS says. Sometimes the agency already knows who they are going to partner with, and their Request is just a sham to satisfy a requirement. —Gordon ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Josh Bisker <jbisker(a)gmail.com> > One of NYC's larger city agencies, DCAS, has opened up a request for > expressions of interest > <https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/business/rfp-rfb-rfei/rfei-0…> for > facilities-based bike programming, due Dec 9, which includes categories for > things that line up exactly with what the Mechanical Gardens has done and > aspires to do. The things they're looking for – including bike supply > recovery and remanufacturing, small-scale and mobile repair, bike rental > and more – feel like EXACTLY the right fit for what we've been seeking from > the city for years. It's a really exciting opportunity. > > The application, however, is a large lift. I am wondering a couple of > things: > > 1. Is anyone here interested in working with me on it? My hometown > team is pretty low on capacity at the moment, and the skills for creating a > professional-ass government-facing application are not abundant in my > group. Maybe you have some capacity to share, or some experience doing this > kind of thing. Or perhaps you're a person who is less involved in your coop > than you used to be, and you're looking to pitch in somewhere else. I could > really use a team on this, and maybe you want to come on board. > > 2. Has anyone here filled out a big proposal for something similar > before, and would you be willing to share your application materials? In > part I'm looking for language, images, and specifics that we can model some > of our answers on. In part, I'm just eager to be able to present examples > from other places that are running successful programs. > >

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Application Precedents / Models / Templates / Help
by Josh Bisker 19 Oct '22

19 Oct '22

Hey ThinkTank, One of NYC's larger city agencies, DCAS, has opened up a request for expressions of interest <https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/business/rfp-rfb-rfei/rfei-0…> for facilities-based bike programming, due Dec 9, which includes categories for things that line up exactly with what the Mechanical Gardens has done and aspires to do. The things they're looking for – including bike supply recovery and remanufacturing, small-scale and mobile repair, bike rental and more – feel like EXACTLY the right fit for what we've been seeking from the city for years. It's a really exciting opportunity. The application, however, is a large lift. I am wondering a couple of things: 1. Is anyone here interested in working with me on it? My hometown team is pretty low on capacity at the moment, and the skills for creating a professional-ass government-facing application are not abundant in my group. Maybe you have some capacity to share, or some experience doing this kind of thing. Or perhaps you're a person who is less involved in your coop than you used to be, and you're looking to pitch in somewhere else. I could really use a team on this, and maybe you want to come on board. 2. Has anyone here filled out a big proposal for something similar before, and would you be willing to share your application materials? In part I'm looking for language, images, and specifics that we can model some of our answers on. In part, I'm just eager to be able to present examples from other places that are running successful programs. Please consider checking out the language in the RFEI <https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/business/rfp-rfb-rfei/rfei-0…>(it's not very obtuse and doesn't have a lot of fluff) and let me know what you think. Josh Josh Bisker | 914-500-9890 <http://voice.google.com/calls?a=nc,%2B19145009890>| Executive Director, Mechanical Gardens Bike Co-op <http://bikecoop.nyc/> 2022 Donation Drive is ON! Support Bike Equity in NYC Today! <http://bikecoop.nyc/donate> Funkrust Brass Band <http://funkrust.com/> | Kessel Run Radio Show on Maker Park Radio <https://makerparkradio.nyc/shows/the-kessel-run-w-joshjoshjosh/>

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Bike!Bike!Everywhere! 2022 is coming! * Bici!Bici!En todas partes! 2022 se acerca!
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 17 Oct '22

17 Oct '22

English/(Español abajo)Only four weeks left to register and be a part of this opportunity to connect with others in our global community! Thank you to all of you who have signed up to lead a workshop! you can register HERE <https://en.bikebike.org/> *Coming Workshops!! (You can view descriptions at bikebike.org <https://en.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/workshops/>) * - Making Connections: How to use our Work and Values to Increase Community Support - Multiple resistances through the bicycle in Chile - Social Bike Rides - Bici Fanzine & Beach Roll - Making the Big Guys Work for You - Software vs. Paper II - Impact of Community Bicycle Shops from the Perspective of Patrons - How we can end Built-to-Fail Budget Bicycles! - The Digital Collective: The Opportunities and Challenges of New Media - Raising children on a bicycle in the South of Chile (Patagonia). Due to popular demand, we will also have some hang-out/socializing times set aside so we can chat and make connections. To make everything as accessible as possible, we will have translators and interpreters available for the workshops as well. We are so looking forward to learning from everyone and creating the opportunity for everyone to share. Remember, the dates for Bike!Bike!Everywhere! 2022 are November 11-13th and you can register HERE <https://en.bikebike.org/>. If you’d like to donate to facilitate our operations and interpretation efforts, please donate when you register or at Open Collective <https://opencollective.com/bikebike-everywhere>. Thank you for being part of the Bike!Bike! community. See you in a few weeks! Bike!Bike!Everywhere! Organizing Committee P.S.: *We still need some more volunteers to make this possible!* Take a look at the volunteer roles on the website <https://en.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/> or email and and ask how you can help. EspañolSolo quedan 4 semanas para registrarte y tener la oportunidad de conectarse con otrxs en esta comunidad global! Agradecemos a quienes se han sumado a Bici!Bici!En todas partes! Con un taller para mostrar sus iniciativas as a esta comunidad. puedes registrate aquí. <https://en.bikebike.org/> *Talleres que tendremos!! (puedes ver las descripciones en bikebike.org <https://en.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/workshops/>) :* - Creando conexiones: Cómo utilizar nuestro Trabajo y Valores para aumentar el apoyo de la comunidad. - Múltiples resistencias a través de la bicicleta en Chile. - Rodadas Sociales - Bizi fanzine & rol por playas - Hacer que las Grandes Trabajen para ti - Software vs. Papel II - Impacto de los talleres comunitarios desde el punto de vista de lxs usuarixs - ¡Cómo podemos terminar con las bicicletas hechas para fallar.! - El colectivo digita. Las oportunidades y desafíos de los nuevos medios - Criando niñez en bicicleta en el sur de Chile (Patagonia). Dado que lo pidieron reiteradamente, también tendremos espacios en el programa para socializar además de los talleres para que podamos conversar y conectarnos. Para hacer todo lo más accesible posible, tendremos intérpretes y traductorxs disponibles en cada taller. No podemos esperar para aprender de todxs y crear oportunidades para compartir. Recuerda, las fechas para BIci!Bici!Entodas partes! 2022 son el 11, 12 y 13 de noviembre y puedes registrate aquí. <https://en.bikebike.org/> SI quieres donar para facilitar los esfuerzos de las gestiones e interpretaciones, colabora durante el proceso de registro o en Open Collective <https://opencollective.com/bikebike-everywhere>. Gracias por ser parte de esta comunidad. Nos vemos en algunas semanas. Comité organizador Bici!¡Bici!En todas partes! 2022. P.D.: *¡Todavía necesitamos voluntarixs!* Lee los roles voluntarios en el website <https://es.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/> o mandanos un email y pregunta como puedes ayudar.

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New Media Use in Bike Collectives
by Aaron Shaw 12 Oct '22

12 Oct '22

Hey Bike Collective Friends! At B!B! this year I'll be hosting a workshop on the use of new media in bike collectives. I'm hoping to get some form responses to assess the current state of new media use. Hopefully I'll uncover some trends or unique practices that can be used for further discussion in the workshop. If you currently volunteer at a community bike shop, could you take a moment to fill out this form? Also feel free to reach out with comments or suggestions! Link HERE <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQAcJ3US_5wRZHUPF6vLttwuiDA4bPpL9…> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQAcJ3US_5wRZHUPF6vLttwuiDA4bPpL9… *SPANISH TRANSLATION:* ¡Hola Amigos del Colectivo de Bicicletas! En B!B! este año estaré organizando un taller sobre el uso de nuevos medios en colectivos ciclistas. Espero obtener algunas respuestas de formulario para evaluar el estado actual del uso de nuevos medios. Con suerte, descubriré algunas tendencias o prácticas únicas que se pueden usar para una mayor discusión en el taller. Si actualmente es voluntario en una tienda comunitaria de bicicletas, ¿podría tomarse un momento para completar este formulario? ¡También siéntase libre de comunicarse con comentarios o sugerencias! Enlace aquí <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQAcJ3US_5wRZHUPF6vLttwuiDA4bPpL9…> Aaron Davis Bike Collective

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Bici Taller de Comunidad en Bogota, CO?
by eric clough 11 Oct '22

11 Oct '22

Any knowledge amongst the Think Tank about community-style bike shop in Bogota, Columbia? I am preparing for a visit to the Bogota area and would like to 'engage' (voluntourism?) with Bogota bicycle culture. Ciclovia is definitely on my list! Eric Front Street Community Bike Works Coos Bay, OR (US)

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Tech Volunteers Needed / Necesitamos Voluntarixs Técnicxs
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 10 Oct '22

10 Oct '22

[Español abajo] Hi community! Thank you to those who have signed up to lead a workshop with Bike!Bike!Everywhere! 2022. We are so excited for this opportunity to share and connect with others who are passionate about bikes, sustainability, and community! B!B!E! 2022 will be entirely run online so we need help with techie stuff. In particular we need volunteers to help with: - Zoom - start sessions, make sure people have necessary roles and access, keep an eye out for raised hands, muted audio, etc., stay until the end of the session. - Discord - create channels as needed, help people who are having difficulty getting access, etc. - Assist workshop facilitators and attendees. - Record workshops and upload them to archive.org afterward. - Troubleshoot when things go wrong or call someone else in to assist. The best part is that you don’t need to be a tech expert! If you already know how to work with Zoom and/or Discord, you’re ahead of the game. If not, we will introduce you to all you need to know to make sure you’re set up for success. Since B!B!E! 2022 will take place on November 11 - 13, we will require those who volunteer to have some availability on those days. This is an opportunity to get involved in the behind the scenes of B!B!E! 2022 and help ensure that the event runs smoothly. And, as a token of our appreciation for your time, we will be happy to provide letters of reference upon request. If you or someone you know might be interested in contributing, please contact us at bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you! B!B!E! 2022 Organizing Committee P.S. We are always looking for long-term tech volunteers to help us maintain the BikeCollectives Wiki, managing email lists, supporting other B!B! events, etc. All the things that will help grow and strengthen our global community. Let us know if you or someone you know would like to get involved! Español Hola comunidad! Gracias a quienes se registraron para facilitar un taller con Bike!Bike! En todas partes! 2022. Estamos tan emocionades por esta oportunidad para compartir y conectar con otres que sean tan apasionades de las bicis, la sustentabilidad y la comunidad! B!B!E! 2022 ocurrirá completamente en línea, así que necesitamos ayuda con algunas cosas técnicas. Específicamente necesitas voluntaries que ayuden con: - Zoom - iniciar sesiones, asegurar que las personas tengan los roles y accesos necesarios, estar al pendiente de manos levantadas, micrófonos silenciados, etc., quedarse hasta el final de la sesión. - Discord - crear canales conforme sea necesario, ayudar a quienes tengan dificultades para acceder, etc. - Apoyar a les facilitadores y asistentes de los talleres. - Grabar los talleres y subirlos a archive.org después. - Resolver problemas cuando surjan o llamar a alguien más para que apoye. La mejor parte es que no necesitas ser experte en tecnología! Si ya sabes trabajar con Zoom o Discord, ya estás liste. Sino, nosotres te presentaremos todo lo que necesites saber para asegurar que estés liste. Como B!B!E! 2022 ocurrirá del 11 al 13 de noviembre, necesitamos que les voluntaries tengan algo de disponibilidad esos días. Esta es una oportunidad para involucrarse detrás de cámaras de B!B!E! 2022 y ayudar a que el evento fluya chido. Y como muestra de nuestra apreciación por tu tiempo, estaremos contentes de proveer cartas de recomendación si nos las piden. Su tú o alguien que conozcas puede estar interesade en contribuir, por favor contáctenos en bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com. Esperamos escuchar de ti! Comité organizador de B!B!E! 2022 P.D. Siempre estamos buscando voluntaries a largo plazo para mantener la Wiki de BikeCollectives, manejar listas de distribución, dar apoyo técnico a otros eventos de B!B!, etc. Todas las cosas que nos ayudarán a fortalecer y aumentar nuestra comunidad global. Haznos saber si tú o alguien que conozcas quiere participar!

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Losing Our Space, Looking for Strategic Guidance & Advice
by Gordon Hamachi 09 Oct '22

09 Oct '22

Josh: Sorry to hear that you're losing your space. Every organization that doesn't own its own space needs to have a plan for what to do if this happens. Therefore, thank you for sharing news of your current crisis with the rest of us. A few years ago, my local nonprofit bike shop lost its space and had to scramble to find a new location. Having experienced that fire drill, here are some actions you could take, in no particular order: - Plead for more time at the current site - Raise funds to purchase the current site - Find and rent a new space - Shrink your space footprint if you can't afford market rents - Become a distributed organization with no specific location - Appeal to local government or business - Partner with a compatible and sympathetic non-profit that does have space *History* Philosopher George Santayana is credited with saying that those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. In this case, let's remember the past because we *do* wish to repeat it. How did you get your current space? What are the chances that you can do the same thing again? My own organization had been in a space behind an auto repair shop for over 20 years, because the property owner liked what we were doing. He was willing to rent us space at well below market rates. A few years ago the property owner died and one of the heirs insisted on selling the property. The property was certainly worth millions, so buying it would have required raising big bucks. We had months to deal with this. Instead of trying to raise that much money, we chose to look for a new place. *Time Horizon* I agree that it is critical to know how soon you need to vacate. In the worst case you have less than one month before you need to be out. Do you need to move NOW, or do you have months in which you can apply for grants, and make the rounds of various elected officials, agencies, and friendly non-profits who *do* have space? *Space Needs* Think about your minimal and ideal needs. How much space do you currently occupy? What percent is bike storage, tools parts and supplies, retail space, work space? How much could you shrink your space? Are you willing to temporarily go dormant and store everything while you work on finding a new space? Where I live in California, we can generally wrench on bikes outdoors all year long. At minimum, we need warehouse space to store bikes, tools, and supplies. Our shop was only open on weekends, when we could expand out into the adjacent parking lot. When it is sunny or rainy we work under pop-up canopies. One idea that I floated that didn't gain traction was to become a virtual organization with no specific operating location. We could distribute bikes, tools, parts and supplies to our members. Each member could host small popup neighborhood bike repair activities at or near their homes. Repaired bikes (that were ready to be donated) and broken bikes (that needed repairs), could be picked up and dropped off on demand. This model might need warehouse space somewhere, and occasional use of a truck or van. It is also helpful to think big. Ideally, how much space would you want? Where is the ideal location? Would it include retail space? Shop space? Bicycle storage? *Elevator Pitch* In the world of tech startup companies, founders hone their elevator pitches before seeking funding. This is a brief 30-second presentation that summarizes what you do, what you need, and what benefits will ensue if they give you what you want. Write and practice delivering a compelling pitch. There is plenty of advice on how to do this. For example: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/elevator-pitch-examples The goal of an elevator pitch is to receive an invitation to make an extended presentation. You'll want to refine your extended presentation before you start beating the bushes for money. Find the best person in your organization to make the presentation. Do dry runs. Get feedback from business people who have experience with PowerPoint. Refine your slide deck. *Finding Money* If you're going to be asking for money, start by knowing how much to ask for, and where it will go. Do you simply need funds to move? Do you need money to purchase real estate or build out a space you intend to rent? If you're considering a purchase, talk to a local commercial real estate agent to get an idea of how much money you'll need. The good news is that in places with high real estate prices, there are bound to be lots of rich people. Some of them are looking for opportunities to do something to benefit the community. You need to find these people and cultivate relationships with them long before you have a need. With luck, you already know some of them. For example, one wealthy friend of mine was interested in creating a "Maker space" where bike repair activities would coexist with artists needing machine tools, welders, plasma cutters and space to fabricate large scale projects. She might have been willing to put up 1/4 to 1/2 of a property's price, if Maker activities could happen there. That proposal didn't go anywhere, I think because our executive director didn't want to share a space. Various charitable foundations may be good sources of money. They usually have a grant application process. Sometimes their current emphasis might be in one particular area. It's best to phone them to try to assess how well your organization fits with the foundation's current priorities (in other words, what your chances are of being funded). Foundations don't want you to waste your time or theirs, if it seems unlikely that they would fund your grant request. They should be willing to tell you the size of grant that they typically make, so you'll know if your request is going to be in their ballpark range. Foundations seem to want to grant large sums for things like new programs or even a new building, rather than for normal operating expenses. If you're going to ask for donations of any kind, it's best if you are already an established non-profit in the eyes of your State and Federal Government. I could be mistaken, but my impression was that the Mechanical Gardens had not jumped through the necessary hoops to do that. It seems to take a long time to obtain nonprofit status, so you should get started on that if you haven't already done so. If you're applying for grants, you're going to need to document the public benefit that your organization has provided to the community. Many nonprofit shops publish an annual public impact summary to boast about the number of low income people served, the number of bikes repaired and donated back into the community, or the like. If you don't already have this information, start assembling the data (if available) to show your historic growth trend in measurable output. I'm personally not that high on crowdsourcing for major capital campaigns. In my opinion, the amount that you'll need to purchase a property is just too large to gain traction. *Appeal to Elected Officials and Local Businesses* Your local government probably controls a lot of space. The ideal time to get the attention of elected officials is during their election campaigns. Candidates seem more open to hearing about your needs, especially if you can explain the larger problem that nonprofits--that benefit the community--need operating space in an area where rents are sky high. They may be aware of city-owned spaces that you could use. One of the best values of good politicians is that they know a lot of people. Perhaps they can hook you up with a company that is looking for a way to give back to the community while boosting its public image. Perhaps they know a business owner who is a bike enthusiast and make space for you to operate. *Appeal to Other Nonprofits* It might be possible to get space from another nonprofit. Our shop donates repaired bicycles to the needy; a local church that has space might be willing to give us space if we could supply more bikes to the people they serve. *Appeal to Everyone You Meet* It probably doesn't hurt to explain your situation and needs to everyone you encounter. The next person may have the ability to help, or know someone who does. *Here's What We Did* A large tech company near us has been buying up entire blocks of properties to build more office space. They had a warehouse that they were willing to lease to us for well below market rate, but it was a month to month lease because they might decide to start building at any time. We can be asked to vacate with 30 days notice. Fortunately, a neighboring business on the block does not want to sell, so it could be years before the large tech company can acquire the entire block and commence construction. The pandemic-inspired popularity of working from home might also mean less pressure to build offices and more surplus property available for non-profits.

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Hiring Shop Director for Community Cycling Center - Portland, OR
by momoko saunders 04 Oct '22

04 Oct '22

Hi all, I want to post about two big positions at the Community Cycling Center here in Portland OR. We're hiring a Bike Shop Director <https://communitycyclingcenter.org/about/jobs/21957-2/> and Service Manager. <https://communitycyclingcenter.org/about/jobs/service-manager/> We are hoping to get in all applications by the first week of October. Community Cycling Center is a Bike non-profit which has been in operation since 1994. We have a full service Bike shop where we offer used bike sales, low income community discounts, volunteer opportunities, and earn a bike programming. We also have a number of programs which help make bicycles more accessible to our community. If you are interested in a position here, please feel free to Direct Message me and we can chat about the opportunities. Thanks all for reading! Pass it along to your friends! -Momoko

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Insurance
by Alexander Lazar 28 Sep '22

28 Sep '22

Hi all! I volunteer with Bikerowave in Mar Vista (Los Angeles). Unfortunately, our current insurance carrier decided not to renew our insurance policy citing the following reasons: “The insured’s operations are no longer eligible within our program due to changes in our appetite. Our program requires the primary operations to involve the insured manufacturing bicycle components, assembly, or a bicycle store selling bicycles, renting them, etc. As this risk is offering space, tools, and assistance for customers to repair their own bicycles, it no longer fits”. We have had no claims in recent years - maybe ever? - and they've been our carrier for quite a while. We're working with an insurance broker to find new insurance, but does anyone have suggestions? Thanks, Alex

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Insurance
by Emily Gage 27 Sep '22

27 Sep '22

Sorry to hear that. I’d recommend asking your broker to get a quote from West Bend. We had trouble finding someone to cover us as a nonprofit bike shop, and West Bend has been a great fit. We’re a slightly different model than yours, but worth a try! Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 27, 2022, at 8:32 PM, Alexander Lazar via Thethinktank <thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote: >

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Losing Our Space, Looking for Strategic Guidance & Advice
by Josh Bisker 27 Sep '22

27 Sep '22

Hey pals, the Mechanical Gardens in NYC is losing our home base and needs to find a new home. I'm wondering if people have advice on any of these topics: - Leveraging a crisis like this into successful fundraising campaigns - Propositioning other organizations to partner with you and donate space that can house you at a site they control — for example, government agencies, real estate developers, community development corporations, nonprofits, or for-profits. - Some other strategy i'm not seeing here...? I'm eager to hear what's worked for you, as well as any lessons about what hasn't. I'm keen to hear specific pieces of advice about how to construct this pitch or frame the ask, who to engage with, and things like that, and I'd be grateful if you could share specific resources — a pitch deck, a proposal document, anything along those lines. NYC is an extraordinarily hard place for, you know, essentially everything, and real estate is the hardest thing of all, so things that may have worked in other places simply might not work here ... but I'm taking all the advice I can get. xox Josh Josh Bisker | 914-500-9890 <http://voice.google.com/calls?a=nc,%2B19145009890> <http://voice.google.com/calls?a=nc,%2B19145009890>| Executive Director, Mechanical Gardens Bike Co-op <http://bikecoop.nyc/> 2022 Donation Drive is ON! Support Bike Equity in NYC Today! <http://bikecoop.nyc/donate> Funkrust Brass Band <http://funkrust.com/> | Kessel Run Radio Show on Maker Park Radio <https://makerparkradio.nyc/shows/the-kessel-run-w-joshjoshjosh/>

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Thinktank Search Function Errors
by Nicole Muratore 13 Sep '22

13 Sep '22

Anyone else getting this error when searching the thinktank messages? ht://Dig error htsearch detected an error. Please report this to the webmaster of this site by sending an e-mail to: mailman(a)listserver-ogle.dreamhost.com The error message is: Unable to read word database file '/usr/local/dh/mailman/ogle/archives/htdig-db/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org/db.words.db' Did you run htdig? Cheers, *Nicole Muratore, Shop Manager* (she/her) Bike Saviours Bicycle Collective (602) 429-9369 | bikesaviours.org | @bikesaviours

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Freehub Certificate Date Error
by Queen City Bicycle 11 Aug '22

11 Aug '22

Thank you Alon!! We appreciate Freehub very much and are very thankful for it. If there's any support we could offer, please let us know. On Thu, Aug 11, 2022 at 12:28 AM Alon Salant <alon(a)salant.org> wrote: > Hi all, > > Thanks for the heads up and sorry I was not aware of this before you > brought it to my attention. > > Cert is reissued so you should no longer get browser warnings. Let me know > if you do. > > It looks like the scheduled job that should automatically renew SSL > certificates and notify me if it fails was removed in a recent upgrade of > the server. I'm restoring it now. > > Thanks for using Freehub! > > Alon > > On Wed, Aug 10, 2022 at 7:59 PM Alon Salant <alon(a)salant.org> wrote: > >> Thanks all. >> >> Certs should be automatically renewing. I’ll look at it in the morning. >> >> On Wed, Aug 10, 2022 at 9:50 AM Jonathan Rosenbaum <bike(a)bikelover.org> >> wrote: >> >>> I observe what is going on. Freehub utilizes a Let's Encrypt >>> certificate, and it just needs to be renewed. It expired on August 6. I >>> am copying freehub(a)bikekitchen.org so they know about the issue, and >>> can resolve it. >>> >>> -Jonathan >>> >>> On 2022-08-10 04:18, Queen City Bicycle wrote: >>> >>> Yes, thank you Jonathan, I should have proofread my email - apologies, >>> all. >>> >>> The issue we've been having is that the security certificate for >>> freehub.bikekitchen.org seems to be no longer valid (it expired August >>> 6, 2022), which causes the web browser (Chrome, in our case) to act >>> suspicious, and require frequent overrides. >>> >>> We were wondering if anyone else was having similar trouble and were >>> hoping to bring the issue to the attention of the folks with the capacity >>> to address it (if they're not already working on it). >>> >>> Sorry for not clarifying this in the first place. >>> >>> For further clarification, our browsers were defaulting to >>> https://freehub.bikekitchen.org which, because of the expired security >>> certificate, will throw up a "Your connection is not private" warning page. >>> Encouragingly, It does seem like using http://freehub.bikekitchen.org >>> is an effective workaround - Chrome still reports the connection to be "Not >>> Secure", but it doesn't interfere with its dramatic "Return to Safety" >>> warning. >>> >>> We rely on freehub, and are very grateful for it, and all of your >>> support. >>> >>> Thanks y'all >>> >>> >>> On Wed, Aug 10, 2022, 1:32 AM Jonathan Rosenbaum <bike(a)bikelover.org> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Freehub is working fine. The correct link is >>> http://freehub.bikekitchen.org/ . >>> >>> Freehub has a wiki at https://github.com/asalant/freehub/wiki . >>> >>> -Jonathan >>> >>> On 2022-08-09 20:16, Queen City Bicycle wrote: >>> >>> Hey friends, >>> >>> Just curious if any of y'all are having trouble using >>> freehub.bikekitchen.com. >>> If anyone knows any of the folks involved with the backend, we would >>> appreciate any info and love to offer any support. >>> >>> All the best, >>> Tyler >>> >>> -- >>> Tyler Glodt >>> Shop Manager >>> Queen City Bicycle Collective >>> 35 Elm Street >>> Manchester, NH >>> (978) 540-0405 >>> qcbike.org >>> >>> ____________________________________ >>> >>> The ThinkTank mailing List >>> >>> Unsubscribe from this list here: >>> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o… >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to freehub+unsubscribe(a)bikekitchen.org. >>> >> -- Tyler Glodt Shop Manager Queen City Bicycle Collective 35 Elm Street Manchester, NH (978) 540-0405 qcbike.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 190, Issue 1
by Lawrence Mohammed 10 Aug '22

10 Aug '22

Hey Tyler, looks like they don't exist (starting up? winding up trading?) and/or they are, but are working on the website and have chosen to publish it before it's ready. Is it website creation/services you're offering? In service, *Lawrence Mohammed* CEO and Founder Pro Bike Service C.I.C. *+44 (0)77 222 58587* *probikeservice.co.uk <https://probikeservice.co.uk>* /::Olympic Park Site:: Pro Bike Service C.I.C. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Canalside, Hackney Bridge London E15 2SJ *map location <https://what3words.com/cuts.porch.logic>* / On 10/08/2022 21:05, thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org wrote: > Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to > thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > thethinktank-owner(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..." > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Freehub Certificate Date Error (Queen City Bicycle) > 2. Re: Freehub Certificate Date Error (Jonathan Rosenbaum) > 3. Re: Freehub Certificate Date Error (Queen City Bicycle) > 4. Re: Freehub Certificate Date Error (Jonathan Rosenbaum) > > _______________________________________________ > Thethinktank mailing list > Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…

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Freehub Certificate Date Error
by Queen City Bicycle 10 Aug '22

10 Aug '22

Hey friends, Just curious if any of y'all are having trouble using freehub.bikekitchen.com. If anyone knows any of the folks involved with the backend, we would appreciate any info and love to offer any support. All the best, Tyler -- Tyler Glodt Shop Manager Queen City Bicycle Collective 35 Elm Street Manchester, NH (978) 540-0405 qcbike.org

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Launch/Lanzamiento Bike!BIke!Everywhere! Bici!Bici!En todas partes
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 29 Jul '22

29 Jul '22

Español (English below) *Bike!Bike *es una reunión internacional anual organizada por y para personas involucradas en proyectos comunitarios alrededor de la bicicleta. Normalmente se realiza en persona en una ciudad diferente cada año, pero la pandemia de la COVID-19 atoró los planes de la comunidad. En 2021*,Bike!* *Bike!En todas partes! *se realizó completamente en línea. Fue un espacio virtual donde entusiastas de la bicicleta pudieron compartir sus experiencias acerca de varios temas como manejo de la pandemia, enseñanza, mecánica, impacto social, mejor acceso a las bicicletas, diversidad, equidad, inclusión y más. Después del éxito de *B!B!E! 2021*, estamos aprovechando la oportunidad para seguir creciendo como comunidad internacional de bicicletas de manera virtual. Si te interesa presentar un proyecto/iniciativa que tú o tu organización están realizando, o impartir un taller para compartir nuevas habilidades, o dirigir una conversación relativa a las bicicletas y la comunidad, o algo similar, entonces por favor regístrate aquí!!. https://es.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/ Poster oficial <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N5GuUEO5MruP4fZ7-doSb1MyfIWJFe-q/view?usp=…> *Síguenos en instagram <https://www.instagram.com/bikebikeorg/>* Estamos aceptando propuestas de conferencias desde el 20 de julio hasta el 30 de agosto. Estamos pidiendo registros antes este año, porque como es un encuentro internacional, llevará algo de tiempo organizar el evento considerando los diferentes husos horarios y la disponibilidad de lxs presentadorxs. Comparte esta información con tu comunidad. Esperamos conocerles, aprender de ustedes y construir redes juntxs. *El Comité Organizador de B!B!E! * *RECORDATORIO* Bike!Bike! En todas partes! Es un encuentro VIRTUAL en línea. Debido a la pandemia, y para hacerlo accesible a todxs sin importar dónde se encuentren. Lo único que necesitas es una computadora con cámara web y una conexión a Internet. Bike!Bike!CDMX 2022 Ciudad de México fue programada como la sede de la versión presencial de Bike!Bike! en 2022. *Bike!Bike! *En todas partes no busca de ninguna manera reemplazar la versión presencial que CDMX pudiera realizar este año y con mucho gusto apoyaremos y nos coordinaremos para asegurar que el evento sea un éxito. Hemos tratado de hacer contacto de distintas maneras pero no hemos recibido respuesta sobre cuando o si B!B!CDMX sucederá. Si alguien del equipo de B!B!CDMX desea contactarnos para coordinarnos mejor, por favor mándenos un correo a bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com *____________________________* *English* Bike!Bike! is an international yearly gathering organized by and for people who engage in bicycle advocacy and bicycle community projects. Usually, it is hosted in person in a different city every year but the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in our community’s annual plans. In 2021, Bike!Bike!Everywhere! was hosted entirely online and was a virtual space where bicycle enthusiasts could share their experiences relating to a variety of topics, such as pandemic management, teaching, mechanics, social impact, better access to bicycles, diversity, equity, inclusion, and more. After the success of B!B!E! 2021, we’re seizing the opportunity to continue growing our international bicycle community in a virtual way. If you’re interested in presenting a project/initiative that you or your organization is doing, or leading a workshop to share some new skills you learned, or want to lead a discussion on a topic relating to bicycles and community, or anything similar to this, then please register here. https://en.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/ Official flyer <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N5GuUEO5MruP4fZ7-doSb1MyfIWJFe-q/view?usp=…> *Follow us on instagram <https://www.instagram.com/bikebikeorg/>* We are accepting proposals for workshops/presentations/discussions from July 20th to August 30th. We’re calling for registrations earlier this year because, since this is an international conference, it will take a bit of time to organize the event based on different time zones and presenters’ availability. Share this information with your local communities. We’re looking forward to meeting up with, learning from, and building networks with you. B!B!E! Organizing Committee REMINDER Bike!Bike!Everywhere! is an online VIRTUAL conference. Due to the pandemic and also to make it accessible to anyone regardless of where they’re from. The only thing you need is a computer with a webcam and internet connection. Bike!Bike!CDMX 2022 Ciudad de Mexico was scheduled to host the in-person version of Bike!Bike! In 2022. Bike!Bike!Everywhere! is in no way trying to replace the in-person version that CDMX may host this year and we’re happy to support and coordinate to make sure that this event is a success. We’ve tried to reach out in various ways but have not received a response as to if/when B!B!CDMX was happening. If someone from the B!B!CDMX team would like to reach out and coordinate further, please email us at bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com

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Traffic-calming mural art
by Jody Davison 22 Jul '22

22 Jul '22

Hi bikey friends! I'm on the board for our neighborhood organization and over the years have gotten the general conversation to budge beyond people who complain about car parking... bit by bit! So now they are tearing out our single family bungalows en masse and building apartment complexes to the scale of 350+ units each. Four in less than two years, all within 8 blocks of us. We bought in this community because of the transit accessibility, but we still have those TERRIBLE 20-inch ankle-breaking rollover sidewalks and pisspoor intersections, etc. We're simply not at all accommodated to take the blow of adding thousands more car trips each day, and we've also created lots more cement. It's clearly time for some traffic-calming efforts that our officials would otherwise tend to in about year 2050. I've been bringing to the board the thought of doing some murals (we also face a large freeway retaining wall, so there's PLENTY of canvass!) that raise bike/ped/transit awareness. The general response has always been YES - great idea! But no one actually does anything. I see all the mini-grants from Safe Routes and other usual suspects, but I can't submit for them, even with the weight of the RNO behind me, without at least a handful of things to show them. I've put out an open call for artists and an open call for image sample ideas and gotten squat. I'm guessing that I'm asking the wrong people. Why would the group that goes to monthly meetings to complain that there is no longer street parking directly in front of their home going to deliver traffic-calming sample images to my inbox?? *It occurs to me - YOU are the right people!! * *Please send/share your favorite, most impactful traffic-calming images* that share bike/ped/transit love, inspire people to drive less and be more cautious when they do, that these are healthy choices, that there are two major transit hubs that people need to be able to get to/from... etc!! Also if you know Denver-based artists that you like, I'm welcoming those connections, too! THANK YOU !!! Pedal proudly, Jody

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Fwd: Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op is hiring!
by Kai Addae 22 Jul '22

22 Jul '22

The AMAZING bike co-op I'm a part of in New Haven, CT is hiring! Applications are due next week-- folks nearby should definitely check it out! Warmly, Kai ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: John Martin <john(a)bsbc.co> Date: Fri, Jun 24, 2022 at 2:59 PM Subject: Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op is hiring! To: <kai(a)bsbc.co> Fill out the *interest form* inside by June 30! View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/0298ab4c417f/bradley-street-bicycle-co-op-hiring?e=6ecca…> *Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op is hiring!* Our founder, John Martin, is stepping away from day-to-day duties and we are looking to hire one or more staff by the end of the Summer to fill the following roles. *We’re open to hiring one full-time person, a few part time folks, or some combination of the two, to collectively cover the responsibilities of all of these roles.* Our main priority is finding the right folks to help BSBC cover the roles below so we can continue to be a community bike shop working towards an equitable New Haven by getting people on bikes. *Shop Manager* - The Shop Manager keeps the heart of BSBC – our physical shop space – humming. From keeping an eye on volunteer work hours and managing inventory to keeping the shop clean and being a welcoming, warm presence, the Shop Manager manages the behind-the-scenes logistics to front-of-house vibes for all who participate in the space. - See more about this role here. <https://bsbc.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb44119d4&i…> *Lead Mechanic* - The Lead Mechanic ensures the bikes that are repaired, sold, and donated by the BSBC are safe, functional, and reliable. The bikes donated to the BSBC all need work. The lead mechanic will bring the skills and knowledge needed to fix these bikes, while supporting volunteers to develop their skills and confidence. - See more about this role here. <https://bsbc.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb44119d4&i…> *Programs Manager* - The Programs Manager brings BSBC’s mission to life via partnerships, community events, grantwriting, and building awesome relationships. From putting on skillshare workshops to finding the perfect partner to donate bikes to, you bring people into BSBC’s work who might not already be connected, and work alongside them to co-create magic neither of us could do alone. - See more about this role here. <https://bsbc.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb44119d4&i…> *Operations Manager* - The Operations Manager maintains the behind-the-scenes magic of BSBC to keep our facility open, supported, and up to speed. You’ll manage “the books” (the money!), manage systems for donations and payment processing, and make sure we’re up to date with the crucial stuff, like taxes, insurance, and bills. - See more about this role here. <https://bsbc.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb44119d4&i…> *Community Manager* - The Community Manager is the doorway for our volunteers and members to plug in and thrive within and around BSBC. You’ll host new member mixers and volunteer meetings, develop pathways for people to get involved, and be a friend to all involved in the co-op space. - See more about this role here. <https://bsbc.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb44119d4&i…> Are you looking for a full-time job and think you can cover most of these roles? Let us know! Are you an excellent bike mechanic looking for a part time gig? We’d love to hear from you too! Are you a great organizer and community-builder but can’t fix a bike to save your life? That’s ok, reach out! *Please see the job descriptions <https://bsbc.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb44119d4&i…> for more information about each of the roles*, including expected hours and pay. Ideally, the first day of work would be sometime in September 2022 to allow for training overlap and full handoff of responsibilities from John. *If you are interested in one or more of these roles, please apply by July 28th AKA on July 27th at 11:59 PM.* APPLICATIONS HERE <https://bsbc.co/jobs> *EEO: We are committed to building a creative and dynamic work environment that celebrates individual differences and diversity and treats everyone with fairness and respect. We do not discriminate in practices or employment opportunities on the basis of an individual’s race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local regulations. We strongly encourage candidates of color to apply.* *The Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op is a community bike shop working towards an equitable New Haven by getting more people on bikes.* Questions? Comments? Shoot me an email, or better yet, let's get coffee and talk about it! john(a)bsbc.co *Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op* 138 Bradley St New Haven, CT 06511 http://bsbc.co/ <https://bsbc.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb44119d4&i…> Come say hi! This email was sent to kai(a)bsbc.co *why did I get this?* <https://bsbc.us13.list-manage.com/about?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb44119d4&id=af4a…> unsubscribe from this list <https://bsbc.us13.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb44119d4&i…> update subscription preferences <https://bsbc.mailchimpsites.com/manage/preferences?u=b0b649a09044d7f5eb4411…> Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op · 138 Bradley St · New Haven, Ct 06511 · USA [image: Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/email-referral/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Mechanic classes
by LaBikery 21 Jul '22

21 Jul '22

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community so hopefully I'm doing this right. For a couple of months now I have been working as the operation manager of a non-profit community bike shop in Eastern Canada, and I was hoping to get some inspiration and ideas for putting up mechanic classes. I would be looking for any insights or examples of classes that you gave at your shops. I'm mostly wondering about the curriculum itself, like the "level" of the curriculum. Should I make a complete mechanic class that could almost get you a job (I have the training for it), or should I just keep it to the essentials? And what should I charge, if anything? Last thing, I'm curious what's your experience teaching kids under, say 15 or 16? Is it worth it or are they usually not interested enough? Thank you! *Vincent Savary (he/il)Operation manager/Gestionnaire des opérations* *Coopérative La Bikery Co-operative* *Centre de vélo communautaire * *Community Bicycle Centre**https://labikery.ca/ <https://labikery.ca/>* *Opening hours: Thursday 4-7PM, Sat. 11-2PMHeures d'ouverture : Jeudi 16h-19h, samedi 11h-14h* 120 boul. Assomption blvd, Moncton NB (506) 830-2453 <http://labikery.ca/> <https://www.facebook.com/LaBikery> <https://twitter.com/LaBikery> *Check us out on social media by clicking on the icons above*

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BBE work party/fiesta to look for other CBS and bike organizations
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 02 Jul '22

02 Jul '22

BBE work party to look for other CBS and bike organizations *English/Español* Hello! Do you love cycling and building an international cycling community?! We’re a group of volunteers organizing Bike!Bike!Everywhere! 2022 edition (keep an eye out for this) but we’re looking to include as many cycling advocates and enthusiasts as possible and we need your help. We’re having a work party on July 6 at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST where we’re going to research and see if we can find any additional organizations that are not already on this <https://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/Community_Bicycle_Organizations> list. The main goal is to find contact information for more bike organizations, especially Spanish-language ones, so we can invite them to B!B!E! If you are interested and available to participate in this, please email us at bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com *Thanks! * *Bike!Bike!Everywhere! organizing committee * __________________________________________________ *Hola* Te encantan las bicicletas y la idea de crear una comunidad internacional en torno al ciclismo? Somos un grupo de voluntarios organizando Bike!Bike!Entodaspartes! edición 2022 (pronto lo anunciarermos, atentos!) y estamos en procesos de incorporar a la mayor cantidad de activistas y entusiastas como nos sea posible y para esto te pedimos tu ayuda. Estamos organizando una fiesta/reunión para el próximo día *6 de julio a las 9pm hora del este (6pm hora del pacífico) *donde nos enfocaremos en dar con organizaciones que no estén en esta <https://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/Community_Bicycle_Organizations> lista. El objetivo es encontrar información de mapas organizaciones, en especial Hispano hablantes, para invitarles al próximo B!B!E!. SI estás interesad@ y disponible para participar en esta fiesta/reunión, por favor escríbenos al email bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com . *Gracias!!* *Comité organizador Bici!Bici!Entodaspartes!*

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Onboarding and Volunteer Training
by Todd Spinner 15 Jun '22

15 Jun '22

Greetings Thinktank folks. Does anyone have any resources that you use to onboard and or train new volunteers? We would be appreciative of any materials that you may want to share with us. Thanks, Todd Spinner The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign Illinois

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Boards, Thethinktank Digest, Vol 188, Issue 1
by Robert Rands 02 Jun '22

02 Jun '22

Boards need to exist to felicitate the organization, not to be vehicles for a bullet point on someone's resume. The legal fiction is so that coöperatives can run unmanaged by others, particularly the government, outside of providing a framework of rights and legitimate responsibilities. As such, boards should be both organically formed from within and by the organization, while seeking out to strengthen the organization in its structure and goals by adding any necessary elements. Maintaining both a sense of empowerment and agency, for each individual within the organization as well as for the organization is a key factor. Being self-strong, while reaching out to increase strength within the community and of the community is integral. The organization should be self-formed, with guidance by the board and the participating community, within a framework of rights and responsibilities, with structural mechanisms and principles, such as Roberts Rules of Order and coöperative principles. ~Robert Allan Rands Board member, SoPo Bikes (SoPo Bicycle Coöperative), Reynoldstown Atlanta, Georgia On Thursday, June 2, 2022, 09:03:40 PM GMT+1, <thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org> wrote: Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to thethinktank-request(a)lists.bikecollectives.org You can reach the person managing the list at thethinktank-owner(a)lists.bikecollectives.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: Governance Transitions? (cyclista(a)inventati.org) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Thu, 02 Jun 2022 00:39:17 +0000 From: cyclista(a)inventati.org To: thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Governance Transitions? Message-ID: <c181ccaf5487d5b8b13ef049265569d3(a)inventati.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed We had to consider this extensively; never got to exactly where you are but one important thing stood out in the consideration over time: nobody should be on a board unless they have strong standing in running the day-to-day of the shop, or, at the least, the board should have a required majority of members having that qualification. Don't go down the path of a board with an agenda that doesn't fit with what the organization needs in order to thrive on a daily basis - and more broadly, accomplish its mission. It's one thing to have stakeholders on the board *in addition* to former staff or experts; it's completely another to seat people who simply want to have some measure of leverage or influence for their own reasons. The purpose of a board, from the federal government's perspective, is so that the government may retain a reliable point of contact through any potiential changes or adversity. It's s huge deal to the feds to remove the requirement to pay taxes, and they don't want to grant that status without assurance that the entity will remain responsive and responsible from a federal standpoint. What this means is that there is no requirement for the board to do any particular thing other than exist and be prepared to liase with the feds should they require it. The board can be a board of directors, who exert vision and authority, or it can simply be a board of advisors, assisting those who already run the organization. Really it can be a board of [anything]. It just has to fulfill the few barebones duties demanded by nonprofit specifications. So be careful how you choose them and appoint them. Do set out very carefully right away who gets to choose them; one of the worst configurations, because nepotism and incest, is the current board voting on the new board members. Any good idea might be protected in this way long-term (which is why a lot of organizations cling to this method), but it can also mean bad ideas have the ability infect a board for generations, even outliving the tenure of the members who originally set them in motion. Probably better to identify stakeholder groups (whom are served or targeted by the organization) and operational groups (staff, volunteers, other support personnel), and extend the right (or requirement) to vote to them. As for accountability, elections play a part in that - not only the initial elections themselves, but the frequency of them. More frequent elections, for instance, might mean more opportunities to cut off bad work or behavior. ~cyclista Nicholas On 2022-05-27 08:23, Thomas Butler wrote: > Austin's Yellow Bike Project is going through a governance transition. > We > used to be a fairly horizontally organized consensus-run collective of > volunteers who did the day-to-day of what happens at the shop, and our > size > wasn't limited. We are becoming an exclusive board of probably 6-9 > people. > Some of us are still running shops, but about half are not. > > We're currently trying to work out (among many other things) how board > members are (s)elected and to whom the board is accountable. Or more > concretely, how the board is held accountable. We don't have "members," > so > the questions of "who gets to vote" is among the ones we're trying to > answer. > > If you have thoughts or if your org went through something like this > I'm > interested to hear about it. In particular what best practices and > pitfalls > you encountered. > > The board also has appetite for working through this with a > professional. > Some of us are less psyched about people who don't have experience with > groups that have our consensus- / volunteer-run d.i.y. culture, > horizontal > organizing history, etc. Many of them have experience only with the > more > traditional non-profit board model and struggle to wrap their heads > around > how we used to operate and why. Suggestions are welcome. > > Feel free to email me privately if you like at > thomas.unavailable(a)gmail.com > Or you can reply here. > > Thanks > Thomas Butler > he | him | his > Austin's Yellow Bike Project > austinyellowbike.org > > ____________________________________ > > The ThinkTank mailing List > > Unsubscribe from this list here: > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o… ------------------------------ Subject: Digest Footer _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… ------------------------------ End of Thethinktank Digest, Vol 188, Issue 1 ********************************************

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Governance Transitions?
by Thomas Butler 01 Jun '22

01 Jun '22

Austin's Yellow Bike Project is going through a governance transition. We used to be a fairly horizontally organized consensus-run collective of volunteers who did the day-to-day of what happens at the shop, and our size wasn't limited. We are becoming an exclusive board of probably 6-9 people. Some of us are still running shops, but about half are not. We're currently trying to work out (among many other things) how board members are (s)elected and to whom the board is accountable. Or more concretely, how the board is held accountable. We don't have "members," so the questions of "who gets to vote" is among the ones we're trying to answer. If you have thoughts or if your org went through something like this I'm interested to hear about it. In particular what best practices and pitfalls you encountered. The board also has appetite for working through this with a professional. Some of us are less psyched about people who don't have experience with groups that have our consensus- / volunteer-run d.i.y. culture, horizontal organizing history, etc. Many of them have experience only with the more traditional non-profit board model and struggle to wrap their heads around how we used to operate and why. Suggestions are welcome. Feel free to email me privately if you like at thomas.unavailable(a)gmail.com Or you can reply here. Thanks Thomas Butler he | him | his Austin's Yellow Bike Project austinyellowbike.org

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