Ok, read the thread backwards. What Leslie describes below is is pretty much our thinking too except for we do ask for a donation processing fee. However, if we don't get one, we too grin and bear it. We have scrappers come and take what they can use from our "junk pile". Artists and people looking for parts for art, school (and other) projects. Getting too many crappy bikes is still an issue, but in a sense, we can still see it as putting parts of those bikes back into the community...call it re-purposing if you like.
Wanda Pelegrina Caldas
Community Cycles, Boulder's only non-profit bike shop, serves all your bike commuting needs.
Use our secure online donation form to become a member, today.
Thanks!!
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:04:44 -0400 From: lesliepeteya@gmail.com To: thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Bicycle Donation Fee?
We just grin and bear all the crappy donations, in order to get those precious few decent bicycles. We have a good rapport with our cycling community and don't want to cause any ire concerning donations; cash bikes and memberships are our lifeblood.
One thing we've incorporated into our model is to have unskilled volunteers break down bicycles for scrap metal into aluminum and steel. We then have someone take it to the recycling place.
We don't really make any money from it for all that effort, but it's better than drowning in a sea
of Huffys and Roadmasters. Also, our unskilled volunteers get wrenching experience without the pressure of screwing up working bikes.
Best, Leslie Durham Bike Co-op
On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 11:56 AM, Andrew Burnell aburnell@gwi.net wrote:
Hi All, We have been inundated with bicycle donations lately and looking for some guidance: Does your shop require/ask that a cash donation be made with each bicycle donation? We have never asked for cash donations on top of bike donations, but we’ve noticed that often times people are using us as a city dump instead of a shop. On another note, here are links to our volunteer blog and SlideShare account. I hope they are of assistance to your respected programs. Feel free to comment or make recommendations… http://communitybicyclecenter.blogspot.com/ http://www.slideshare.net/cbcad2010/documents
Andrew Andrew Burnell, Volunteer and Program Director Community Bicycle Center Shop: 284 Hill Street, Biddeford, ME 04005 Mail: P.O. Box 783, Biddeford, ME 04005 207-282-9700 (shop) www.communitybike.net
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org
To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...