Something we're just coming around to when it comes to accepting these donations is that we are doing the "donating" group a huge favor by showing up and cleaning out their space of these unwanted bikes. As we all know, schlepping and storing unused or broken bikes gets old really quick. Keep this in mind when approaching the group you'd like to donate the bikes. Use it as a selling point. "Got bikes you need removed? We'll remove them for you!" sounds better to a lot of larger organizations like schools or property management companies than "If you have bikes you'd like to donate..."

Remember, you're doing them a favor. It just so happens that the "rubbish" you're removing is getting reused and benefited from.  Similar to the "1-800-GOT JUNK" place. They charge you to come out and take your stuff. They don't just landfill everything they pick up but it goes somewhere...


On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 12:33 PM, Geoffrey B <vous.je@gmail.com> wrote:
we ask apartment buildings, the super lets us at th ebikes because they are an inconvenience to them. We see donations as rubbish removal, and we bring the rubbish into rebellious cheapo bikes for a impoverished community.

You gotta turn over this rubbish with volunteer power or you get swamped. The city and university facilities in Toronto simply sell cathces of garbage bikes on creigslist instead of donating them to wirthy non-profits. What a shame.


On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 9:06 AM, Alicia Dvorak <aliciadvorak@gmail.com> wrote:
At sibley bike depot, we get a lot (currently almost too many!) of our
bikes from st. paul neighborhood cleanups. the city has these cleanups
where residents can bring all their unwanted crap and it gets recycled
by various people/organizations (electronics, furniture, etc). we get
the bikes. I don't know that a lot of cities do things like this,
minneapolis, for example, doesn't b/c you can leave large items with
your regular trash pickup. we've also started getting bikes from other
cleanups from some of the suburbs.

alicia

On Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 12:30 AM, Wendy Monroe <wendy.monroe@usermail.com> wrote:
>
>
> We have posted this flyer around on local bulletin boards in community
> organizations and grocery stores to collect donated bikes here for the 'Fix
> your bike' project in Amsterdam ... it has worked pretty well.
>
> Text reads, roughly translated:  ' Do you have somewhere an old bike ?  That
> you don't do anything with anymore? Would you like to do something good with
> it?
> Then it would be very nice of you to donate it to the workshop, 'Fix your
> bike' for youth, sponsored by ( local community development organization..)
>
> Hope this helps... I scanned the wonderful line drawing from a German
> anarchist bike repair book, 'Das Grosse Fahrradbuch.'
>
> Wendy Monroe
>
>
>
> On 01 Nov 2009, at 23:29, Erik Stockmeier wrote:
>
>> Are there any groups out there with strong partnerships with local
>> municipalities or campuses to collect abandoned bicycles?  I know the
>> Recyclery (Chicago) and many other groups certainly pick up donations from
>> police departments and the like, but we have a number of volunteers and a
>> campus environmental group working on setting up a structured collection
>> program and are looking for ways to proceed.  Do you, for example, have a
>> specific notice or flyer you attach to bikes?  We are thinking of something
>> that says "hello, this bike looks abandoned.  if it is yours, you can fix it
>> up at the recyclery.  Otherwise it will be removed..."
>>
>> Anyhow, just wondering if anyone has already done this.  Thanks for your
>> help!
>>
>> Erik
>> @ The Recyclery (Chicago)
>> _______________________________________________
>> Thethinktank mailing list
>> Thethinktank@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.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Thethinktank mailing list
> Thethinktank@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.org
>
>
_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@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.org



--
Geoffrey B

_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@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.org




--
Thanks for supporting Community Cycles,  Boulder's first and only non-profit bike shop!
Ask me how you can sponsor a Youth Earn-A-Bike student for just $100.
www.communitycycles.org