New growth
Dear EBH community,
It’s spring and just as new growth is blooming all around town, new growth is blooming for Elgin Bike Hub as an organization! New growth requires support and resources. We invite you to add your support for where we are and where we might be able to go.
After beginning as an educational and awareness-raising online presence in the fall of 2016, and after completing a full year of social, community rides, Elgin Bike Hub called a board of directors of nine Elgin community members and adopted our by-laws in August of 2018. We incorporated as a not-for-profit organization with the state of Illinois that month, and launched the process of other governmental filings and establishing our organizational set up. In March of 2019, we were granted non-profit 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, retroactive to our incorporation date.
The decision to formalize the Elgin Bike Hub NFP organization was reached in reflection of both the tremendous enthusiasm that we have received in the Elgin community for our program and education offerings that we had been able to provide so far (over 500 riders at over 30 events in 2018), and in reflection of the critical needs for a more bike-able, walkable, and robust public transportation system for everyone in Elgin. Our goal is to improve the quality of life in Elgin and to promote more equitable access to all the city has to offer in the way of housing, education, employment, healthcare, food, and social connection. We plan to do this by continuing to provide education and community programming around biking and other means of active transportation. Incorporating as a non-profit helps to unlock many of the tools to support this mission and also places the project in the community’s ownership.
We will continue to grow our opportunities to help you meet your neighbors and the neighborhoods of Elgin. With a volunteer board and a growing community of volunteers to support the programs, we are able to do what we do with a small and efficient budget of just under $2,000 a year. This pays for basic operating costs, such as insurance and marketing. We will never charge a fee for our social rides, but if you are able to help support the core functions of Elgin Bike Hub with a monetary donation, it would be most appreciated.
Thank you for your ongoing support and participation in this pedal-powered movement! For more information about upcoming rides/events and how to make a donation, check out www.elginbikehub.com or if you are ready to donate now.
Happy pedaling!
Parker Thompson
Organizer/Board Chair