Bikes Not Bombs, Inc.

Transcription

1 Bikes Not Bombs, Inc. General Information 284 Amory Street Jamaica Plain, MA (857) Website Organization Contact René Milet Year of Incorporation

2 Statements & Search Criteria Mission Statement Bikes Not Bombs uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change.we reclaim thousands of bicycles each year. We create local and global programs that provide skill development, jobs, and sustainable transportation. Our programs mobilize youth and adults to be leaders in community transformation. Background Statement Bikes Not Bombs is a 33-year-old community organization in Jamaica Plain that takes in between 5,000 and 6,000 donated bikes each year and re-uses them in innovative youth programs, international development projects, and its retail shop/vocational training center. More than 3,500 young people have participated in Bikes Not Bombs' youth leadership and cycling programs, which teach mechanics and safe urban riding, and develop critical job skills. Bikes Not Bombs operates a full-service bike shop, which serves as a training center for local teen graduates of BNB's training programs. Each year we refurbish and resell approximately 1,000 donated bikes, getting them back on the road where they belong. The organization began in 1984 as an environmentally conscious campaign in support of the people of Nicaragua. It was in 1990 that BNB started to pursue its mission on a local level by establishing youth programming in Boston. Bikes Not Bombs now offers six unique, high-quality Youth Programs through which we have reached more than 2,750 area youth. Our programs, which make up our Leadership Development Pathway, build on young people's fascination with bicycles to reinforce academic learning, build critical thinking skills, provide employment training, cultivate leadership, and instill a commitment to environmental and social justice. Impact Statement In the last year Bikes Not Bombs collected between 5,000 and 6,000 donated bicycles from Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. We shipped over 3,500 bicycles to our international partners in Guatemala, Nevis, Ghana and Tanzania. Through our Youth Programs BNB worked with almost 300 youth from low income communities in and around Boston, outfitting them with refurbished bicycles and all the skills necessary to maintain them. At our retail bike shop, we refurbished close to 1,000 bicycles, taking them out of the solid waste stream and putting them back on the road where they belong. In the coming year BNB aims to increase our bike collections to close to 7,000 bikes. We will build on our new international project in Nairobi, Kenya which is a network of bike shops focusing on building cycling in the city. And we will continue to run and expand our six youth programs, and aim to offer year-round, paid after school jobs to at least 30 teenagers while serving another area youth. Needs Statement Bikes Not Bombs five most pressing needs are financial support for our youth and international programs, general operating grants, donated bicycles to allow us to run our programs, in-kind donations of computer, art and office supplies and volunteers, especially for our annual Bike-A-Thon in June. 2

3 CEO/Executive Director Statement How lucky am I to be part of an organization that is working to address so many issues I care deeply about like environmental and economic justice, youth leadership, healthy communities and international development all with on-the-ground solutions that are focused on empowerment and rooted in the strengths of our partners and participants. Growing up, my bike gave me a sense of freedom and access to many opportunities that would have otherwise been out of my reach. On a larger scale, that is what we do here at Bikes Not Bombs we are giving people the tools and resources they need to have freedom, mobility and opportunity. On a recent visit to our warehouse I saw 800 donated bikes all sorted and ready to go. It was so wonderful to be there and think about the new life these bikes would have supporting our youth and international programs. Each year we work with 300 youth from some of Boston s lowest income neighborhoods; to date more than 3,000 young people have participated in our programs. Since 1984 we have sent more than 47,000 bikes to partners in 14 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa where they are used as capital to establish micro-enterprises, turned into pedal-powered machines that help rural farmers increase their productivity, used as cargo-carrying bicycles to get to market, become part of an Earn-A-Bike program like the one we have here in Boston, or simply used for transportation. Just recently I attended one of our Earn-A-Bike programs in their last sessions and watched as they finished their bikes and planned a celebration for their families. During summer 2012 we shipped bikes to Sierra Leone for the first time to support The Village Bicycle Project where they will be used in a bicycle library for school-aged girls. There s so much happening at BNB all the time and so many ways that people can plug in and become a real part of the effort. From raising much needed funds by riding in the Bike-A-Thon each June, to attending a Volunteer Night or container loading of bikes going to our international partners, to becoming trained by our youth instructors as an adult instructor for our Earn-A-Bike program, there are so many ways you can get involved. I have barely gotten started and I am already completely humbled by the amazing amount of time and energy that so many people devote to Bikes Not Bombs work. Volunteers, board members, youth participants and staff give literally hundreds of hours to BNB s work each day, week, month and year. It is truly inspiring. Jodi Sugerman-Brozan, Executive Director 3

4 Board Chair Statement Bikes Not Bombs has been a large part of my life for nearly a decade. Like many people, I first got involved as a Wednesday Night volunteer. During that first Wednesday Night Volunteer Session I attended, I not only got my hands dirty working on some bikes, but was also inspired by the fact that these bikes, which would have been headed to the landfill, would instead be used as a vehicle for change in one of Bikes Not Bombs programs. Though I now spend more time in meetings and working with our amazing staff and volunteers, I have been hooked on Bikes Not Bombs ever since turning a wrench that first day. Bikes Not Bombs has been around since 1984 and our programs, systems, and impact have steadily grown and improved over the years. In 2006, when I was still quite new to the Board of Directors, Bikes Not Bombs moved from our old location to a larger and more open space in the Brewery Complex in Jamaica Plain that allowed us to expand our capacity to run youth programs and add additional staff members. Our Bike Shop and Vocational Training Center also moved into a new home, just down the street. Our budget has more than doubled in recent years, as we continue to develop new programs, take on new international partners, increase enrollment in programs like Earn-A-Bike, and hire more teens to serve as instructors and role models in these programs. Our amazing base of grassroots supporters has enabled us to grow in this way, and we are deeply honored to have so many people contribute to Bikes Not Bombs each year. Our annual Bike-A-Thon has gone from raising $4,000 to $40,000 to over $140,000, and now includes an outdoor festival with live music, vendors, and other community organizations working to make a difference. Our staff has grown, our management structure has evolved, and our Board of Directors continues to play an important role in instituting policies and ensuring the overall financial health of the organization. It is an honor and a joy to be part of an organization that has such a strong commitment to its principles, while at the same time offering concrete and practical programs that provide skill development, jobs, and sustainable transportation. In the coming year and beyond, I look forward to seeing Bikes Not Bombs continue to grow and I encourage you to visit our website, give us a call, or stop by one of our two locations in Jamaica Plain to find out how you can become part of the effort! Scott Thomson, Board Chair Service Categories Youth Development Programs International Development Job Training Geographic Areas Served Boston, Massachusetts, specifically Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Mattapan, Dorchester. Ghana, Tanzania, Guatemala, Nevis-St. Kitts, Northern Uganda, Sierra Leone, Kenya. Please review online profile for full list of selected areas served. 4

5 Programs International Development Description Bikes Not Bombs has sent over 44,000 bikes to Central America, the Caribbean and Africa in the last 25 years. The Village Bicycle Project, (VBP) a non-profit based in the USA, is the largest receiver and distributor of BNB bikes. VBP is working with two Ghanaian businesses to bring the bikes though customs and to distribute them.bnb has sent bicycles and technical assistance to Maya Pedal an indigenous organization in Guatemala. Maya Pedal (MP) manufactures and distributes pedal-powered machines that shell and grind grain, power rope-pumps for well water extraction, depulp coffee and spin fruit blenders. MP also now runs a bicycle shop to help support its work in building pedalpowered technologies. BNB has sent over 17,000 bicycles to other projects in Central America, supporting programs in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. In January 2007 we started an Earn-A-Bike program in Nevis in the Caribbean. Budget 152,795 Category Population Served International, Foreign Affairs & National Security, General/Other International Development Unemployed, Underemployed, Dislocated, Poor,Economically Disadvantaged,Indigent, Elderly and/or Disabled Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success 5

6 Youth Programs Description Earn-A-Bike is an out-of-school learning and earning opportunity for youth aged In this class, students select and completely overhaul a bike to keep as their own. Girls in Action (GIA) is our girls-specific program. Building on our EAB curriculum, GIA incorporates discussions, activities and weekly workshops focused on issues of particular relevance to teenage girls. On My Way, On My Bike (OMWOMB) is an introductory program designed to take BNB's mission and programs to other organizations. The Youth Employment Program allows BNB to hire and train teens to provide peer leadership in all of our youth programs. Alumni Services help Bikes Not Bombs maintain continued support of all of our youth program participants. Vocational Training is an 80-hour free training course for young apprentices, offering advanced mechanics, customer service, and professionalism taught over a period of ten weeks. Budget 206,617 Category Population Served Youth Development, General/Other Youth Leadership Adolescents Only (13-19 years), K-12 (5-19 years), Unemployed, Underemployed, Dislocated Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success Retail Bike Shop and Vocational Training Center Description The BNB Retail Bike Shop and Vocational Training Center supports BNB's local youth programs and international development work while providing real world experience and green jobs to young people. The shop sells quality refurbished bicycles and offers parts, accessories and repairs. Budget 678,692 Category Population Served Employment, General/Other Youth Job Training & Employment Children and Youth (0-19 years), Unemployed, Underemployed, Dislocated, Immigrant, Newcomers, Refugees Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success Program Comments 6

7 CEO Comments BNB youth programs builds on young peoples fascination with the bicycle, and shows participants how it can be a tool to creating and sustaining a healthier and more active life while also providing much-needed transportation. While we offer our flagship Earn-A-Bike program six times per year, applicants exceed spaces available (sometimes 2:1). Plans are underway to offer additional sessions as well as offer related programs in new locations in partnership with youth-serving organizations and schools. We are proud to hire and train teens each year (providing many with year-round jobs) to lead our programs, but there are many more we have to turn down because we lack resources. The rise in public transit fares combined with ever-decreasing job opportunities and the dispersal services have created a crisis for youth and adults.transportation is a key pathway to opportunity and for many, it remains out of their reach.but access to a bicycle can change that. While no organization does more to expand access to bicycling to low-income youth and youth of color in Boston, currently we do not have capacity to offer adult Earn-A-Bike programs, but have many requests. Bikes Not Bombs not only ships bikes, but we provide extensive technical assistance and support to our international partners, helping them to maximize the impacts of their work. By investing in the skills and capacity of our international partners, as well as in their overall autonomy and independence, Bikes Not Bombs is helping to grow the impact made by each donated bicycle. This work takes real resources and over the next year we would like to expand our range of support and add new partners. Bikes Not Bombs is poised to strengthen and expand our exceptional and high impact programming throughout the organization, but will need to strategically add staff and facilities over the next five years. There s no more critical time than now to expand the kind of innovative, meaningful programming that we offer locally in Boston s neighborhoods and across the global south. 7

8 Management CEO/Executive Director Executive Director Mr. Elijah Evans Term Start Mar Experience Elijah is a testament to the leadership development pathways created at Bikes Not Bombs (BNB), having started at age 14 as an Earn-A-Bike participant, then going on to become the Coordinator and then Director of Youth Programs, and most recently serving as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. Elijah returns to lead the organization after becoming a teacher through Teach for America (TFA) - spending three years in the classroom and managing operations at TFA s new teacher institute. Elijah studied African American history and Spanish linguistics at the University of Massachusetts, has a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Boston University s Questrom School of Business; he is also a musician, bike mechanic, and avid cyclist. Former CEOs Name Term Ms. Kim Foltz Jan July 0 Ms. Samantha Wechsler July Sept 0 Staff Information Full Time Staff Part Time Staff Volunteers Contractors Retention Rate % Staff Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 8 Asian American/Pacific Islander 1 Caucasian 10 Hispanic/Latino 8 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 Staff Demographics - Gender Male Female 0 0 8

9 Unspecified 27 Formal Evaluations CEO Formal Evaluation CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation Frequency Senior Management Formal Evaluation Senior Management Formal Evaluation Frequency NonManagement Formal Evaluation Non Management Formal Evaluation Frequency Annually Annually Annually Plans & Policies Organization has a Fundraising Plan? Organization has a Strategic Plan? Years Strategic Plan Considers Under Development Date Strategic Plan Adopted July 2011 Does your organization have a Business Continuity of Operations Plan? Management Succession Plan? Organization Policy and Procedures Nondiscrimination Policy Whistleblower Policy Directors and Officers Insurance Policy 5 No No No Awards Awards Award/Recognition Organization Year Best Local Cause Boston Phoenix magazine 2011 Best Non-Profit and Best Environmental Group Good Neighbor Award Best Bike Shop: Vintage and Custom Best Bike Shop: Vintage and Custom Best Bike Shop: Vintage and Custom Jamaica Plain Gazette 2011 Sumner Hill Neighborhood Association 2012 Dig Boston 2011 Dig Boston 2011 Dig Boston

10 Board & Governance Board Chair Board Chair Ms. Allie Hunter Company Affiliation Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative Term Jan 2013 to Jan Board CoChair Board CoChair Ms. Amy Wilson Company Affiliation Massachusetts MRI Term Jan 2017 to Jan 2018 Board Members Name Affiliation Status Mr. Lee Archung METCO Voting Mr. Ronald Cross Brookline High School Voting Mr. Patrick Cutrona TSNE Mission Works Voting Ms. Allie Hunter Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative Voting Mr. Joseph Lieber Klein Hornig Law Firm Voting Mr. Allistair Mallillin Associated Grant Makers Voting Ms. Xenia Pantos Graduate Student Voting Ms. Amy Wilson Massachusetts MRI Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 1 Asian American/Pacific Islander 2 Caucasian 5 Hispanic/Latino 0 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 0 Board Demographics - Gender Male Female Unspecified

11 Board Information Board Term Lengths Board Term Limits Number of Full Board Meetings Annually Written Board Selection Criteria? Written Conflict of Interest Policy? Percentage Making Monetary Contributions Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions Constituency Includes Client Representation % 100% Standing Committees Executive Finance Audit Board Development / Board Orientation Personnel Community Outreach / Community Relations 11

12 Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start Jan 01, 2017 Fiscal Year End Dec 31, 2017 Projected Revenue $1,546, Projected Expenses $1,543, Endowment? No Spending Policy N/A Credit Line? No Reserve Fund? Months Reserve Fund Covers 4 Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Fiscal Year Total Revenue $1,666,367 $1,694,243 $1,556,533 Total Expenses $1,589,664 $1,533,815 $1,493,514 Revenue Sources Fiscal Year Foundation and Corporation -- $144,000 $165,500 Contributions Government Contributions $0 $0 $0 Federal State Local Unspecified $ Individual Contributions $841,542 $719,809 $597,190 Indirect Public Support $ Earned Revenue $824,055 $828,182 $793,701 Investment Income, Net of Losses $770 $2,252 $142 Membership Dues $ Special Events $ Revenue In-Kind Other $

13 Expense Allocation Fiscal Year Program Expense $1,379,389 $1,313,387 $1,290,290 Administration Expense $129,473 $144,777 $135,155 Fundraising Expense $80,802 $75,651 $68,069 Payments to Affiliates Total Revenue/Total Expenses Program Expense/Total Expenses 87% 86% 86% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 10% 9% 9% Assets and Liabilities Fiscal Year Total Assets $1,025,745 $976,378 $790,127 Current Assets $860,949 $784,828 $624,326 Long-Term Liabilities $30,000 $30,000 $30,000 Current Liabilities $106,922 $134,258 $108,435 Total Net Assets $888,823 $812,120 $651,692 Short Term Solvency Fiscal Year Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency Fiscal Year Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 3% 3% 4% Top Funding Sources Fiscal Year Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? No Comments CEO Comments In recent years Bikes Not Bombs has upgraded it financial management and human resources systems, and implemented new staffing structures while retaining its culture of collaboration and transparency. An experienced bookkeeper and a senior accounting specialist have upgraded and implemented highly professional accounting systems. These systems are being maintained and BNB is able to manage and control its finances with a high degree of accuracy. The staffing structure which continues to be very flat, now include program directors who provide supervision to other staff and monitor program expenses. alignment of staff and financial resources with BNB s strategic goals and guiding principles. Utilizing sound management and retail practices, the Bike Shop has developed in recent years to not only serve as a training ground for artisan level bicycle mechanics but also generate revenue to underwrite operating costs and program expense. 13

14 A primary challenge to Bikes Not Bombs in the coming years to grow capacity. This includes continuing to evolve its funding and HR/staffing strategies, and continue to develop the board so that it represents BNB s constituency and includes persons with the key skills and experience in funding, governance and strategic oversight. Foundation Staff Comments Financial summary data in the charts and graphs above is per the organization's Form 990 for FY15 and per the audited financials for FY14 and FY13. Contributions from foundations and corporations are listed under individuals as the breakdown was not available. Created Copyright 2018 The Boston Foundation 14