Riders often fundraise above and beyond the required minimum because they are so passionate about our mission of using the bicycle as a vehicle for social change. Set your goals high and earn unique prizes!

Most of our riders create an online fundraising page, which they send to friends and family and post on social media. We'll help you along the way!

How does fundraising for the Bike-A-Thon work?

• Riders create individual fundraising pages on the Bike-A-Thon fundraising platform so that people can “sponsor” them by donating directly to their profile. If a rider is on a fundraising team, then the donations will also be reflected on the team’s fundraising page.

• Riders spread the word about fundraising for the 2023 Bike-A-Thon by emailing their friends and family and posting on social media. People interested in donating then use the online portal to donate directly to your profile. 

• The majority of donations are made online, but some riders will receive donations via cash or check. These will be added to the rider’s donation page and counted towards their fundraising goals - please see below for details on how we process these donations under: "What if I receive donations in the form of cash or checks?"

Can I fundraise with other riders?

Yes! Many of our riders form teams to fundraise and ride together in the Bike-A-Thon. You can view more information on teams here.

How do I make or edit my personal fundraising page?

If you haven't already done so, update your personal fundraising page so that people can sponsor your ride online!  Remember that if you are fundraising as a team, then the person who registered the group should make the team page which you will all use.

A personal fundraising page is automatically created for you when you register and you get to customize it with photos and text. Once you have registered, you will receive a link in an email to get started on customizing your fundraising page and to share with your networks.

Comprehensive step by step instructions on how to create and manage your fundraising page will be emailed to you upon registration as a PDF, and will always accessible under "Resources" when you login to your fundraising portal.

Some tips for designing your page

• Write on your page about why you support Bikes Not Bombs as well as something personable about you so that people will feel connected to your ride.

• Add some pictures! Upload a photo of yourself, your bike, or a memorable bike ride! You can drag and drop photos right into the editing box and can create a slideshow if desired.

How can I meet my fundraising minimum?

Our riders are able to easily meet their fundraising minimum ($250 for adults 18 and older, $100 for youth ages 12-17, $50 for youth under 12). Try these tips!

• Create your personal fundraising page online so people can easily sponsor your ride.

• Send an email to all your friends and family asking them to sponsor you. Just go to your fundraising dashboard or My Fundraising Tools and select Share Event. You can create a list of people to email. In the email, you will include a link to your fundraising page. Refer to the Participant Guide for detailed instructions, including sharing your event via social media.

• Add a snippet of text to your email signature announcing your Bike-A-Thon ride and providing a link to your personal fundraising page.

• Check to see if your employer will match tax-deductible donations that you make. Let us know what support you need for company matches!

• Post regular status updates about your Bike-A-Thon ride to your Facebook or other social networking site using #BAT2023.

• Go knock on your neighbors' doors and show your excitement for Bikes Not Bombs and your Bike-A-Thon ride!

How do I see who has sponsored my ride?

Log into your account. In your fundraising dashboard, simply click on My Donations. There will be a running list of everyone who has made a donation, even if they have chosen to be anonymous on your fundraising page.

Can I receive donations in the form of cash or check? What about company matches (aka matching gifts)?

Yes you can! These are called “offline donations” and require a couple extra steps. An important note: All checks should be made out to "Bikes Not Bombs." Please write BAT2023 and your name in the check memo so we can make sure it is credited to your ride.

What are offline donations?

Offline donations are donations made via cash, check, or through a company match. Any donations made “offline” need to be added to your fundraising profile on the Bike-A-Thon website. These donations get added to your fundraising totals once you enter them into the online fundraising platform, where you label them as cash, check, or company match. Please note that offline donations are labeled unverified until Bikes Not Bombs actually receives the donation.

What does unverified mean?

When you enter a donation made “offline” - cash, check, or a company match - then the donation is listed as “unverified” until Bikes Not Bombs receives it. This means that Bikes Not Bombs hasn’t received the actual donation yet - such as the physical cash or checks you collected, or the matching gift that will be sent by a company. Once Bikes Not Bombs receives the donation, we will verify the donation.  Company match donations are usually sent directly to us and we verify them. 

How do I get my donations verified?

When you receive an offline donation, make sure you accurately enter the donation information. Keep track of any cash or checks that you receive - some participants have found it handy to keep a written or digital list for this purpose. The next step is to get the cash and checks to Bikes Not Bombs. You can mail checks or cash to Bikes Not Bombs at 284 Amory St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 and we will verify your offline donations once we receive them. Remember to write BAT2023 and your name in the check memo so that we can make sure it is credited to your ride. 

We strongly encourage riders to send cash or checks in ahead of time, if possible, to ensure a faster registration process on the day of the Bike-A-Thon. You may also choose to arrive an extra 30 to 45 minutes early to the Bike-A-Thon so that we can verify them for you on site, but please be advised that this slows down the ride check-in process and requires extra time.

Getting More Help

If you didn’t find the answer to your question or would like more information, check out the resources in your fundraising platform to view a detailed participant guide, fundraising tips, and our guide for adding offline donations. 

If you have more questions, please contact Julia Karr at julia@bikesnotbombs.org