Funding Ideas for Bicycle Program at Behavioral Health Program

Hello everyone,

I work at a day treatment program in the suburbs where we treat individuals who are dually diagnosed with a developmental disability and severe mental illness. We are looking to start up a bicycle program and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or suggestions for resources, funding, donations etc. to help us get it started?

The program would include teaching the clients to ride, repair, care for, and generally utilize bicycles as a means of exercise, transportation, and mindfulness-based/recreation therapy.  Many of the clients have never ridden a bicycle yet have expressed a desire to learn.  Obesity, diabetes, and a general lack of physical activity are a substantial problem with this particular population and a bicycle program would provide them with an opportunity to learn new skills and practice healthy behaviors. The center is located in a rural area outside of the city, very close to a few really great bike trails.

The trails nearby are gravel so cross terrain or hybrid bikes would be optimal.  The program serves approximately 40 clients, with a wide range in height and weight.  We are looking to get approximately 6 bicycles, essential gear like helmets, bicycle pump, repair kit, etc. but also a decent tool kit, repair stand, bicycle repair book, and other essentials so that we can teach the clients bicycle repair and maintain them without too much (if any) outside assistance.

Does anyone have any advice, resources, ideas, or anything on how we might go about getting either the materials themselves or the funding for the materials?

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Permalink Reply by Davo on June 12, 2013 at 10:45am

Perhaps "Working Bikes" would be a good resource

Permalink Reply by Ben Gray on June 12, 2013 at 1:13pm

Hi Caroline,

I work in development for non-profits and can pass on a little information that might be helpful. There are several foundations that focus on supporting programming for the developmentally disabled. The ones I'm familiar with tend to fund programs that have an element of direct service - teaching jobs skills, providing housing, etc. What you are proposing could fit with the foundations that encourage self-sufficiency through the teaching of job/life skills. The Coleman Foundation is one that pops into my head right away. There are certainly others.

A good resource for finding potential funders is the Donors Forum. It's a membership organization that provides educational and research tools. There is a fee for the membership, but you can access their library downtown for free. Here's a link: http://www.donorsforum.org/s_donorsforum/index.asp

Good luck. It sounds like a great program.

Permalink Reply by SlowCoachOnTheRoad on June 12, 2013 at 1:27pm

I am sure there are grants out there that could cover basic costs, since this is clearly not going to be a very expensive program, if it uses existing staff - in fact beside the cost of the bicycles and accessories this should be really cheap.  I would imagine that bike repair would be a bit challenging for the average client with a developmental disability, at least one with intellectual disability, perhaps less so for autistic clients of average intelligence.   Autism Speaks is the biggest local organization for autism - maybe they could organize a fund raiser?  Grants, however, would require outcome measures.  I would focus less on the repair aspect and more on just the exercise aspect - for obese clients biking could make a big difference in their health.  Also, you'll need to figure out location of program.  If these are DD clients who already struggle with finding themselves around in the neighborhood you will need to structure this so they all go out somewhere together - if a large group is too much to handle you might have to work with just a small number at a time.  Look at how successful Special Olympics is - and it generates such pride in accomplishment, as the biking program should if you organize it with appropriate incentives (as losing weight will not be a viable one for the clients in the short term).  Hey, there might even be Special Olympics biking events they could train for.  Individuals who are not DD but suffer from chronic mental illness might also be difficult to work with around repair - again, I would just in the short term focus on the habit, just as they must learn the habits of daily hygiene, for instance.  Exercise like biking would probably reduce symptoms as like many  other activities for that population they produce feelings of self-efficacy, participation in the community, and distract from psychotic symptoms or depressive ruminations. 

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