If you’re wondering what The Alliance for Biking and Walking is all about, Susie Stephens in the above video gives a good explanation, along with a brief history of the organization — and conveys its spirit with a song! The Alliance’s mission is to help local advocacy organizations become more effective. Help your organization become more effective by attending the Winning Campaigns Training at our Fall Retreat, Nov. 13-15.

Susie died in 2003, but her spirit lives on in the work of the Alliance (formerly known as the Thunderhead Alliance), especially in cities like Victoria, BC. Victoria has the highest bike modeshare of any sizable city in North America, surpassing even Portland OR. Susie will be honored there with a tree planting ceremony this Monday, Oct. 26. Below is an email about the event, with more about Susie, from Victoria bike-ped advocate John Luton. This was posted to The Alliance mailing list: [continue reading…]

Winning Campaigns© Trainings are for leaders of grassroots bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations: board members, staff, and super volunteers.

This fall, the Alliance for Biking and Walking is partnering with the Virginia Bicycling Federation to bring their signature Winning Campaigns© Training to Richmond, VA. Join your fellow bicycle and pedestrian advocacy leaders to learn from expert coaches and each other through the Alliance’s proven curriculum on choosing, directing, and winning campaigns to increase bicycling and walking. After three days of fun and inspiring work with the country’s leading experts in advocacy, you’ll come away with the tools and confidence to not only advocate for improvements, but win them!

You’ll learn how to:

• Choose the right issue;
• Set realistic but visionary goals, choose the best strategies and tactics, and stick to timelines;
• Map out the power structure in your community, support and leverage allies, neutralize and convert enemies!
• Communicate effectively, reaching the right audience with the right message through the right media, …and
• Raise money, to strengthen your organization for the next bigger victory!
• In the end, you’ll have a detailed campaign blueprint that will assure a victorious campaign and set up your organization for greater victories in the future.

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Racers from Richmond Pro Cycling visit a school

A professional cycling team based in Richmond, Virginia has taken a new approach to professional level racing. Founded in 2008 by Craig Dodson, Richmond Pro Cycling (RPC) is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. Their mission is to race competitively at the professional level, but do more than win races.  Dodson hopes that cycling can change lives.

During the race season, the team competes across the United States. But between races and a rigorous training calendar, Dodson demands much more than time in the saddle. Each of his racers, all in their twenties, are required to work toward three key goals.

“First is education. Each member has to be working on a four-year degree.” said Dodson.  His undergraduate riders maintain a 3.4 grade point average.  “Second, each has to give around 150 hours of community service. Third, each must race at a professional level.” [continue reading…]

Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Is Hiring two State Network Managers to Work from Home

The non-profit Bikes Belong Foundation seeks two organized, enthusiastic, and motivated professionals with proven management and statewide policy change experience to work as state network managers for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership, a network of more than 400 organizations that are working to make it safer and easier for children to walk and bicycle to schools.

Each state network manager will be responsible for managing and providing technical assistance to contracted state network organizers in 8 to 10 states to bring together state-level stakeholders to research policies and develop and implement a state-level action plan that will increase safe physical activity for children through walking and bicycling to school. The project will help to reverse childhood obesity by assisting states with spending federal Safe Routes to School funds on good projects, leveraging additional funds to improve the built environment, and changing policies to remove barriers to walking and bicycling to school. Some of the policies that state networks will improve include: complete streets, school siting and joint-use policies, school wellness policies, preventing crime, and ensuring that funds serve low-income communities. The full job description is available at [continue reading…]