NEWS RELEASE 12/19/2011
Contact: Caeli Quinn, Co-Founder and Director, Climate Ride, 406.871.5477, [email protected]
CLIMATE RIDE GRANTS MORE THAN $300,000 TO 25 ORGANIZATIONS
Climate Ride Expands Green Grant Program by 262% over 2010;
New Structure Benefits the Most Influential Environmental and Bicycle-related Nonprofits
MISSOULA, MT – December 19, 2011: Climate Ride, the national bike ride for sustainable solutions, has announced that it will grant $300,031 to 25 nonprofit beneficiary organizations this week. The funds were raised during two cycling events in 2011 – Climate Ride NYC-DC last May and Climate Ride California last October. In all, 217 cyclists pedaled more than 620 miles to raise awareness of sustainability, renewable energy, climate solutions, and bicycle advocacy.
“We’re very proud to reach this threshold of $300,000 in grants for the year because it represents a 262% increase over last year’s grants, without an increase in staff costs, which means we worked harder and smarter this year,” said Caeli Quinn, Co-Founder and Director of Climate Ride. “I think this metric showcases not only how fast the Climate Ride organization is growing, but also demonstrates how important these issues are to Americans. Climate Ride has truly become a hub of the sustainability movement, and our inspiring annual events showcase the bicycle as the focus of a sustainable future.”
The grants for 2011 will be awarded to 25 national and local organizations, and range from $1,291 to $34,265. The grant amounts vary because participants are allowed to direct their specific fundraising dollars to a list of pre-approved nonprofits. Earlier this year, Climate Ride announced a significant change to its beneficiary structure, which now allows participants to direct their event fundraising to organizations of their choice, as long as the organization meets the beneficiary requirements set forth by the Climate Ride Board of Directors. The change allowed 25 organizations related to sustainability, renewable energy, climate and bicycle advocacy to receive funding from Climate Ride events in 2011.
“This grant from Climate Ride is welcome news after the recent mixed bag of the COP17 talks in Durban, but more importantly, it’s proof that Americans care deeply about these issues,” said Phil Aroneanu, U.S. Campaign Director and Co-Founder of 350.org, one of the Climate Ride beneficiaries. “Climate Ride is important because it creates an inspiring community of like-minded people who are passionate about what’s happening to the environment. As a Climate Rider myself, I know what it means to put the wheel to the road, and cycle 300 miles for something I’m strongly committed to. Ultimately, this funding from Climate Ride will help 350.org advance our mission of building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis.”
Climate Ride added 22 beneficiary organizations in 2011, and expects to add up to 20 more organizations for 2012. Nonprofits that will receive the 2011 grants include: 350.org, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Green America, 1% for the Planet, Transportation Alternatives, Washington Area Bicycle Association, Climate Counts, Bike Sonoma, East Bay Bicycle Coalition, Acterra, Solar Living Institute, League of American Bicyclists, Walk San Francisco, Environmental Working Group, Alliance for Climate Education, Climate Protection Campaign, Active Transportation Alliance, International Green Industry Hall of Fame, Sierra Club California, Grist, Alliance for Biking and Walking, Save our Snow, and Renewable Energy Long Island.
“As a new beneficiary of Climate Ride, we’re delighted that we participated in this unique, inspiring event, while raising funds to support our programs,” said Peter Lehner, Executive Director of Natural Resources Defense Council, another beneficiary organization. “The environmental challenges we face today are enormous, and so are the opportunities to solve them. We’ve worked for decades to give communities less polluting transportation alternatives, especially biking, that can reduce our dependence on oil while creating more livable spaces. We’ve recently increased our capacity to work on these issues, and our new partnership with Climate Ride as a beneficiary will help to make us even more effective.”
2012 Ride Events
From May 19-23, 2012, Climate Ride returns to the East Coast with its fourth annual Climate Ride NYC-DC 2012 event from the heart of New York City to the steps of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Registration is open to 150 cyclists who will raise money for the green organization of their choice (pending Climate Ride approval), and then set out on a 5-day, 300-mile journey and ‘green conference on wheels’ through four states and the District of Columbia to take their message of a new energy future to Washington.
Then, from September 9-13, 2012, the epic Climate Ride California will return for its third year and will see 150 Climate Riders pedal more than 320 miles in 5 days. The California ride begins under towering redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, before turning west toward the coast for two full days of some of the most scenic cycling in America. After a quick spin through the Russian River Wine Country, Climate Riders pedal across the Golden Gate Bridge to finish at a rally at City Hall in San Francisco.
About Climate Ride
Climate Ride was founded to inspire and empower citizens to work toward a new energy future. Climate Ride events raise money for a collection of innovative organizations including 350.org, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Green America, Climate Counts, 1% for the Planet, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, and Transportation Alternatives.