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Advocacy Advance is offering $25,000 in Capacity Building Grants this year to member organizations of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and League of American Bicyclists.

Capacity Building Grants support the development and professionalization of state and local advocacy organizations to increase rates of biking and walking. These matching grants, funded by Planet Bike, can be used for organizational development, hiring staff, building membership, and for other organizational tools to foster a sustainable advocacy organization. Inquiry applications are available online and are due by March 9.

In addition, Advocacy Advance is pleased to offer $35,000 of Rapid Response Grants in 2012 to help state and local organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

Read more on the Advocacy Advance website.

This year, Advocacy Advance received $1.3 million in grant proposal requests for $100,000 available funds. It was difficult to have to turn down so many innovative and energizing campaign proposals from strong advocacy organizations around the country, and we strive to keep you updated on other grant opportunities. The Bikes Belong Community Partnership Grants is one of these opportunities.

The Bikes Belong Grant Program is aimed at providing funding to facility projects such as bike trails, lanes, paths and parks, and advocacy projects that promote bicycling or that increase funding and support for bike infrastructure.

The Community Partnership Grants are designed to foster and support partnerships between city or county governments, non-profit organizations, and local businesses to improve the environment for bicycling in the community.  Grants will primarily fund the construction or expansion of bicycle facilities such as bike lanes, trails, and paths. The grants committee will also consider advocacy projects that promote bicycling as a safe and accessible mode of transportation.

The application deadline is August 26, 2011.  For more information, visit the Bikes Belong website, and good luck!

In line with a goal to double federal funding for biking and walking, Advocacy Advance is awarding more than $100,000 in direct grants to four organizations.

Using the grants to tap into federal funding streams and build their political influence, recipients will work to triple bicycle mode share in Atlanta, Ga., dramatically improve infrastructure in Pittsburgh, Pa., empower Latino cyclists in Los Angeles, Calif., and create a new model to win state dollars in Delaware.

Since 2009, Advocacy Advance—a partnership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists—has awarded more than $500,000 in direct grants to 25 state and local advocacy organizations. This year, more than 60 applications with proposals totaling more than $1.3 million were received in the two grant categories: Model Grants and Capacity Building Grants.

Model Grants provide multi-year support for efforts that significantly increase federal investment for biking and walking. Capacity Building Grants catalyze the growth of advocacy organizations. Based on the organizations’ successful track records and innovative strategies, 2011 grants will be awarded to Bike Delaware, Bike Pittsburgh, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.

“We are excited to support these grantees, as they help lead the way towards a more equitable and rational use of limited federal transportation funds, especially as the lessons we learn will be applicable to accessing state and local funds,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists.

“Receiving this Model Grant is a testament to the decade of work we’ve poured into building strong relationships with key city, county, regional, and state transportation officials - and winning the cultural battle that bikes belong in the transportation mix,” Scott Bricker, Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh, said. “Now it’s time to identify and fund specific projects that will keep bike riders safer and result in more people bicycling.”

Advocacy Advance Grants are made possible thanks to generous funding from SRAM and Planet Bike.

2011 Model Grants

Bike Pittsburgh
Receiving the largest grant ever awarded through the Advocacy Advance program, Bike Pittsburgh will use $40,000 per year, for three years, to leverage partnerships, identify key bicycle and pedestrian projects and get them funded. Advocates will work closely with the City of Pittsburgh on MOVEPGH - Pittsburgh’s first comprehensive transportation plan - to ensure the plan includes recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects that are eligible for federal funding. Advocates will also work with county officials to get projects in surrounding municipalities in the queue for federal funding.

Atlanta Bicycle Coalition
The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC) will receive $35,000 per year, for three years, to double federal spending on bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs in the Atlanta region, and triple the bicycle mode share from 1 to 3 percent. To meet these ambitious goals, ABC will hire additional staff and work with the local metropolitan planning organizations, and the Georgia Department of Transportation, to tap into two federal funding streams currently underutilized for bicycle and pedestrian projects - the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program and the Highway Safety Improvement Program.

2011 Capacity Building Grants

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) will receive a $15,000 matching grant to hire a dedicated bilingual education/outreach staff member to empower Spanish-speaking residents who lack access to bike safety and advocacy tools, and build political power for improved bicycling in L.A. by better including populations of color.

Bike Delaware
Bike Delaware advocates recently won $5 million in new dedicated funding for bicycling in Delaware in 2012 - more money than the state has ever allocated in the past. A $10,000 matching grant will help Bike Delaware create a national model to increase state bicycle and pedestrian funding by creating an action plan for state bicyclists, advocating legislation, monitoring and communicating with DelDOT, and tracking progress.

In addition, Advocacy Advance will grant $25,000 in Rapid Response Grants throughout the year to help state and local organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

Learn more about Advocacy Advance at AdvocacyAdvance.org.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced the Community Transformation Grants program. Through these grants, created by the Affordable Care Act, $100 million is available to state and local agencies, nonprofits, national networks of community-based organizations, and Indian tribes.

Read more and access information for the May 25 conference calls on the Advocacy Advance blog.

By Brighid O’Keane, Advocacy Advance Program Manager

Advocacy Advance is pleased to announce that the 2011 grant cycle is now open.

This partnership between the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, funded by SRAM, has awarded more than $500,000 in grants and scholarships to Alliance member organizations since 2009. In addition to grants, the Advocacy Advance team provides necessary resources, technical assistance, coaching, and training to bike/ped advocacy organizations around the country.

The third year of Advocacy Advance brings a new focus to the grant program. A total of $125,000 in awards will go towards organizations with campaigns aimed at maximizing federal transportation spending on biking and walking at the state, regional, and local levels.

Inquiry forms are now accepted for the Model and Capacity Building Grants. In addition, Rapid Response Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis for organizations met with unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. Visit our website to learn more about the grant goals, timeline, and application process.

If you have any questions about the Advocacy Advance partnership or the 2011 grants, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and we will happily assist you in your application.

With $103,000 in direct funding, the Alliance for Biking & Walking is galvanizing state and local bicycle and pedestrian organizations with its latest award of Advocacy Advance Grants. After a highly competitive selection process, the Alliance has chosen four organizations that are strategically poised to increase biking and walking in their regions and advance innovative campaigns that can be replicated in communities across the country.

“This round of Advocacy Advance Grant recipients spans the spectrum,” Jeffrey Miller, Alliance President / CEO, says. “From rural to urban communities, from the coast to the Heartland, the organizations will leverage these dollars to propel dramatic progress in their communities. The insight these advocates gain will not only enhance their individual organizational capacity, but build a stronger, more effective national movement.”

In the Startup/Capacity category, a $30,000 matching grant will build and re-energize the California Bicycle Coalition, providing a vital push for biking and walking in a state that not only boasts the largest population but also acts as a bellwether for the rest of the country. The Missouri Foundation for Bicycling and Walking will also use a $30,000 Startup/Capacity matching grant to establish a new Kansas City-based advocacy organization that will, among other campaigns, work to link the nation’s longest rail-trail to Missouri’s largest urban center.

In the Innovation category, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine will receive an $18,000 grant for a rural outreach effort and the Livable Memphis initiative will utilize a $25,000 grant for a creative trail campaign that incorporates local art and connects underserved communities.

Brent Hugh, executive director of the Missouri Foundation for Bicycling and Walking, said his organization is excited to utilize the Advocacy Advance Grant to organize and energize the Kansas City region. “It’s going to help us move Kansas City and Missouri light years forward in our bicycle and pedestrian advocacy,” Hugh says. “We’ll be able to create a new organization dedicated to bicycle and pedestrian advocacy in the Kansas City region and work on key projects like extending the Katy Trail to the heart of the metro area and helping area communities become Bicycle Friendly Communities.”

Since the program’s inception in 2009, the Alliance has infused state and local advocacy organizations with more than $500,000 in direct funding, scholarships and technical assistance. With the aid of the Advocacy Advance Grants, 24 local and state organizations have hired key staff, drastically grown their membership, and won critical campaigns that advance biking and walking in their communities.

The latest round of funding includes the following recipients and projects:

California Bicycle Coalition Education Fund

The California Bicycle Coalition Education Fund will receive a $30,000 matching Startup/Capacity Grant to reenergize CBCEF and aid in the hiring of a new Executive Director. The new Executive Director will work to create and lead a traffic justice campaign; advocate for a high-speed rail system with on-board bicycle accommodations and secure bike parking; and develop a statewide recreational bicycle route to promote bicycle tourism.

Missouri Foundation for Bicycling and Walking

The Missouri Foundation for Bicycling and Walking will receive a $30,000 matching Startup/Capacity Grant to create a Kansas City metro area bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization. The new subsidiary will work to extend the Katy Trail; secure the designation of five Bicycle Friendly Communities in the Kansas City metro region; and achieve a coordinated regional funding system for trails and bike routes.

Livable Memphis

The Community Development Council of Greater Memphis’ Livable Memphis Program will receive a $25,000 Innovation Grant to create a 1.7 mile bike-walk artway - a combination of on-road bicycle facilities and in-park greenway that completes the trail connection between two key areas of the City of Memphis. The project will increase advocacy for public investments in bicycle infrastructure, unite isolated, low-income neighborhoods with public amenities, and exemplify how street re-programming increases pedestrian traffic.

Bicycle Coalition of Maine

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine will receive an $18,000 Innovation Grant for its Community Spokes Program, which leverages the expertise of BCM staff, board members and local relationships of rural citizen advocates to generate improvements in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and policy statewide. This project will serve as a model for rural communities that face challenges with advocacy capacity, bicycle funding and infrastructure.

The Advocacy Advance program is made possible by leadership funding from SRAM and generous support from Bikes Belong and Planet Bike. Read more at http://www.AdvocacyAdvance.org

The Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN) is partnering with other nonprofits and BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota’s Active Living Program to build a coalition to pass a statewide Complete Streets policy during the 2010 legislative session. BikeMN’s participation in the coalition is funded in part by an Advocacy Advance Grant from the Alliance for Biking & Walking. This will be a great opportunity for BikeMN to significantly increase its membership and train a network of bicycle advocates ready to influence future issues and campaigns at the state and local level.

For more information contact Dorian Grilley at www.bikemn.org.