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How to Join

Becoming a Trips for Kids chapter is simple. We will sign a trademark agreement with you at no charge. The agreement says that we will let you use our name and our logo as long as you adhere to our mission statement. We understand that the way you run your program may differ from ours based on the needs of your community and resources that you have access to. Our main goal is to get kids out on bikes and to introduce them to another perspective of the world. There are three main steps:

Mission Statement

Trips For Kids® is a non-profit that provides mountain bike outings and environmental education for kids who would not otherwise be exposed to such activities. At our outings, we teach lessons in personal responsibility, achievement and environmental awareness through the simple act of having fun.

Application Process

Before we can sign the Trademark Agreement with you, you will need to send us the following information. We must submit these items to the Trips for Kids' board of directors for approval.

  1. Proof of nonprofit 501(c)(3) status. (See below for more information.)
  2. A business plan (written outline) of your proposal for the Trips for Kids program that describes;
    • why do you want to become a Trips for Kids chapter;
    • how you plan to organize rides (i.e., will you be doing one-time day trips or longer programs);
    • your plan for getting kids on your rides;
    • how many kids you hope to serve each year;
    • the demographics of the population you will serve (i.e., race, age and socio-economic status);
    • what other programs you plan to develop in the future (i.e., wrench-a-bike, Re-Cyclery, mobile programs);
    • where you will look for funding; and
    • a tentative budget
  3. A list of your Board of Directors that states their names, professional affiliations and contact information.
  4. Three letters of professional reference that provide complete contact information (postal address, phone number and email address).
  5. Proof of current Liability Insurance of at least $1,000,000 plus proof that Trips for Kids Marin is listed as an additional insured to your policy. (See below for more information.)
  6. A brief description of the qualifications of your staff and volunteers.
  7. A copy of the trademark agreement signed by you or your sponsoring agency. Please call us before you fill it out.

The following are additional requirements for those who are developing Trips for Kids chapters as programs of other organizations (i.e., the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs).

  1. A written statement covering the purpose and history of your organization, including mission statement and goals.
  2. A written statement describing current programs offered by your organization. Do you currently have any type of cycling program?
  3. Brochure or newsletter from your organization.
  4. List of funders for the past two years.
  5. Organizational budget.

When we have received all of the above items we will sign the trademark agreement with you. We have found that the two biggest challenges/concerns about starting your own organization involve getting non-profit status and insurance. Keep in mind that our job here at Trips for Kids National is to help you get over these obstacles and answer any questions that you might have. It's best to work on these items in the order in which they are listed above.

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Applying for Non-profit Status

To obtain non-profit status with the IRS you first need to incorporate. The process of incorporation differs from state to state. For example, some states require that you get your Employee Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS before incorporating. Other states allow you to incorporate and then apply for your EIN. In any event, after you are established as a corporation in your state, you can apply to the federal government for non-profit, 501(c)3, status.

The following describes the basic steps to forming a non-profit organization and obtaining tax exempt status. (For more detailed information, check out the Nolo Press book How to Form a Non-Profit Corporation, by Anthony Mancuso. Good on-line resources include About.com's How to Start a Non-Profit and the Internet Nonprofit Center.)

  1. Check out www.form1023help.com.
  2. Review the article Ten Common Mistakes of a 501c3 Non-Profit startup.
  3. Call or write Trips for Kids National to discuss the proposed name for your chapter. The name should be Trips for Kids {the name of your geographic region} (i.e., Trips for Kids Boston, Trips for Kids Denver, etc.).
  4. Call your Secretary of State Office to check for availability of your proposed name. If there is already a Trips for Kids chapter in your state, your application will need to include a letter from that chapter saying that it is okay for you to secure another TFK name. We can help you get that letter.
  5. Write and file Articles of Incorporation with your Secretary of State. Your Secretary of State's website probably has sample Articles of Incorporation, but feel free to borrow from this example from the Trips for Kids chapter in North Carolina. Note: Articles of Incorporation are difficult to amend and should be written in general terms.
  6. Write bylaws (click here for an example) that address the following issues:
    • Membership
    • Board of Directors
    • Fiscal Management
    • Amendments
  7. Submit your application for tax exempt status to the Internal Revenue Service. Publication 557 provides a complete discussion of the rules and procedures to obtain exemption from federal income tax, but in general you need only complete and submit the following forms all of which are available from the IRS website or by calling the IRS on 877-829-5500.
    • Form SS-4. Application for an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
    • Form 1023. Application for Recognition of Exemption under 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. (Note: We can provide you a copy of a completed 1023 application that you can follow. Just give us a call.)
    • Form 8718. User Fee for Exempt Organization Determination Letter Request. (Note: This page lists other forms as well.)
    Keep in mind that it can take the IRS several months to respond to your application.

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Affiliating with an Existing Organization

You may want to consider finding an existing organization (i.e., YMCA, Boy's and Girls Club) to "sponsor" your program. The sponsoring organization will sign the trademark agreement and will need to provide proof of adequate insurance (including Trips for Kids Marin as an added insured on their policy.) This process may be faster and less expensive than forming your own non-profit, but keep in mind that Trips for Kids will be their organization, not yours.

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Providing Proof of Insurance

If you are not affiliating with an existing organization that already has an insurance policy you will need to get your own liability insurance. As a Trips for Kids chapter, you automatically are an IMBA affiliated club and can apply for insurance through IMBA's insurer: McKay Insurance Agency. Please let McKay Insurance Agency know that you are a prospective Trips for Kids chapter when you contact them for more information. Our IMBA membership number is 48023.

Note: McKay Insurance Agency offers liability insurance only. This is the minimum that Trips for Kids requires. It is your responsibility to make sure that the policy works for you and your organization. While the policy might be fine for a first year program, moving forward you may want to consider property, directors and officers and sexual molestation insurance, in addition to the liability coverage.

Regardless of which firm you insure with, we require at least a $1 million liability policy. Furthermore, we require that you list Trips for Kids Marin as an additional insured on your policy. Please have your insurance company send us an additional insured certificate with our organization listed as follows:

Trips for Kids Marin
610 4th Street
San Rafael, CA 94901

Finally, as you plan your programs, remember that as a Trips For Kids chapter you should at a minimum provide the following services: mountain bike outings and/or environmental educational activities. If you plan to offer any other sports activities, you will need to check with your insurance provider to make sure those activities are covered by your liability policy. We urge you to ensure that you have sufficient liability for any and all activities that you offer to children and the public, and we require that all Trips for Kids activities are conducted with adequate coverage.

If you have any questions at all, please contact us. We are happy to work with you on a case by case basis to ensure that your program meets the needs of your community.

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