Below, you'll find information on using the TFK network, running better trips, recruiting and training volunteers, lining up kids to take on your ride, making your office run more smoothly, improving your planning, running your non-profit effectively and efficiently, and what other programs are doing.

Using Your TFK Network

When you have questions or problems, there's a good chance another TFK chapter has tackled the same issue. Use the TFK listserve or find other chapter leaders through the Find a Chapter page and discover how others have devised solutions. When you post a question or comment to the TFK listserve, most chapter leaders will receive an email alert. To join the TFK listserve send an email to tfknatl-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Running Better Trips

One of the main goals of Trips For Kids^® is to have kids experience the fun, excitement and control associated with riding a mountain bike. But taking kids out on rides, and ensuring that everyone stays safe AND has a good time, isn't as easy as it might sound.

For ideas to help you get your trips started on the right foot and guarantee that they keep rolling, check out:

• The How-To Manual produced by TFK Marin
• A Ride Leader Manual from TFK Biddeford is a designed for street riding but is quite excellent
• A detailed ride agenda from TFK Seattle
• A how-to document on teaching bike safety and skills to kids from TFK Marin
• TFK Marin's Environmental Education and Nutrition and Fitness Education scripts as well as evaluation forms to determine what the kids have learned (nutrition, environment-1, environment-2, environment-3)
• TFK Marin's agency evaluation form
• An Emergency action plan for each ride and emergency action plan summary for leaders and volunteers, from TFK Vancouver
• Medical Kit Checklist (Excel Spreadsheet) from TFK Biddeford
• Use the Wild Willy cartoons to teach IMBA Rules of the Trail to the kids (in addition to the PPT, you can download the individual JPGs: cover, p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, credits)
• A presentation that shows kids that cycling is cool produced by TFK Metro DC
• A compilation of environmental and bike games to play with kids while on rides
• Contracts for both volunteers and kids from TFK Project Transformation
• An employee handbook from TFK Vancouver
• A Volunteer Tip Sheet for volunteers from TFK Metro DC
• A self esteem training course produced by Bruce Coffman formerly with TFK Kansas City (now closed)
• Forms to keep track of the use and maintenance of your bicycles from TFK Twin Cities
• Tool Kit Checklist (Excel Spreadsheet) from TFK Biddeford

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Recruiting & Retaining Volunteers

Build Your Contact List
Network! Connect with the cycling community. Contact: Bike clubs, racing teams (youth and adult), bike shops, bike events and expos, breweries, coffee houses, people on the trails, local schools, athletic departments, community service programs, mountain bike clubs/teams, universities and colleges — internships and work study programs, local police organizations (be sure to mention our partnership with the Police Activities League), volunteer groups (e.g., Rotary Clubs), volunteer networks, AmeriCorps, and individuals seeking community service hours.

You should also connect with any of our national sponsors located within 50 miles, particularly REI stores, and check with a company's community service or volunteer department. Some big corporations give employees paid time off to volunteer. Get companies to sponsor rides.

You can also find potential volunteers online by registering with:

• www.idealist.com
• www.craigslist.org
• www.helping.org
• www.servenet.org
• www.usafreedomcorp.gov
• www.volunteermatch.org
• www.volunteersolutions.org
• www.aarp.org
• listserves for local groups

Develop Your Message
As you're building your list of potential volunteers, you need to have something to ask them. TFK Marin has had tremendous success sending out an email to ask for volunteers that includes an outreach brochure. Like TFK Marin, you might also want to invest in creating a special volunteer portal on your website.

Use Local Media
Write press releases announcing what you do and send the release to local newspapers, magazines, bike club newsletters, radio stations, and web listings, write your own article (or get a volunteer to write one) for local publications, or run ads in local newspapers — these may be free or at a discount or holiday rate for nonprofits.

Keep Them Coming Back
Communicate clearly, send all volunteers a monthly calendar of events via email noting which dates you need volunteers, give them an orientation and volunteer packet (see the last bullet point under "Running Better Trips", above), send them regular updates and newsletters (you can post it on local forums or drop it off at local biker hangouts (coffee shops, bike shops, etc.), and show respect - give them a job description and ask them to sign a letter of commitment. Recognize and keep track of the hours they work for you. Give them different tasks, listen to their suggestions, and be grateful!

Show volunteer appreciation: put on a volunteer appreciation ride or party, give thank you gifts (inexpensive or donated items), list them in your newsletter, or send a simple personal thank you card.

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Line up the Kids
Recruiting Agencies & Securing Their Commitment

Partner with Local Youth Agencies

Cold-call local youth agencies, schools, and government agencies, contact your local volunteer center and county social service agency for a list of community groups that serve low-income youth, write the agencies to tell them about the service you provide, follow up with a phone call, then organize a group of kids to go on a bike ride.

Another idea is to find a partner organization which does something similar (e.g., hiking, snowsports, etc.) and partner with them to refer youth agencies back and forth.

Note: If you want to work with kids who are not part of an agency, do a "community" ride, or let individual kids join a scheduled ride.

Ensure Agencies and Kids Show Up

Communicate clearly with agencies — use a checklist, talk to them several times before the event, schedule a pre-agency visit, invite kids to do trail maintenance to form a relationship. Help them realize their ride is special, and if appropriate, make sure to have bi-lingual literature.

Make Sure Agencies Follow Through on Their Obligations

Deal with responsible agencies, remind them how it hurts Trips For Kids if they don't show up, consider setting up a system where if agencies don't show up for 2 or 3 rides, then you tell them you can no longer work with them, have a small ($25–$50) nonrefundable fee for agencies to confirm their ride dates, and charge an additional cancellation fee.

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Office Management

Some great resources:

• Accounting tips from Rick McFerrin
• Job descriptions from TFK Marin
• Job descriptions from TFK Charlotte
• The IRS website to learn more about the federal filing policy
  Check with your state tax entity for more information about filing state taxes. After running your chapter for a few years, you will also need to contact the IRS to get a Final Determination of your non-profit status. Get the form you need and instructions from the IRS website.
• Register to get inexpensive software from Tech Soup and Gifts in Kind.

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Planning

Good planning is the foundation for a solid organization. Sample business and marketing plans:

• Business Plan from TFK Southern Colorado
• Business Plan and Marketing Plan from TFK Denver
• Business Plan from TFK San Antonio
• Strategic plans are the road map to success. They keep you on track and focused on your priorities. To help you formulate your own strategic plan check out TFK Charlotte's Strategic Plan session notes.

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Non-Profit Resources

Numerous on-line resources are available to help you succeed:

• Sign up for the NonProfit Times, a free weekly e-newsletter for nonprofits, and each week you will receive news and helpful tips on management and finance functions
• Visit www.nonprofits.about.com and subscribe to their monthly newsletter
• Register at www.guidestar.org which has a list of over 700,000 non-profits around the country and many non-profit resources. Also set up a link on your website so donors can make a contribution to your organization
• Check out the registry at www.charitychannel.com
• Sign up with volunteermatch.com to recruit volunteers
• Use Tech Soup to acquire software and other technology resources at non-profit prices
• See Idealist.org for more on starting, managing and funding a nonprofit organization
• See The Gilbert Center for assistance on communicating successfully and using fundraising mailing lists.
• Charity.com is a portal serving the nonprofit sector.
• The Nonprofit Resource Center is a directory of sites of interest to nonprofits
• The Philanthropy Journal is an online publication of state, national and international news on fundraising, giving, managing, grant seeking, volunteering, and technology in the non-profit community
• The Nonprofit Risk Management Network: provides risk management assistance and resources for community-serving nonprofit organizations

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Other Kids-n-Bikes Programs

Trips For Kids is not the only game in town. The following organizations offer other ways of doing things:

• The International Mountain Biking Association has developed a curriculum for schools, published kids-oriented brochures, and is developing a Mountain Biking merit badge with the Boy Scouts of America.
• The Two Wheeled Approach to Building Self-Esteem was developed by Sprockids. It provides participants the opportunity to experience success on a variety of levels. Through mountain biking, students develop a strong sense of self-esteem, while discovering their own potential. For more, contact Doug Detwiller at P.O. Box 1456 Gibsons, B.C. VON 1VO Canada; tel: 604-886-0772; eml: ddetwiller@sd46.bc.ca.
• If you work with girls you can request curriculum from the Women's Sports Foundation.

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