- A guide to DIY bike route maps: Introduction
- Form a Bikes-as-Transportation Organization
- Draft the initial bike route network
- Present the Bike Routes Concept to the City
- Research Great Bike Maps
- Refine the Bike Routes
- Present the Final Bike Route Network to the City
- Design the Bike Route Map
- Produce the Bike Route Map (with 100% free software)
- Present the Bike Map Design to the City
- Getting Quotes for Printing the Map
- Fundraising for a bike map
- Financial Logistics of being a Lightweight Bike Organization
- Thank Yous
- Distribution and Beyond
Now that I had a map and I knew how much it would cost to print, I had to raise money to get it printed. Having the map essentially completely ready at this point was definitely as asset, as I could show the full size draft to potential funders, making the project very concrete and real.
My approach to fundraising was to build a distribution network and raise funds at the same time, by asking potential distributors if they would be willing to prepay 40 cents per map for maps that I would give to them to give out.
I successfully signed up seven funders for the project including a bike shop, a hospital, a college, tourism and economic development groups and our local community foundation. I always asked for specific amounts and most people gave me what I asked for, in the $200 to $400 range. Perhaps I could have asked individual funders for more, but having a few more funders meant a broader base of support, and a larger built-in distribution network.
In each case, I pitch the benefits and relevance to the specific organization. When possible, I tried to drop by and show off the map in person, although a lot of the fundraising was done with simple e-mails.
I did not promise anyone up front that they would get their logo on the map or even their name, and no one insisted on this. I didn’t want to end up with a document that looked like a hodge-podge of corporate logos, like those event t-shirts no one wears in public once the event is over. In the end, I gave all the supporter a subtle text-only mention, which I hope provides sufficient recognition while keep the visual focus of the document on the key content.
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