Author: Jenn Bress

Climate Ride Happy Hour at Meridian Pint This Tuesday 3/27

| Jenn Bress
WABA is hosting a Climate Ride Fundraising happy hour event  Tuesday 3/27 at Meridian Pint from 6pm – 8pm. Bring your friends, family, co-workers and anyone you think might be interested in mingling with our awesome Climate Riders and WABA folks. This is an opportunity for you to get to know our riders, but also to raise funds towards the WABA Team goal. We will be raffling off a bunch of fabulous prizes including a WABA 2012 Climate Ride Jersey. All tickets sold at the raffle will go towards the Team WABA goal. Again the happy hour is at Meridian Pint from 6-8pm. Please register for the event here and pass it on to friends and family as well:

Win Tickets to the Sugarloaf Craft Festival, courtesy of Vaya Bags

| Jenn Bress
If you’re all out of ideas for what to do this weekend and you missed Crafty Bastards Craft Fair in early October, here’s your chance to get your craft on and get some early holiday shopping done at the same time. At the Sugarloaf Craft Festival, lovers of fine crafts and art will find more than 250 artisans displaying and selling their unique creations in pottery, sculpture, glass, jewelry, fashion, home décor, furniture and home accessories, items for the garden, and photography. In addition to top national artists, the festival will also introduce new and emerging artists showcasing the latest trends in handmade fashion and accessories, statement jewelry and fine art. The folks from New York’s VAYA bags, crafters of hip and earth friendly messenger bags made from recycled scrap Sunbrella fabric have 4 tickets that they are offering WABA supporters who want to check out the festival. While you’re there, make sure to stop by the VAYA table to check out their bags and accessories.

Earn a Chance to Win Tickets by leaving a comment on our blog, posting on our Facebook wall (under this post), or retweeting on Twitter (mentioning @wabadc) by 12 pm Friday 11/18. We’ll split the tickets into pairs and will pick two winners at random.

Sugarloaf Craft Festival is located at the Montgomery Co. Fairgrounds • Gaithersburg, MD

Nov. 18, 19, 20, 2011 • Fri 10-6, Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5

Admission Good ALL Three Days! Children Under 12 Free • Parking FREE

Keep Up the Momentum for Give to the Max Day

| Jenn Bress

WABA has reached over 100 donors for Give to the Max Day! Thanks to every one of you who has donated so far.  We’ve still got a shot at one of the prizes, so keep spreading the word–or help us by donating if you haven’t already. We’ve raised over $4,500 so far and are just inside the top 10 on the leaderboard for the larger prizes. Thank you!

WABA and Area Nonprofits To Raise Millions As Part of Give to the Max Day, November 9th

| Jenn Bress
Times are tough for many nonprofits.  Times are challenging for Washington Area Bicyclist Association. as well.  As an organization that advocates for better bicycling conditions in the Washington Metro region there has been a decrease in funding with an increasing demand for services leading to resources being stretched thin. To help generate donations, and possibly win thousands of additional dollars in awards, on November 9th WABA will be competing in Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington (www.give2max.org), a massive one-day regional online fundraiser to support local nonprofit programs. More than a thousand nonprofits that serve the greater Washington region will ask donors to display their generosity in a region-wide competition to raise as much money as possible, and gain as many supporters as possible, in order to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in awards for WABA. For 24 hours, starting at 12:00 AM on November 9th, nonprofits will drive their supporters online to donate, creating a huge display of support for one of the region’s largest sectors. There will be more than $100,000 in cash awards available for local nonprofits who generate the most in donations, and those that attract the most individual donors.  WABA has its sights set on the Entrepreneurial Nonprofit Grand Award for $10,000 for the nonprofits under $1 million in revenue that recruits the most donors and we’re just starting to rallying our members to participate. To help WABA, and the great work we do every day 1) Pledge your support to WABA on November 9th at http://give2max.razoo.com/story/Waba
2) Sign up to be on our email list.
3) Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
4) Re-post to your social media networks in support of WABA and Give to the Max Day
5) Create your own personal fundraising page on Razoo.com to raise money for WABA
Learn more about Give to the Max Day at www.give2max.org
The Washington area nonprofit sector is one of the region’s most important economic drivers. To help local nonprofits, Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington was created by online fundraiser Razoo, and organized and supported by The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and United Way of the National Capital Area.
If you are interested, please sign up for a shift here.

A Reason to Ride: Climate Rider Mary Tucker Explains Why She is Riding for WABA and Climate Change

| Jenn Bress

Brita Climate Ride NYC-DC May 13-17, 2011

Climate Ride NYC-DC (May 13-17, 2011) is quickly filling up but there’s still a chance to join the ride.  It’s down to the final 15 spots for the NYC-DC ride.   If you’ve been on the fence, Mary Tucker, devoted member and inspiring rider has offered her story below to motivate and inspire.
I attended college and lived in Washington DC for 17 years before leaving in 1996 to continue my career in Los Angeles. I was always a recreational cyclist and missed the beautiful trails Washington offered. My career led me to Amsterdam, NL where I not only deepened my love of recreational cycling but also was introduced to the practicality of cycling as transportation. I vowed upon return to the US I would continue to enjoy cycling while replacing the use of my car (or at least minimizing it) as best I could in a city that engaged in active support of the like-minded. To my delight I returned to Washington DC to find a vibrant city with a growing cyclist community, commuting to and from work, running errands, using bike lanes (having bike lanes!), filling bike shops. I’m very proud of DC for taking bicycling into consideration when planning city improvements. Bicycling is among the most sustainable activity we can do.  More education and outreach is necessary to promote cycling as a mechanism of change to  make the air we breath cleaner, reduce  C02 emissions and minimizing the blanket effect around our world.  That’s why I’ve joined the Climate Ride in May – to show my support of cycling as a transportation choice and an environmental solution.   I’ve chosen WABA as my sole benefactor of this ride because WABA cares about Washington DC and the proliferation of cycling as a lifestyle.  WABA actively engages communities around the region with outreach programs not only introducing the benefits of cycling but inspiring and educating responsible cycling. I want to do my part to help WABA with any funding necessary to keep this worthy effort going.
Mary Tucker’s personal fund raising page. According to a recent email, the Climate Ride is ahead of schedule for registration (nice!), so be sure to secure your spot ASAP!   This might be the most important thing you will do all year and for future generations. Please join the one and only charitable ride to support sustainable solutions and better bicycling!

Manage Your WABA Profile from the Comfort of Your Home

| Jenn Bress
Your WABA Membership team is always looking for ways to better serve you. We’ve been working hard with our membership database provider to find a way to make accessing your information easy. We’re pleased to announce our new “Profile Manager” feature. This gives you 24-hour access to manage your contact information, register for upcoming events, manage your email subscriptions and track your participation in advocacy campaigns. Once you log in to your WABA profile here, you’ll find a list of tabs at the top of the page. Here’s what they do: Home Page Your home page gives you an overview of upcoming events for which you’ve already registered and tells you which of our email lists you are on (Event Hub or Volunteer Hub or both). You can also choose to unsubscribe from a list here (though we don’t know why you would). Your Profile Here you can update your contact information and contact preferences. Events This tab lets you see what events you’ve signed up for and/or attended. You can find out event details, contact the host or cancel a registration here. Donations and Fundraising Here you can track your generosity and view all of the recent donations you made to help WABA. Action History This tab lets you view your recent advocacy history, including any actions taken in response to our advocacy alerts. So, sign in to your profile manager now and get started!  For future reference, you can always access profile manager at http://waba.org/profilemanager

Participate in Climate Ride, and Ride on Team WABA!

| Jenn Bress
Imagine spending five days on a fully-supported, amazing bicycling adventure with other WABA members and supporters. It’s time again for the nation’s premiere environmental charity bike ride: Climate Ride! Right now, you can be part of it by signing up for Team WABA on either the classic Climate Ride NYC-DC from Manhattan to the US Capitol (May 13-17, 2011), or the epic Climate Ride California (October 2-6, 2011). Climate Rides are the largest environmental charity bikes rides in the country, and their hard-working staff takes care of all the details so you can focus on pedaling, networking, and having fun. This “climate conference on wheels” and inspiring journey is a great way to combine your passion for bicycling with making a concrete difference. For the first year, Washington Area Bicyclist Association is a beneficiary of Climate Ride – which means we will receive a portion of the proceeds from both events. So we’re forming a new team on the ride! What’s especially exciting is that this year for the first time, riders who sign up for our team can select WABA from among nine organizations as their primary beneficiary, which means most of the funds raised by the Team will go directly to our programs. Climate Ride is an extraordinary event. You’ll pedal along beautiful country roads by day, and enjoy informative speakers and lively discussion each evening. Full carbon offsets, hybrid support vehicles, and low-waste catering are a few of the innovative sustainable measures that make Climate Ride special. Your registration of $75 includes a nifty cycling jersey, personal fundraising web page, fundraising support, training tips, and access to a nationwide network of Climate Riders. After that, you’ll raise a minimum of $2400 to participate in one of the two events (which past riders will tell you is easier than you think)! The ride also includes accommodations, meals, road support, luggage transfer, bike mechanics, expert guides and the nightly expert speaker series. You can find out everything you need to know at www.climateride.org. Join Team WABA today and connect with other members who also want to see a healthier, more livable, and bicycle-friendly Washington region. Questions? Contact Jenn Bress in our office at 202-518-0524 x203, or visit www.climateride.org for more information about these exciting events. Climate Ride is the perfect opportunity to support WABA and have a great time too. We hope you will seriously considering joining the effort. See you on the road with Team WABA!

WABA Seeks Membership Intern

| Jenn Bress
WABA currently seeks a Membership Intern to assist with data entry, customer service and many other important administrative needs. We’re seeking a 15 hour a week commitment for a minimum of three months.  Read on for full details.

Membership Intern

Position Overview

The Membership Services Intern will gain firsthand knowledge of all WABA departments, but most work will be specifically with the membership department.  Work includes assisting with membership fulfillment processes, database development, member resource development, assistance at membership related events and other tasks as assigned. This internship offers a flexible schedule with a fifteen-hour-a-week commitment for at least three months. This position is based in Washington, DC. The position is not paid, but a small stipend may be available. We can work with academic requirements you may have, to help you earn course credit, and give you a unique opportunity to connect to a growing network of organizations making significant community improvements.

Skills and Knowledge

  • Specific experience working with influential non-profit organization
  • Experience working with database CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software
  • Outreach work with state and local organizations
  • Academic credit, by working with your academic institution’s internship program

Requirements

Essential:
  • Interest in Outreach
  • Excellent oral communication skills
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Track record of working well on team projects
 Helpful:
  • Excellent writing skills
  • Familiarity with the web, content management, and databases
  • Familiarity with local biking issues
  • Located in Washington, DC

On-going tasks for Membership Intern

  • Processing memberships and renewals and store items
  • Responding to membership concerns via email, phone and at events
  • Outreach to potential members
  • Researching new prospect member and supporter/partner organizations
  • Assisting with the coordination of direct mail to members (thank you letters, etc)
  • Updating database with new members, partners, and prospects
  • Other duties as assigned
Please send a letter of interest, your resume, & references to jobs@waba.org

Seeking Sponsorship for Freedom Plaza Bike to Work Day Pitstop

| Jenn Bress
Freedom Plaza, Bike to Work Day 2010 The Washington area’s annual celebration of bicycling as functional transportation–Bike to Work Day–is scheduled for May 20th, and WABA will again be hosting the Freedom Plaza pitstop in downtown DC.  This year’s new format will place more stops throughout the region, making it easier to find a stop near one’s office.  But many festivities, including main stage and speakers, will again be hosted by WABA at Freedom Plaza. We are seeking sponsors who are interested in showing their support for cycling in the region by helping to fund this key annual event.  This is WABA’s most visible sponsorship opportunity, as it puts your corporate name and logo on the Freedom Plaza Bike to Work Day marketing materials and registration site, and provides you with a table on-site and access to VIP amenities. WABA is truly appreciative of our event sponsors and corporate supporters, as their contributions allow us to cover the costs of outreach events and services so that membership dollars can be focused on member services and bicycle advocacy. To discuss sponsorship of the Freedom Plaza Bike to Work Day Pitstop or any other WABA Event, or to become a corporate supporter, please email: Jenn@waba.org or Kevin@waba.org And, of course, to register for Bike to Work Day 2011: click here.

WABA Members get discounts on Electronic Bikes at E+ Electric Bikes

| Jenn Bress
Sometimes you just need a little extra push in the right direction.   If you’ve ever been curious in an electric bike is right for you or are already thinking about purchasing one, join WABA today (if you haven’t already) to take advantage of this amazing deal.   E+ Electric Bikes in Reston now offer a FREE TUNE UP to WABA members and $400 off electronic bikes.  If that doesn’t get you revved up for the holidays, what will?