We’re thrilled to share the awardees of LMB’s 2023 Better Bicycling Grants (formerly Micro Grants). The League of Michigan Bicyclists is expanding access to bicycling through our two granting programs, Better Bicycling Grants and Trailblazing Grants. These programs provide funds to bike shops, mountain bike associations, municipalities, community groups, and other nonprofits that are improving the lives of Michiganders through bicycling. 

Better Bicycling Grants fund projects related to bicycle safety (on the road or on rail trails), programs that increase ridership (especially among youth, women, and underserved communities), on-the-ground advocacy efforts that stimulate community action or local policy change, and any innovative projects that demonstrate creativity and that serve as a model for other bicycle advocates and communities across Michigan.

It’s our mission to improve life through bicycling, and while we work hard to do that at the state level, we love to work with nonprofits, cycling clubs, libraries, bike shops, and anyone who is making a difference at a local level.

After receiving many strong applications, we had to make some difficult decisions. It wasn’t easy to narrow the field – thank you to everyone who put in the time and effort to apply. We awarded 11 organizations with grants ranging from $500 to $2,500 to further their missions and assist with projects. These organizations are offering programs across Michigan, and many of them are focused on groups that don’t always have access to cycling education like kids, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Congratulations to the 2023 grant awardees:

• CCISD Equipment Loans of the Keweenaw (Hand Cycling in the Keweenaw) – Will buy two smart trainers so their community can train on their hand-cycles when the weather is cold and snowy (and it often is!). They’ll use remaining funds to pay entrance fees for local hand-cyclists to enter local and regional races.
• Crim Fitness Foundation (Better Block Flint) – Over the next two years, the Crim Fitness Foundation will turn blighted, underused, dangerous, restricted and disinvested blocks into pop up neighborhood centers across 9 neighborhoods in the city of Flint, Michigan. They’ll display traffic calming methods and protected bike lanes, and use temporary materials like speed bumps and furniture.
• Upcycle Bikes (Access to Community Resources Through Bikes) – Collects and refurbishes adult bikes and provides them to severely financially constrained individuals needing basic transportation support. They’ll use the funds to support the purchase of parts and supplies necessary to refurbish bikes.
• The Lansing Bike Cooperative (Mechanics 101 Classes) – Will use funding to cover the costs of providing maintenance and repair classes to the community.
• The City of Hamtramck (Safe Biking for All) – Will use funding to install new bike racks and fund new programming for teaching immigrant youth about bike advocacy & safety, equipping them with the right tools and equipment to ride safely in the city. 
• Vívela (Bike Repair Training and Education) – Will use funding to offer beginner to advanced bicycle repair education opportunities for selected participants who demonstrate a desire to work in the local bicycle industry.
• Kids Repair Program (Bike Repair Stands and Parts) – Requires bike parts for youth camps and to refurbish donated bikes. They will use funds to replace broken bike repair stands. 
• Norte (Coach Training for Adventure Bike Club) – Will use funding to train coaches for their Adventure Bike Club, their after school program in the spring and fall that teaches 3rd to 5th graders the laws of the road so they can exponentially gain freedom while riding safely in their communities. 
• Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association (MiSCA) (Coach Facilitator Training) – Will use the funds to host an in-person train-the-trainer weekend for their clinic and camp facilitators. 
• Velo Kids (Outreach Rides) – Will use funds to identify kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to mountain bike by partnering with local nonprofit organizations that work with at-risk kids, providing opportunities to teach bike skills and bike safety, skills that last a lifetime.
• Start the Cycle (Winter Bike Riding for All) – Provides mountain bike and life skills programming for Marquette County youth who are identified as high risk and underserved by their teachers, counselors, or therapists. This grant will allow them to purchase cold weather clothing for the youth to offer their programming on fat bikes through the winter.

We’re so inspired by all the great folks who applied and we wouldn’t be able to support them without your help. Your generosity helps these local organizations make bicycling more accessible and get more people on bikes.

Would you consider a gift to our Better Bicycling Grants Fund?

SUPPORT the Better Bicycling GRANTs FUND

Thanks for all you do to make Michigan bicycling better!

*News about our upcoming Trailblazing Grants coming soon!

Categorised in: Micro-Grants, Uncategorized