PRESENTING SPONSORSHIP: 10th annual Fuller Center Bike Adventure Cross-Country Ride
(San Francisco, CA to Savannah, GA)
The Fuller Center Bike Adventure is specifically targeting Nationwide as a sponsor for the 2017 Cross-Country ride for 2 important reasons:
- -Nationwide has a strong track record of social responsibility and corporate giving.
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Fuller Center for Housing is always seeking new partners in the corporate world who have a strong track record of working with non-profits. Every dollar or product our sponsors can contribute toward our mission is valuable, since we translate these resources directly into decent, affordable homes for families around the world – with minimal overhead. In many areas where the Fuller Center works today (e.g., Haiti, Nicaragua, Nepal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo), it takes only a few thousand dollars to construct a simple and sturdy house. Brands with the resources and corporate giving experience of Nationwide could radically and immediately impact health, safety, education and economic development outcomes in these regions by working alongside the Fuller Center.
- -Nationwide’s brand name ties in well to the “cross-country” route.
Nationwide has successfully built its brand based on a coast-to-coast commitment to excellence. The “Nationwide” name is particularly relevant within the context of the cross-county ride, which spans the length of the United States from the Golden Gate Bridge to Tybee Island in Georgia. For this reason, we feel that the Bike Adventure would be a logical and easily marketable partner for Nationwide.
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The Fuller Center Bike Adventure is not your average cross-country bike ride. Now in our 10th year, we are very proud of how the Bike Adventure has grown into a unique and often life-changing experience for those who ride with us. The following factors set us apart:
–Build Days. The Fuller Center Bike Adventure is about more than just riding bikes. We ride to raise money and awareness for the affordable housing movement, and we also work on the front-lines to provide families with simple, decent homes. Our riders can expect to participate in a “build day” about once per week on our rides, when we work side-by-side to support the local efforts of Fuller Center affiliates across the country. We worked on 146 homes in the first 9 years of the Bike Adventure, and have 13 more exciting build days planned for 2017. Build Days are really where the “rubber meets the road” for the Bike Adventure, as they remind us why we are riding and allow us to put our mission into action. Also, it is always amazing to see how much 30-40 enthusiastic cyclists can accomplish in just one day at a build site!
–Fundraising Impact. The Bike Adventure has raised over $1.6 million to support the Fuller Center’s global efforts to eradicate poverty housing since 2008. We expect to reach $2 million in 2017, and we won’t stop there. Every single fundraised dollar is valuable, since we translate these funds directly into decent, affordable homes for families around the world. In many areas where the Fuller Center works today (e.g., Haiti, Nicaragua, Nepal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo), it takes only a few thousand dollars to construct a simple and sturdy house. That means that the Bike Adventure has raised enough on its own to build over 300 houses since 2008. The dollars we raise literally become roofs, doors, walls and floors for real families!
–Growth. Back in 2008, the Bike Adventure offered only one ride (summer cross-country), included just 8 whole-way riders, and raised $134,000 for the Fuller Center. In 2016, 144 riders joined the Bike Adventure and raised over $300,000 across 5 different rides. In 2017, we plan to add a sixth ride and raise over $400,000. Our growth has been unrelenting and exponential, as both ridership and fundraising totals have climbed upwards by an average of 30% year after year. The Bike Adventure has now reached a critical mass in its 10th year, and is poised to become a year-round fundraising juggernaut for the Fuller Center for Housing. The future promises even more routes, even more riders, and millions more in team fundraising!
–Lean. Over the past 9 years, we have sent an average of 97% of all Bike Adventure donations directly to the Fuller Center’s housing efforts. That means that only 3 cents of every dollar per year are committed to program overhead (Trip Leader stipend, food, gas, t-shirts, jerseys, etc.). We have worked hard to make the Bike Adventure as lean as possible, and are proud that it stands out from our peers on this count (Bike & Build sends 43% of donations to affordable housing programs.) We hope to reach 100% efficiency in 2017 with the help of our donors and sponsors!
–Diversity. Fuller Center Bike Adventurers hail from all corners of the U.S., and many even come to us from overseas. Since 2008, our riders have represented 43 states and 13 countries. We also attract riders from all walks and stages of life: the summer ride is popular with college students, school teachers, and retired and semi-retired folks, but we have also had carpenters, lawyers, nurses, state senators and much more! 37% of our social media followers are under age 35; 35% are between 35 and 55; 28% are older than 55. We welcome riders of all skill levels and backgrounds to the ride. (For some, the Bike Adventure is their first time riding more than 5 miles.) We are proud of the diverse FCBA community, and consider our diversity to be a great asset to our mission!
–Simple, Community Living. Simple living is a fundamental tenet of the Bike Adventure. We shower and sleep (usually on floors) in host churches and high schools along our route; we rely on potluck dinners and food donations as much as possible; we encourage riders to spend less time on their phones and computers. Living simply causes us to be more creative than we otherwise would be and to bond together as a group. It lowers the cost of the trip, which directly allows us to help and serve more people around the world. It moves our focus from entertaining ourselves to engaging the community and world around us.
–Team Atmosphere. If you were to walk into one of our host locations at about 7am before a ride, you would see a flurry of activity. Some riders are filling water coolers to ensure every person stays hydrated, or preparing snacks…some are washing dishes from breakfast…some are fixing mechanical problems on others’ bicycles…some are vacuuming the floor…some are downloading routes onto GPS devices to keep others from getting lost…some are sorting laundry…and on it goes. Each person has a role. Each person takes their role seriously, and goes above and beyond for the benefit of the group. Together, everything gets done. We like to say that our riders “self-support” the ride to some degree, as they serve on chore teams and help others complete the day’s ride safely. The team atmosphere of the Bike Adventure is acore reason why riders come back year after year, is another reason why FCBA is more than “just a bike ride!”
