Bike and Build

Bike And Build

Bike & Build is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which organizes cross-country cycling trips to benefit the affordable housing cause in the United States. Participants on Bike & Build trips are of ages 18–25, and may or may not have previous cycling or volunteer experience. Rides have up to 34 participants (including 4 designated leaders), and take 8–11 weeks to travel across the United States. Bike and Build riders spend 8–10 days en route building houses.

Since its inception in 2002, Bike & Build has directly involved over 1,250 young adults and has donated over $3.3M to affordable housing charities to fund projects executed by young people.

Riders are required to raise $4500 each before starting: part is used to run the trips, and the remainder is donated to affordable housing organizations. Additional donations are sometimes collected en route. Some trips donate their money to specific organizations or chapters, and others work on a grant system. Under the grant system, groups benefiting the affordable housing cause can apply for grants through Bike and Build. The grant applications are delivered to the grant-based trips during the ride, and the riders on those trips vote on which groups receive money, and how much to allocate to each group.

Participants need not have previous building or cycling experience, or even a bicycle; Bike & Build provides the bicycle, which participants are allowed to keep upon completion of the trip. Riders are required to complete ten hours sweat equity working with affordable housing groups before beginning the trip, and are required to ride at least 500 miles in training before their summer begins.