Announcing our 2025 Bike Distribution Partners!
The Bikes for Kids Wisconsin distribution partner application cycle for the Bike Giveaway program has closed. 2025 Partners throughout the state of Wisconsin, these are public schools and other 501c3 nonprofits, have been determined.
Organizations in the following counties will help find new owners for bicycles that have been donated in the past six months:
- Ashland County
- Dane County
- Fond du Lac County
- Milwaukee County
- Portage County
- Rusk County
- Waukesha County
- Wood County
BFKWI must be strategic in their efforts as a small organization. Outreach to many of these organizations was in an effort to see distribution in all directions across the state. Rusk County is identified as the poorest county in Wisconsin by the US Census with only one nonprofit organization. It was viewed as a primary area of concern and our outreach was successful.
The 2025 Partner Organizations include:
Active Youth Wisconsin
African Center for Community Development
Bad River Family Foundations/GLITC
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County
Black Girl Magic
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee
Building Bridges
City of Menasha/Menasha School District
Dane County Youth Justice & Prevention
Deforest Area School District
Hawthorne Elementary School (MMSD)
Jamestown Neighborhood Association
JustDane
Lafollette High School (MMSD)
Madison Sports & Community Recreation (MSCR)
Mendota Elementary School (MMSD)
Midvale Elementary School (MMSD)
Monona Grove School District
Nekoosa Public School District
One Big Tent
Rusk County Lighthouse Shelter
The Welcome Network
Wright Middle School (MMSD)
Executive Director of Bikes for Kids Wisconsin, Kristie GoForth, states that this is a transition year for the organization. The program’s success and growth exceeded 25% in 2024 with 2,518 bicycles distributed when the target is 2,000/year. That growth required the organization to make decisions so it could continue providing critical transportation services long-term. “I’ve yet to find an organization that is giving everything away for free that exists beyond a few years. We had to change the model we inherited in order to be financially sustainable,” said GoForth. “These were not easy decisions to make but by surveying our 215 past partners, we learned that they were supportive of this adjustment.”
Bikes for Kids Wisconsin is still subsidizing 85% of the costs of the Bike Giveaway program but through a per bicycle application fee, Distribution Partners pay the remaining 15% at just $20 per bike.
Kathy Williams from Deforest School District stated, “This program is amazing because it literally allows students to go places! Without it, many of our kids would not be able to participate in school events and some struggle with getting to school.”
If you’d like more information or for media contacts, please email Kristie GoForth.
