This is the time of year charities receive the bulk of their donations. But I’m going to ask you to donate a little of your time- not money- this week.

The Missouri Foundation for Bicycling and Walking* has launched a new, informational website: IBikeMO.org. This is a new resource, and to make it work we need YOUR help. Share your pictures, share your groups, share your news, and share your enthusiasm because we ALL Bike MO!

There are several ways you can help. Pick one or more!

• Upload a photo or three
• Enter an event on the event calendar
• Check for your club, shop, or advocacy group, and tell us about any that aren’t listed.
• Submit an opportunity for volunteers
• Share IBikeMO on Facebook, Twitter, and on your club’s website!

Are you enthusiastic about cycling in Missouri? So are we!

IBikeMO is a place to learn about bicycle groups, shops, and trails across the great state of Missouri. Whether you’re into road cycling, cyclo-cross, mountain biking, or utility cycling, we hope that you’ll use IBikeMO as your central resource for ALL things cycling in Missouri.

For those passionate cyclists looking for an opportunity to give back, IBikeMO provides easy access to volunteer opportunities and a link to donate directly to the Missouri Foundation for Bicycling and Walking.

But for IBikeMO to be all it can be, we need people all across Missouri– people like YOU– to submit information and to spread the word about this new resource.

*The Foundation is MoBikeFed’s non-advocacy (501(c)(3)) side.

World Bicycle Relief gives mobility to students, health care workers, and entrepreneurs in Africa.

This is the time of year for charities. There are a lot of charities that have something to do with bicycling. Here are some of my favorites, in order of geography: international to local.

World Bicycle Relief distributes bicycles to students, health care workers, and entrepreneurs in Africa. These aren’t just any bikes. They are specially made for the rugged terrain in local factories with local materials. World Bicycle Relief trains local mechanics, giving them a marketable skill as well as ensuring functional bikes. World Bicycle Relief, in short, is the coolest international charity I’ve ever heard of. It doesn’t just give bikes away. It empowers people with bicycles.

The League of American Bicyclists advocates for better bicycling across the nation. Their lobbying component is strong, but they also run several amazing programs, like Bicycle Friendly Communities/ States/ Businesses/ Universities, and the Smart Cycling program is the gold standard for bicycle education. I am a League Certified Instructor, and I teach Smart Cycling in Columbia.

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy helps communities turn unused rail corridors into trails. They fight legal battles at local, state, and federal levels over land rights and funding. Every trail project everywhere runs into the same objections, and Rails-to-Trails helps communities use data to win over the public.

Adventure Cycling is a resource for bicycle tourists. Adventure Cycling publishes maps of cycling networks and is establishing the U.S. Bicycle Route System. The Adventure Cycling bicycle tours, ranging from fully supported to nothing more than a map and a guide, are immensely popular.

I’m the president of the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation which advocates for better bicycling and walking in Missouri. Of all the charities on this list, MoBikeFed is the smallest in terms of staff and programming. The League has done a great job of developing a Smart Cycling program, and the local organizations do a great job of teaching Smart Cycling. MoBikeFed’s place is at the state level, assisting localities as needed. For example, MoBikeFed helped local advocates defeat the 2010 St. Charles County Bike Ban, and more recently has worked closely with Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc to establish the Rock Island Trail.

I’m on the Board of Directors of the PedNet Coalition which advocates for active transportation in Columbia and serves as a consultant to communities across the nation. In addition to routinely mobilizing its members for public input on sidewalks and trails, PedNet spearheads efforts to improve city ordinances that have a significant impact on walking and biking, like the Complete Streets ordinance and the Anti Harassment ordinance.

I believe that your largest donation should go to the most local group, your next largest donation to your state-level advocacy group, and a smaller donation to a national-level group, depending on your specific focus. If you like to bike on trails, Rails-to-Trails is your national-level charity. If you are a bicycle tourist, it’s Adventure Cycling. If you are a generalist, it’s the League. Finally, a donation to an international charity can make a difference.