FAQ
How Bike Farm Runs
What’s Bike Farm’s mission?
Bike Farm aims to provide a space where people can learn about the bicycle and build community around promoting sustainable transportation. We strive to demystify the bike in order to impact the city in a healthy and positive way.
One volunteer once simplified this to say that we put tools in people’s hands.
Can I work for Bike Farm? Do you have any employees?
Bike Farm is 100% volunteer-run. No one gets paid to work at Bike Farm, but you are welcome to volunteer!
How do important decisions get made at the shop?
Bike Farm operates through a consensus-based decision making process. This is mostly notable during our general meetings. These happen on the fourth Tuesday of every month, and more often as needed. During meetings, anyone present has to power to vote on and make proposals.
What do you mean by “consensus”?
Bike Farm seeks the consent of all participants when the shop makes decisions. If someone blocks a proposal, it doesn’t pass. The proposal is either dropped or people who care about the topic get together to discuss it.
Are you a nonprofit?
Yes, we're a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit and have been since 2008! Our EIN is 26-1415141. Since we're a nonprofit, we can accept donations and give receipts to donors for tax-write-offs. We turn the donations into usable parts for functioning bicycles. Our space is funded by solely public donations.
Do you have a Board of Directors?
Bike Farm has a Chief Operations Officer, President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Chief Mechanical Officer. As a nonprofit, we are required to have a Board of Directors to register with the state. The directors don’t have any additional power or authority with the shop-- we are a non-hierarchical organization.
So who’s in charge?
Bike Farm is a non-hierarchical collective, which means that no one is the boss, and the collective is in charge. Volunteers choose to help out in whatever capacity works for them. Bike Farm is operated collectively. That means anyone can be a part of how decisions are made and things get done — even YOU! If you’re in the shop and looking for a volunteer, just ask.
The shop is run entirely by volunteers (no one is paid), and all important decisions are made by consensus at monthly meetings. Because every decision should reflect our mission, we suppose that means that our mission is in charge.