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Meet the Winners of the League’s 2025 Community Spark Grants
Today, the League of American Bicyclists is thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2025 Community Spark Grants! After extensive review, the League selected 10 communities to each receive $2,000 to fund projects with the potential to spark change toward a more Bicycle Friendly America.
Marking the fourth year of the Community Spark Grant program, this latest round of applications was larger than ever! In total, 150 proposals were submitted with creative ideas for bike-friendly projects. This year’s recipients include three education projects, three event-related projects, and four projects to increase the accessibility of bicycle maintenance and equipment.
“I am overwhelmed by the amount of quality applications we got this year, especially for applications including an equity and accessibility component,” said Anna Tang, the League’s Bicycle Friendly America Program Specialist. “I am glad that we can help a few communities with our Community Spark Grant to make small, iterative changes that will ripple into the future and set great examples for other communities to follow.”
Since its launch in 2022, the Community Spark Grant program has provided seed funding for dozens of bike-related projects across the nation. These mini-grants are meant to catalyze community change by empowering grassroots leaders to identify local needs and take action accordingly. Whether the funding goes towards building capacity for bike education or supplying pop-up infrastructure to realize a community’s vision of safer streets, each grant is one small spark with the potential to ignite sustained action for better bicycling.
New this year is the Equity and Accessibility criteria, which was used as a determining factor for five of the ten grant awards. The League firmly believes that equity & accessibility are essential lenses through which all other Bicycle Friendly America work must be viewed to achieve a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. The League defines “Equity” as the just and fair inclusion into a society in which everyone can participate and prosper. The goal of equity must be to create conditions that allow all to reach their full potential by erasing disparities in race, income, ability, geography, age, gender, and sexual orientation. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations and that fairness regarding these unbalanced conditions is needed to assist equality in the provision of effective opportunities to all groups.
“Accessibility” refers to improving and increasing access to mobility options for everyone, particularly for people with disabilities. The League recognizes that not every disability is visible to others and that not every person with a mobility or accessibility need identifies as ‘disabled.’ Whether from a cognitive, sensory, or physical disability, age, temporary illness, or injury, there are people in every community who face a range of mobility challenges, for whom a bike or cycle may open a world of possibilities to increase accessibility.
Keep reading to find out how the ten recipients of the 2025 Community Spark Grants plan to use their new funding to spark change in their communities by making bicycling safer, easier, and more accessible.
2025 Community Spark Grant Awardees
All Bodies on Bikes: Industry Training for Size Inclusion
- Organization: All Bodies on Bikes
- Location: Bentonville, AR
“We’re thrilled to receive the Community Spark Grant, which will help us advance size inclusion in cycling through industry trainings here locally in Bentonville. By equipping bike shop employees and industry leaders with the knowledge and tools to better serve larger-bodied cyclists, we aim to create a more welcoming and accessible cycling community. This grant will enable us to break down barriers, foster inclusivity, and ensure that everyone, regardless of body size, can experience the joy of riding a bike.” — Marley Blonsky, co-founder of All Bodies on Bikes
Community Mobility Rituals: Magic of Music Bike Rides
- Organization: Equiticity
- Location: Chicago, IL
“Equiticity is thrilled to receive a Community Spark Grant for our 2025 season of Community Mobility Rituals. Our CMRs —community bicycle rides and other community excursions— contribute to increased socialization and mobility, leading to improved life outcomes in Black and Brown communities.” — Olatunji Oboi Reed, President & CEO, Equiticity
Bikes for Adults and Newcomers
- Organization: Thrive Mahoning Valley
- Location: Youngstown, Ohio
“The Community Spark Grant will help us meet our goals in increasing independent transportation to those who need it the most in our community. We are so excited to continue our programming through 2025 as we embark towards our goal of allocating 100 bicycles to community residents. Additionally, thanks to the great support of our community, partners, and foundations, we are better equipped to sustain the program. This year, we hope to host or participate in bicycling events and community engagement through ongoing safety and maintenance demonstrations that not only benefit our recipients, but the whole community.” — Ariana Wyndham, Outreach & Resource Coordinator of Thrive Mahoning Valley
Fort Peck Tribal Elves Bike Day
- Organization: Fort Peck Tribal Elves
- Location: Poplar, MT
“Tribal Elves in conjunction with the League of American Bicyclists are excited to bring back Bike Day to children. It’s been a few years since we’ve sponsored one and are excited to be able to sponsor one again.” — Sunee Erickson, Director at Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes
BikeWalkBG Youth Helmets & Bicycles
- Organization: BikeWalkBG
- Location: Bowling Green, KY
“BikeWalkBG kicked off a new outreach program offering bicycle education in area elementary schools. This program is intended to introduce the excitement of bicycling and its many physical and mental health benefits to hundreds of children across Warren County, Kentucky. As cycling becomes ever more dangerous day after day, we hope to make a change for the next generation by equipping the students with the knowledge, power, and excitement to ride a bicycle. In turn, we hope these students will influence their parents’ view of cycling to get more families on bikes, and doing so safely.” — Natasha Smith, BikeWalkBG Coordinator
Redemptive Cycles Kid’s Bike Rodeo Program
- Organization: Redemptive Cycles
- Location: Birmingham, AL
“Redemptive Cycles hopes to spark a lifelong love of cycling in children of marginalized communities by empowering them with a bicycle and bicycle-related safety education. Cycling is not only a healthy activity, but can also be a community building activity, a way to decrease pollution and traffic congestion, and a sustainable and affordable means of transportation which will provide access to work or continued education.” — Brian Gosdin, Executive Director at Redemptive Cycles
NW Pasadena / Altadena Bike Repair and Donation Hub
- Organization: Day One
- Location: Pasadena, CA
“We’re excited to leverage our Community Spark Grant to position Day One as the community hub for bike repair and instruction for local youth and adults, many of whom rely on bicycles for transportation.” — Christy Zamani, Executive Director at Day One
Streets as Places Pop-Ups
- Organization: Crim Fitness Foundation
- Location: Flint, Michigan
“We hope our Streets as Places Pop-Ups will spark conversations about the need for more cycling infrastructure in our city.” — Ryan Kelsey, Fine Arts Instructor / PSE Coordinator at Crim Fitness Foundation
Webster Community Center Bike Enhancement
- Organization: Micah 6 Community
- Location: Pontiac, MI
“These funds will help make serious bike improvements to Pontiac’s west side and will complement the community enhancements coming at Webster Community Center.” — Coleman Yoakum, Executive Director at Micah 6 Community
Youth Earn A Bike
- Organization: The LOVE Building
- Location: Detroit, Michigan
“We are honored to receive the 2025 League of American Bicyclists’ Community Spark Grant to support our Youth Earn A Bike Program in collaboration with community partners. This grant will allow us to expand access to cycling for youth in our community, providing them not only with a free bike and helmet but also with critical education in bike repair, bike safety, and how to navigate urban environments confidently. By equipping young riders with hands-on mechanical skills and essential road safety knowledge, we are fostering independence, mobility, and a deeper connection to their communities. We hope this program will inspire a new generation of cyclists who are empowered to use biking as a tool for health, sustainability, and everyday transportation.” — Mackenzie Rector, Program Manager at The LOVE Building
