Some interesting news for you bicyclists out there- the Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bike are officially merging.
The boards
of directors of both organizations approved the merger this past Tuesday. It will enhance both organizations and increase the reach and
effectiveness of bike advocacy and education.
As of Jan.
1, 2016, Cascade Bicycle Club will be the name of the 501(c)(3) tax-deductible
wing, focused on education, diversity and inclusion programs, events, and other advocacy work. The organization’s 501(c)(4) arm, to
be called Washington Bikes, will address statewide policy and outreach,
selected statewide events and activities, and candidate endorsements.
The merger
will create the nation’s largest statewide bicycle nonprofit, bringing together
two organizations to leverage overlapping
missions.
The merger
will result in saved overhead costs and more money directly funding current
work and new programs. If you are
a current Washington Bikes member, your membership will
be automatically transferred to Cascade Bicycle Club through the end of your
membership year, whenever you’re set to renew. You’ll receive all the benefits
of Cascade membership such as discounts at businesses and early access to ride
registration for sell-out events. After that you will need to renew membership
in Cascade if you wish to belong to a statewide 501(c)(3) bike nonprofit and
receive a tax deduction for your support.