Community Impact Grant Guidelines

OPEN CALL

Application Period: March 2 - Apr 30, 2026

Grant awards typically range from $5,000 - $15,000, and this is a direct grant issued in a lump sum. There is no matching component required. To determine specific grant amounts, the Outride team will consider finalist’s applications and assess the scope of work, organizational need, intended grant outcomes, and the goals of the portfolio. The grant is unrestricted and can be used for programming or indirect costs, but the awards will be selected on the basis of programmatic quality, goals, and outcomes.

Eligibility

• Grantees must be based in the U.S. or Canada

• Nonprofit organizations with a current 501(c)(3) public charity status or have a fiscal sponsor that has a current 501(c)(3) public charity status, with an operating budget of less than $5M

• Government agencies, including school districts.

• Active Outride Riding for Focus program grantees.

• Grantees must be aligned with one of our funding priorities:

o Creating Lifelong Riders: Cycling programming aligned with our focus on brain health, including community-based riding, skill development, safety instruction, bike repair and maintenance programs, and social connection, for youth (under 18) and older adults (55+)

o Strengthening Riding for Focus Programs: Strategic partnerships and support to Outride Riding for Focus focused on increasing sustainability, creating beyond school pathways, and enrichment

• Grantees must be aligned with one of our priority populations:

o Youth (under 18 years old)

o Older adults and aging populations (55+ years old)

Reporting

Awarded grantees will submit an impact report at the end of the one-year grant term. The impact report is a survey of results and outcomes over the course of the grant term.

2026 Funding Priorities

Creating Lifelong Riders

We support programmatic initiatives that deepen engagement and foster ongoing participation, including:

· Ride clubs

· Adventure/outdoor riding programs

· Racing teams

· Intergenerational programs

· Skills workshops and rider education programs

· Bike repair and maintenance programs

· E-bike safety and education

These programs help riders develop skills, discover new forms of cycling, and stay connected to supportive communities.

Success in this area often looks like: increased participation and retention; more first-time riders progressing in skills and confidence; inclusive teams/clubs with strong mentorship

Strengthening Riding for Focus

We partner with organizations that support Outride Riding for Focus (R4F) grantees, with emphasis on sustainability and enrichment, to ensure long-term program quality and community integration. Support may include:

· Program expansion or continued implementation

· Equipment maintenance

· Educator training/curriculum support

· District level partnerships

Success in this area often looks like: stable, high-quality R4F programs; smooth transitions to community riding; measurable benefits to focus, engagement, and wellbeing.

At the core of both these priorities is a focus on cycling for social, emotional, and cognitive health. Proposals that thoughtfully articulate how they are aligned with this principle will be the most competitive.

We Don’t Fund

● Individuals: We only fund organizations.

● International organizations not based in the US or Canada

● Trail development or infrastructure: Capital budgets are beyond our scope; we will refer strong infrastructure proposals to dedicated funders/programs.

● Events, fondos, races, or fundraisers: We prioritize ongoing programming rather than single day activities.

● Political campaigns or advocacy/policy/lobbying initiatives

● Programs not focused on cycling, or cycling programs without an intentional focus on mental, social emotional, and cognitive health or on expanding equity and access. Large, national organizations with operating budgets greater than $5million

We do not fund infrastructure or advocacy/policy initiatives; our dollars are targeted to programmatic access and capacity.

How We Select Grantees

Outride will consider a number of factors, including:

· Clear alignment with one or more of our priorities

· Demonstrated or strong potential for equitable access and inclusive participation

· Organizational readiness and capacity to deliver

· Commitment to learning and program evaluation appropriate to size and capacity

Outride staff will carefully consider each application against our selection criteria.

· The grant committee will review and score each eligible application.

· Each application is read by two reviewers.

· Scores are then averaged and ranked.

· Outride staff will notify awarded applicants by Summer of 2026.

Timeline

· Applications invited: March 2, 2026

· Applications due: April 30th, 2026

· Grants awarded: Summer 2026

Application Guidance

- Be thoughtful and specific. The best applications use concise language, clear data, and vivid descriptions to articulate their vision and impact.

- Include the numbers. Find a way to quantify your impact and present metrics and data that support your proposal. Present a feasible budget aligned with your ask.

- Be aligned. Outride is on a mission to empower all people to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of bicycling has outlined specific funding priorities and target populations; competitive applications will be highly aligned with these guidelines. If we’re not the right funder for you, we might be able refer you to a partner.

BY INVITE

By-invite grants support organizations at higher levels of funding than our open call. These grants support organizations with a proven track record of success in increasing access to cycling’s benefits at scale and systemically.

These grants may include multi-year commitments to support long-term program stability, or innovative models with the potential for broader learning. This pathway is intentionally limited and complements our Open Call, allowing us to broaden access while investing more deeply where evidence shows the strongest impact.

SCORING RUBRIC

Mission Alignment

Unaligned

Organization does not align with Outride’s mission

Organization/project focuses on cycling but does not center the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits in its programming. Efforts to help community members improve social, emotional, and cognitive well in being is insignificant

Empowering community members or participants to experience S/E/C benefits of cycling is one of several organizational aims. The organization is focused on cycling related programming that could directly improve social, emotional, and cognitive health but there are some questions or reservations about efficacy, scale, or impact of the programs.

The organization is dedicated to providing cycling programs that will improve social, emotional, and cognitive health of participants in line with Outride’s mission and vision. Empowering community members to experience these benefits through cycling is the main professed purpose of the organization.

Empowering all people to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive health benefits of cycling is the organization’s explicit mission. All organizational efforts are synchronized in service of this greater goal.

Aligned

Impact

Unproven

Organization does not demonstrate any contributions to the ability of communities to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of cycling. Organization has no track record of success in this community.

and

Organization does not have a compelling SMART goal

Organization demonstrates contributions to incremental shifts in the ability of communities to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of cycling. Organization has limited track record of success in this community.

and

Organization’s SMART goal is not ambitious.

Organization demonstrates contributions to notable shifts in the ability of communities to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of cycling. Organization has moderate track record of success in this community.

and

Organization has a SMART goal that is approaching ambitious but won’t substantively move the needle.

Organization has created deep and significant change in the ability of communities to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of cycling and demonstrates its impact with information and examples, including formal or informal studies, observations, evaluation reports, impact studies, and/or other indicators of change as defined by its community. Organization has strong track record of success in this community

Organization has compelling and ambitious SMART goal that represents substantive impact.

Organization transforms the ability of communities to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of cycling and demonstrates its impact with robust information and examples, including formal or informal studies, observations, evaluation reports, impact studies, and/or other indicators of change as defined by its community. Organization has lengthy and proven track record of success in this community. Mechanisms for learning and continual growth are in place.

Organization has multiple compelling and ambitious SMART goals that represents substantive impact.

Proven

Equity

Equity unaddressed

Organization does not center or seek to empower individuals and families from underrepresented groups, or communities historically excluded from cycling.

Individuals and families from underrepresented groups, and/or communities historically excluded from cycling are served but not centered. Efforts to empower community members to achieve substantive improvement in their social/emotional/cognitive health are circumstantial.

Individuals and families from underrepresented groups, and/or communities historically excluded from cycling are prioritized within a broader group of communities served. Empowering community members to achieve substantive improvement in their social/emotional/cognitive health is one of several organizational aims.

Organization is dedicated to serving Individuals and families from underrepresented groups, and/or communities that have been historically excluded from cycling. Empowering community members to achieve substantive improvement in their social/emotional/cognitive health is the main professed purpose of the organization.

Empowering individuals and families of from underrepresented groups, and/or communities that have been historically excluded from cycling to achieve substantive improvement in their social/emotional/cognitive health is organization’s explicit mission. All organizational efforts are synchronized in service of this greater goal.

Equity Centered

Development And Sustainability

Unsustainable

The org has not implemented or described a development plan that indicates sustainability over time. The applicant does not demonstrate other major funders, revenue, volunteer support, or in-kind donations The organization does not seem poised for long-term growth.

The org has implemented a development plan but it is not a focus or priority. The applicant demonstrates very limited sources of revenue, volunteer support, or in-kind donations.

The org has implemented a development plan that indicates effective fundraising and demonstrates clear, but limited (2-3) major sources of other funding, volunteer support, or in-kind donations, or may be pending or unconfirmed.

The org has a clear and coherent and development plan the demonstrates effective fundraising, and potential use of requested funding.

Organization indicates several (more than 4 to 5) other sources of revenue or pledged support.

The organization has a clear, coherent, and detailed development plan that demonstrates effective fundraising and sustainability into the future is clear objective.

Organization indicates many other viable sources of revenue, volunteer support, or in-kind donations, and or kinds of support over time, and is poised for long-term growth.

Sustainable