2007 Benchmarking Report - Alliance for Biking & Walking

Bicycling & Walking in the U.S./ Thunderhead Alliance 2007
74
THUNDERHEAD ALLIANCE BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN ADVOCACY
(cont. from page 72)
Membership numbers and media impressions were included
because they increase the political influence of an organization.
Organizations are represented in this section by the state or
city they serve. In the cases where more than one advocacy
organization serves a particular state or city, their combined
data (such as number of members or annual revenue) were
added together. Appendix 2 contains the list of 50 states and
50 cities studied in this report and identifies the advocacy
organization(s) representing each city or state. To see which
organization(s) are represented by these data you can crossreference
the city or state with Appendix 2.
The data in this chapter measure the capacity of Thunderhead
Alliance member organizations only. Although most
state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations
are Thunderhead members, there are some organizations,
including new and emerging organizations, that are not. Also,
many other organizations, individuals and government officials
advocate for bicycling and walking. This section is by no means
an all-inclusive or definitive measurement of advocacy capacity
across the U.S. In the scope of this report, measurements are
limited to the capacity of Thunderhead member state and local
bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations.
Revenue of Thunderhead Organizations
Thunderhead asked its member organizations for their
revenue sources from the most recent budget year. Data indicate
that on average, state-wide advocacy organizations operate
on three cents per capita. The state with the highest per capita
income for an advocacy organization is Maine, with a budget
of 34 cents per capita. Organizations that represent cities have
significantly higher incomes per capita. On average, organizations
representing cities earn 11 cents per capita. Jackson,
Wyoming ranks highest in per capita earnings of all cities
surveyed at $10.25 per capita. The range is wide among states
and cities in part because some advocacy organizations are
new and being compared to longer-established organizations.
Also, some organizations have full-time staff for fundraising
while others are volunteer-run. Both city and state organizations
have diversified revenue, mainly divided between memberships
and donations, program fees and events, and government
grants and contracts. Memberships and donations make
up slightly more than a quarter of organization’s budgets on
average, though this category is the primary revenue source
for many smaller organizations with budgets under $100,000 a
year.
Membership of Thunderhead Organizations
Membership of advocacy organizations was another
capacity factor surveyed. State-wide organizations averaged
one member per 56,579 people. Maine has the highest rate of
members to population with one member for every 212 Maine
residents. Organizations serving cities have higher membership
rates, averaging one member per 11,110 residents.
Jackson, Wyoming has the highest membership rate with one
member for every 18 residents. San Francisco has the highest
membership rate of all major cities surveyed with one member
per 110 residents. Salt Lake City ranks third with one member
for every 363 people.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition signs up new members at
one of its Bike to Work Day energizer stations. San Francisco has
the highest membership rates of all big cities with one member
for every 110 residents.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BICYCLE COALITION