Want to ignite a passion for cycling in your community this May?
Active Transportation Alliance is thrilled to announce our Bike Month mini-stipend program for 2026, offering a perfect opportunity to bring the joy of biking to your local streets.
Last year, grassroots groups and towns across Chicagoland transformed their communities with vibrant Bike Month celebrations.
From community rides to repair clinics, these events showcased the power of two wheels to bring people together.
Now it’s your turn! We’re offering a dozen $200 stipends to individuals, groups, or organizations in Chicago and its suburbs to create unforgettable Bike Month experiences.
WHAT TYPES OF EVENTS ARE SUPPORTED?
Whether you dream of organizing a family-friendly bike parade, hosting a “bike-in” movie night, or leading a guided tour of your town’s hidden gems, this stipend can help bring your vision to life.
Here are just a few ideas to get your creative gears turning:
- Host a community bike ride
- Organize a bike to school day event (National Bike & Roll to School Day is May 6)
- Plan an education event like a bike repair clinic
- Arrange for a bicycle audit with community leaders (where you assess the bikeability of a local route)
- Host a film screening
The possibilities are endless! Get creative and consider using this extensive list of events and activities for inspiration. Events that are creative and include a clear advocacy or action component will score highest.
Here’s a rundown of events that the stipends supported last year.
Applications are due by Friday, March 13, 2026.
Don’t miss this chance to be a catalyst for positive change in your community. Together, let’s make Bike Month 2026 an unforgettable celebration of cycling culture!
WHO CAN APPLY
Applicants are encouraged to organize inclusive community events or activities anytime during the month of May (or during the summer of 2026) that help showcase the many benefits of bicycling and encourage more folks to give biking a try.
Any individual, group, or organization based in the City of Chicago or the Chicago suburbs is eligible to apply, regardless of 501c3 status.
Due to the small size of the stipend, we ask that all resources be spent on direct expenses (e.g. materials, printing, food, raffle prizes, etc.) and not staff time or salaries.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please complete this online application form no later than Friday, March 13, 2026.
Winning applicants will be asked to report back to Active Transportation Alliance about the event and share photos.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Maggie Czerwinski at [email protected].