About Wheels4Life
How It Works:
Wheels4Life is a non-profit charity (501c(3)), that provides free bicycles for people in need of transportation in Third World countries. We partner with local individuals, organizations and other groups to help us identify persons who sincerely need a bike to be able to go to school or to work. Often these people live in very primitive and remote areas with no access or means to public transportation. The closest school, doctor or work-place might be 10 or 20 miles away. Having a bike can make all the difference in somebody’s life and can give them a chance to break out of the vicious poverty cycle. The gift of mobility, in form of a bicycles, can do miracles.
We carefully select the persons who receive a bike, with the help of local institutions, organizations and/or individuals. Some of our requirements include that the persons don’t already have alternative means of transportation nor can they afford public transportation (when available). People who just want to get a bicycle because its free, will be eliminated quickly from our selection process.
Often we buy the bicycles in the country were its needed. That helps the local economy and it makes it much easier to find replacement parts. It also saves us much costs in shipping, handling, import taxes, duties, storage, etc…
Once we grow bigger we will import bikes by the container, which will lower the cost per unit even more. At the moment a bicycle costs us approximately between US $50 to $150.
We keep our administrative costs and overhead as low as possible. 90 - 95% of the funds received are going towards buying bikes. Everybody in our charity works on a volunteer level for free. We only have to pay some minimal bookkeeping fees to our accountant. Hans Rey pays for all his charity related travel expenses out of his own pocket. We keep the costs down as much as we can, in order to buy more bikes.
Thank you to all of our supporters and friends who help us in many ways such as designing this web site, designing artwork for postcards of banners, printing us free banners, hosting our web site, etc…
All donations are 100% tax deductable
Volunteers:↑top
For volunteer info or services please contact us via email
Boardmembers:↑top
- Hans Rey (Executive Director)
- Andrew Herrick (Chairman of the Board)
- Carmen Freeman (Treasurer, Secretary)
- Diana Graber
- Mark Peterman
- Joey Santley
Financial Information:↑top
501(c)3 Non Profit Status Confirmation (.pdf file). Tax filings 2008 (PDF).
