rapha.cc/en/stories/rapha-foundation
Founded in 2019 with the mission of building a better future for cycling and cyclists, the Rapha Foundation now funds more than 20 organisations around the world committed to inspiring, empowering and supporting the next generation of riders and racers from under-represented communities in the sport.
The organisation invests $1.5 million a year in grassroots activities and recently announced five new groups would be added to the list of recipients. Starting this month, the Foundation will support the Berlin Cycling Club, Ride for Charlie, SportsAid and Cycling Canada who are joining a growing community of grantees around the globe. This round of funding also includes the World Bicycle Relief whom in 2021 the Rapha Foundation granted $150,000 per year for the following three years to support the Mobilised Communities programme in Kasungu, Malawi.
Simon Mottram, the founder of Rapha, said: "Riding a bike has transformed my life and I believe that cycling can make the world a much better place for all of us. This passion for the sport has driven us at Rapha from day one and our mission is to get millions more people to make cycling part of their lives. The Rapha Foundation is a powerful vehicle to help make this a reality, by increasing cycling participation and creating pathways into the sport for people who have often been excluded. I’m very excited and proud that the Rapha Foundation is investing millions of pounds to build a better future for cycling across the World."
Allison Dufosee, CEO of WBR UK, said: “Rapha has been a huge supporter of World Bicycle Relief over the past few years, notably for the Black Friday fundraising activations and the massively successful Alt Tour in 2021. This three-year pledge to our Mobilised Communities programme in Malawi cements the strong relationship between our organisations and the Rapha Foundation’s substantial commitment to mobilising people who have only ever walked. We send huge thanks from our community to Rapha’s for making this possible.”
Organizations in the EU, US, UK, and Asia-Pacific are all eligible for grants. Potential grantees are invited to apply for funding on a biannual basis. Applicants must be registered charities, including 501c3 organizations for US-based institutions, and equivalent institutions outside the US. Members of the public may nominate a grantee through the following link.
The Rapha Foundation has been made possible by Steuart Walton and Tom Walton, Rapha shareholders, along with Simon Mottram, the founder and CEO of Rapha. Steuart and Tom provided seed funding for the Rapha Foundation, distributing $1.5m in 2019.
About Rapha Foundation
The Rapha Foundation was created in 2019 by Rapha founder and CEO Simon Mottram, and shareholders Tom Walton and Steuart Walton to provide direct funding to organizations that introduce cycling to underserved populations. As part of this effort, the Rapha Foundation strives to take aspiring racers on a journey from their local park to podiums at the top of the sport on a global scale. For more information on how to apply, please visit www.rapha.com/foundation.
The Rapha Foundation is administered as a donor advised fund at an independent US-based charitable organization. All grants are subject to US rules and regulations for charitable donations (which apply to both domestic and international organizations).
About World Bicycle Relief
World Bicycle Relief mobilises people through The Power of Bicycles. We are committed to helping people conquer the challenge of distance, achieve independence and thrive. In developing countries, millions of people walk for miles each day just to survive. On foot, individuals race against the sun to complete everyday tasks. Distance is a barrier to attending school, receiving healthcare, and delivering goods to market. World Bicycle Relief delivers specially designed, locally assembled, rugged bicycles for people in need. We’ve developed an efficient, innovative, and scalable model to empower students, health workers, and entrepreneurs in rural developing regions with life-changing mobility.
