Ruben Alvarado didn’t want to be that guy.
But just two months into his tenure as executive director of the nonprofit Community Cycling Center, he was faced with an unenviable set of options: Raise $350,000 in less than four months to stave off a financial crisis, or be forced to close the beloved Portland institution that has provided bicycles and education programs to northeast Portland for over three decades.
Alvarado knew that if he showed up and the CCC closed down, he’d always be remembered as bad guy — regardless of the fact that the problems began before he arrived. But in a speech at Bike Happy Hour last night, Alvarado said a “really dark cloud” is now behind him and the organization.
“I’d like to raise my glass and make a toast to Portland… I’m here to announce that we have met our fundraising goal.”
The CCC has surpassed the final goal of the campaign they launched in September thanks to contributions from over 1,000 people. “Those people said, ‘the Community Cycling Center is worth it to us and we want this to be an institution that endures’.”
Beyond the organizational hustle required to pull off a campaign like this, the CCC also spent the last four months scouring their overhead to slim down and prove they were serious about changing their ways going forward. Alvarado said last night they have already slashed $500,000 in expenses from their books.
The next step is to, “Shore up and plan for the future,” Alvarado added.
In a statement on their website, the CCC says the recent influx of donations enables them to remain a reliable resource and continue to provide access to bicycling and its myriad benefits for thousands of clients each year.
For Alvarado, it’s a chance to move with confidence into a new era for the CCC. “I’m thankful for this community to just receive me with open arms and really feel the warmth from the Portland community,” he shared last night. “Thank you so much. And here’s another toast to you!”
Watch Alvarado’s speech below (or on Instagram):
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So happy to hear this news! I have a few old bikes I’d like to donate.
3rd paragraph: new -> knew
We just witnessed some seriously bold leadership.
How much blame is on individuals on the board or previously ED’s? Which people specifically dug this hole? Seems like they will just hop to new nonprofits but there should be some accountability.
Gee sounds like this would be a prime candidate for PCEF funds. I wonder why they don’t qualify but City Bureaus doing their normal jobs that have nothing to do with saving the environment do, like PBOT building sidewalks?
To be clear, CCC has received a bunch of PCEF funding for doing actual program work. PCEF would never fund general expenses or bail out an org.
And one of the challenges for CCC and many other nonprofits is that grants come to them for specific projects, and in this case CCC has to DO the projects in order to be REIMBURSED by the grant … which means they need $$ in the meanwhile to keep the org going. Basically, if you donated to the current CCC campaign, for every $1 you invested they will $8 (I think that’s correct) in grants they have ALREADY secured for projects.
I would love to see a nonprofit that does bike maintenance funded through PCEF. As I’ve said elsewhere, I don’t think capitalism can sustain a city full of easily accessible bike mechanics (which is why they have to be bike retailers with mechanical work as a generous side hustle). People just aren’t willing to pay what it really costs to do bike repairs given the low cost of bikes. At least not enough people. So subsidizing this somehow with PCEF seems like a plausible use of funds. Unless they’re somehow hamstrung by the ridiculous nonprofit semi-requirement.
Why is the nonprofit restriction only a “semi-requirement”?
We should ask one of the 23 PCEF board members.
Maybe a PCEF public subsidy of corner chop-shops? Consolidate and regulate them under a new 501c3 nonprofit and call it Chop-Shop Repair & Recycling? Many of them already have accounts with bottom-feeder distributors like J&B.
Is “slashed … expenses from their book” a euphemism for firing some employees?
Sounds more like murdering them in the alleyway.
Wouldn’t be the first time.
Well, you can’t slash rent, or utilities, or the wholesale price of parts, so…
While I’m not sure of the all of the details about CCC’s bloated buget, I do know that they have a van they use to transport bikes from their warehouse to the shop space which has tons of deffered maitenence. I think it’d be cool if they went car-free. I could be mistaken here, but I believe they actually had more than one warehouse/storage space they were renting. I know there’s the one they share with Bike Farm, but I think I was told there was an additional location as well. They do a lot with the small space they have on Alberta, but scaling down on backstock and finding a cheaper storage option closer to Alberta street would free up a lot of funds.
Well, Alvarado’s job is secured. He’s likely the highest paid employee at the CCC.