Bearings Bike Works 2021-22 Impact Report

BEARINGS BIKE WORKS 2021-22 IMPACT REPORT

2 BEARINGS BIKE WORKS is to put the right tools in the hands of youth enabling them to advance their skills to build productive lives.

OUR MISSION is to see those that we serve take ownership of their lives with character and purpose and experience the freedom of economic mobility.

OUR VISION is only possible because of the generous support of donors like you who believe in our mission. Thank you for being part of this important work preparing youth for future success and making an impact in the lives of those we serve. OUR WORK

FROM THE DIRECTORS 2021-2022 ANNUAL REPORT 3

Let’s

Finally, we launched a program that has been in the works for the past three years that we’re incredibly proud of. The Bearings Youth Mountain Biking team kicked off their first competitive season in July 2021 and competed in the Georgia Cycling Association’s fall race series. Bearings kids love to ride, and they ride their bikes a lot. But having something to invite them into beyond recreational riding has not existed until now. We’re proud of the model we’re building for engaging an inner-city community in the sport of mountain biking and what it could mean for the future of the sport, as well as the lifelong ridership of our students as they fall in love with the activity and develop the skills to ride safely and successfully. To our community of supporters, we thank you for your generous support and helping us end the fiscal year strong. We also want to note that for the second year in a row, Bearings is able to share that 100% of donations to Bearings goes directly to programming. We also want to affirm to you that Bearings Bike Works is and has always been 100% privately funded. We do not take government funding at any level, meaning the impact we have on our community comes directly from the desire of individuals, companies, and philanthropic community leaders to help our neighbors flourish, specifically youth growing up in the city of Atlanta. We’ve got big plans for the year ahead and hope you’ll come along for the ride! We hope you’re encouraged by the stories of impact we’re sharing in this year’s report. We’re so proud of the students we serve, the skills they’re developing, the confidence that comes from doing so, and the relationships that surround it all, as we help students prepare to step into adulthood with the tools they need to do so.

TimRide!&Becky O’Mara Executive Director & Director of Development

Weren’t we all “ready to ride” in 2021? In more ways than one, we were ready to leave the past behind us and ride out into the future. For Bearings, that desire took shape in a number of ways. We’re proud to say that all of Bearings’ programming was back up and running and offered in-person to the southwest Atlanta community last year. We served grateful families and excited kids ready to wrench on bikes and connect with friends in Skills for Life and Gearing Up. While still a rebuilding year in terms of the number of students we served, our students logged over 3,000 hours learning, resulting in 75 mechanical advancements, evidence of the mechanical skills development happening during programming. Our summer Frameworks internship had a landmark year as well, with 7 young men working at Bearings in their first job ever and making marked improvements in their employment skills.

In the summer of 2021, a group of students from across the city took to the trails to kick off their first-ever competitive mountain biking season as the Bearings Southwest Atlanta Composite Team. This marked the launch of Bearings’ first ever riding-based program and a new opportunity for skills development for our students.

SMASHING

AND

The Georgia Cycling Association provides a top-notch program that equips teams from all over the state to train and compete in the sport of mountain biking. However, the sport presents numerous barriers to entry, like costs of gear and trailworthy bikes, as well as access to trails. Bearings is able to utilize its unique infrastructure and resources to break down those barriers and provide access to the fun, engaging world of competitive cycling.

BARRIERS

4 BEARINGS BIKE WORKS

MOUNTAIN BIKING TEAM ROOTS BUSTING

The importance of introducing a sport-based program not only allows youth to develop positive, mentoring relationships with coaches and a social support system among their peers, but also impacts current and long-term health outcomes. While many youth in our programs ride their bikes recreationally or to get from place to place, few ride for exercise alone. The impact of the program is evident in riders like Kobe. In the first four races of the season, Kobe was pulled from the race at the 45-minute time cap. He continued to work on his speed and agility at practices, and was determined to complete the last race of the season. At the fifth and final race, Kobe crossed the finish line for the first time! For his accomplishments during the season, Kobe was presented with the Trailblazer Award by the Georgia Cycling Association for persevering through challenges, overcoming adversity, and serving as an inspirational role model to riders across the state. With this exciting new program, we are able to bring diversity to the sport of mountain biking and introduce students to the adventure, camaraderie, and fun that comes from riding in the woods. Our goal is to create lifelong ridership in a new community of riders and, while doing so, build a model for other inner-city communities to do the same. “Entering my second season as Head Coach for the Southwest Atlanta Composite Team, I couldn’t be more thrilled with the opportunity to see first-hand the accomplishment of student goals both mentally and physically.”DEREKBOYD, HEAD COACH

SOUTHSIDE PARK PROJECT

Southside Park is a 211-acre City of Atlanta park located just east of the Atlanta airport, featuring a 7.5-mile, three-loop progressive trail system. The park is an incredible forested venue for outdoor recreation that was designed for mountain biking, trail running, and hiking. It also serves as the home trail system for Bearings’ Youth Mountain Biking Team.

Kenny Griffin, Georgia Cycling Executive Director, sees Southside Park as an investment that will benefit not only the SWAT team, but the future of mountain biking on Atlanta’s southside. “We are making a physical impact on the community through our collaborative work at Southside Park. The investment in time and money made by Georgia Cycling and its partners at Southside Park has created the appropriate trail conditions for Southwest Atlanta Composite to facilitate safe team practices,” Griffin said. “But the improvements will impact more than just the SWAT team; this area will now serve as a catalyst for future programming. As the sport of youth mountain biking grows in popularity, future teams on Atlanta’s southside will have a place to hone their skills. Together we can be proud about building a lasting community asset.”

Work on this exciting project began in early 2022 and is expected to be completed this summer. We’re looking forward to hitting the trails to prepare for the fall 2022 race season!

100% of participants had increased levels of physical activity 100% of participants had decreased lap times

In 2021, with generous support from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Bearings partnered with MTB Atlanta, The City of Atlanta, Georgia Cycling Association, and Fox Factory’s Trail Trust Initiative, garnering over $110,000 to improve and optimize the park’s trail system.

2021-2022 ANNUAL REPORT 5

KENNY GRIFFIN, GEORGIA CYCLING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

On average, participants spent over 100 hours riding over the course of the season The team competed in 5 races and participated in 26 practices

“It has been a pleasure watching the growth and success of the Southwest Atlanta Composite Team through the great work of Bearings Bike Works. It is so rewarding to watch kids from the program be able to participate on a Georgia Cycling team and to share the excitement of youth mountain biking with their peers. We are grateful for our partnership with Bearings Bike Works and look forward to continuing to remove barriers so that more Southwest Atlanta youth can experience the physical and social benefits of mountain biking.”

The team placed 13 overall out of 36 teams from across the state

“I want to start up a tech company, build robots, and invent things,” Arthur said. “I’m working towards that goal every day, and I think this job helped me get suited for that position.”

FRAMEWORKS BUILDING SUCCESS

Bearings 2021 interns accept a Litespeed Pinhoti III bike frame donated by American Bicycle Group during a workplace field trip. (Opposite, bottom right) Bearings interns and staff celebrated at our annual fundraiser, BBQ & Brew, after the custom bike was auctioned off to the highest bidder. (Opposite, bottom left) Arthur was part of the team that participated in the custom bike build project during his 2021 internship.

Your first job isn’t just about earning a paycheck. At Bearings, it’s where the foundation for future success is built. Our Frameworks Advanced Job Training Program provides teens with real-life work experience and skill-building opportunities, using bikes as tools for learning and development. The ultimate goal is for graduates of the program to leave Bearings better prepared for the workforce.

The project centered around a Litespeed Pinhoti III Titanium frame generously donated to Bearings during a workplace field trip to American Bicycle Group in Chattanooga, Tenn. The team of interns worked together to assemble a high-end bike with a custom set of parts and components. The project gave the teen mechanics the opportunity to put the skills they’d developed over the summer to use and to hone those skills even further. For some, like Arthur, those skills will provide an important foundation for their future careers.

The Frameworks program is designed with a variety of components to prepare participants for the workforce: vocational field trips, financial literacy classes, leadership opportunities, and of course, mechanical training. Last summer, several of our Frameworks participants had the opportunity to take their mechanical skills training to another level with a custom bike build project that served as a culmination of their work in the internship. FROM THE FRAME UP

The bike build also allowed the interns to take ownership of an important project, giving them the opportunity to gain confidence and feel empowered―character strengths they will carry with them in their future endeavors.

“It feels awesome to know that [Co-Founders] Tim and Becky are trusting us with this,” Arthur said. “It feels really good that I got to help out on this bike … I’m a mechanic now.”

The custom Litespeed Pinhoti III Mountain Bike was auctioned off at Bearings’ annual fundraiser, BBQ & Brew, in October. The bike raised $4,500 for Bearings’ youth programs, and it was a special moment for the interns who contributed to the project, knowing their hard work made an impact in their (Opposite,community.top)

2021-2022 ANNUAL REPORT 7 60% fundparticipantsofreachtheirstarteremergencysavingsgoal 100% developmentalhigh-qualityparticipantsofformedatleastonerelationship* 100% anparticipantsofexperiencedincreaseinmechanicalaptitude theFrameworkswasthefirstexposuretoworkforcefor 100% of our participants2021 workedInternsatotalof 1,660 hours, with 286 coachingspenthoursinouryouthprogram At the end of the internship, 4 teens were hired on to work in a more official capacity as mechanics either in the youth program or the sales and service bike shop *As defined by The Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework

“She’s gotten a lot better and a lot more confident. She’s coming out of her shell being at the bike shop. Her social intelligence has improved dramatically,” Nena Whensaid.Atlanta Public Schools resumed in-person learning last fall, we were eager to welcome those students back to our program as well. Gearing Up serves students who struggle in a traditional classroom, teaching them responsibility, perseverance, self-management, communication, and critical thinking. Greg Giornelli, President and CEO of Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, says there is noticeable growth in students who attend Gearing Up as part of their school day.

Khepera, Nena’s daughter, has been attending the program regularly for over a year, and Nena has noticed significant positive changes in her confidence and skills.

In 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, we saw an increased need for programs like ours. While most schools and youth programs were still operating virtually, we were able to safely continue in-person programming in our newly renovated program space. From conversations with kids and parents in the community, we knew the in-person, hands-on learning that takes place at Bearings was more needed than ever before. “During COVID times, it was a great outlet for them,” said Nena, the mom of four of our program participants. “They could have somewhere to go besides the house and still learn things that they didn’t know about before. It was a great opportunity to learn something new, meet people, get out of the house, and learn something constructive.”

During a time when opportunities for engagement for youth were few and far between, we’re grateful we were able to open our doors to students and provide meaningful skills development programming that we know can have a positive impact in the classroom, at home, and beyond.

"Bearings is an extraordinary partner for our schools,” Giornelli said. “The programming is interesting, challenging, and engaging for our students, and it develops and reinforces critical social-emotional skills. Kids learn in so many different ways. Bearings is a nontraditional learning model that helps our students thrive in more traditional educational settings. We can see the difference in the ‘Bearings kids’ every day."

At Bearings, we deliver our mechanical skills curriculum in two formats: Skills for Life, our after-school drop-in program, and Gearing Up, our school partnership program with Purpose Built Schools Atlanta. On a bustling afternoon in The Garage you’ll find a micro-economy where students earn stars for each hour they work on bikes and save up to “buy” a bike of their own. It’s this incentive that draws many kids to Bearings. But participants in our programs walk away with much more than just a bike they develop meaningful relationships with adult mentors, build mechanical and soft skills, develop character strengths, and create a solid foundation for future success.

8 BEARINGS BIKE WORKS

Bearings’ youth programs intentionally create a space where youth feel welcomed, safe, and cared-for.

SKILLS FOR LIFE / GEARING UP MAKING SPACE TO GROW

100% 75 3,056 OF YOUTH SURVEYED REPORTED HAVING AT LEAST ONE HIGH-QUALITYRELATIONSHIP*DEVELOPMENTAL MECHANICALADVANCEMENTSLEVEL HOURS OF LEARNINGLIFEFORSKILLS

2021-2022 ANNUAL REPORT 9 86% 30100% OF YOUTH SURVEYED REPORTED HAVING AT LEAST ONE HIGH-QUALITYRELATIONSHIP*DEVELOPMENTAL PARTICIPATEDSTUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM OF STUDENTS PASSED STARTING POINT, THE FIRST LEVEL OF OUR MECHANICAL SKILLS CURRICULUMUPGEARING *As defined by The Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework

BEARINGS BIKE WORKS 11 $1,019,504INCOMEFINANCIALS $871,522EXPENSES MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS: $712,203 | 70% EARNED REVENUE: $230,084 | 22% NON-CASH GIFTS: $37,152 | 4% OTHER INCOME*: $40,065 | 4% PROGRAM SERVICES: $708,464 | 82% GENERAL & ADMINISTRATION: $108,216 | 12% FUNDRAISING: $54,842 | 6% *Other income includes event proceeds and interest income. This Annual Report reflects Bearings Bike Works’ Fiscal Year of April 1, 2021–March 31, 2022. At the publication of this report in August 2022, these financials were unaudited. To request full audited financials or the 2021 Form 990, please contact us at hello@bearingsbikeworks.org. 70% 22% 4% 82% 12% 6% 4%

Bearings Works is grateful for the leadership of a thoughtful and dedicated Board of Directors that collaborates with the staff to put the right tools in the hands of youth, enabling them to advance their skills to build productive lives. STACYE BRIM Chairwoman STB Consulting EVAN LONGSTRETH Treasurer Ron Blue Trust ALEX DOMINGUEZ Four Stones Real Estate EDDIE FERGUSON Truist Bank DAN HELLER Retired, King & Spalding, LLP DARRYL LESURE Chick-fil-A DAVID METTER 12Stone Church CHUCK OGLETREE Southtree Commercial TIM O’MARA Bearings Bike Works BOARD OF DIRECTORS