How We Do It
Portland Wheelers has a very simple organizational structure and operating model.
A Board of Directors composed of volunteers oversees the daily operations and overall direction of the organization.
Volunteers manage all activities of the organization and deliver most services.
A small (and mighty!) seasonal staff deliver our trikes to ride locations, assist at ride locations and with administrative functions.
We have two trucks and trailers that carry our trikes and all ride supplies to ride locations.
Our only physical location is a rented garage in Portland that houses our trucks, trailers, and trikes.
Individual donors are our largest source of income. Business sponsors, fundraising events, and miscellaneous revenue completes our income picture. We deliver all of our services for free. We do not charge or receive any income for our services.
The Maine weather dictates our ride season. Our regular season is May through September. Weather permitting, we can extend into October and provide bonus rides.
During the regular season we provide rides for our ride partners every weekday, morning and afternoon. On frequent Saturdays we provide rides for our Come To Us community.
Our service area now extends north to Falmouth, south to Scarborough, and west to Gorham. Our limited service area helps our operational efficiency. This way we can meet the greatest demand on a regular basis using a minimum of resources.
While we have limited our service area, we still hope to encourage others to explore providing a wheeler experience in their communities. We are always available to consult with others.