How We Do It
Portland Wheelers has a very simple organizational structure and operating model.
A Board of Directors composed of volunteers oversees the programming and overall direction of the organization.
Our volunteers pedal our trikes, engage with our wheelers and share with them the experience of our community on three wheels.
Our Operations Manager oversees daily operations, working with seasonal staff, coordinating volunteers, interacting with ride partners and supporting the entire Portland Wheelers community. Our part-time Administrative Assistant supports the organization’s back office work, and a small (and mighty!) seasonal staff deliver our trikes to ride locations, assist at ride locations and with administrative functions.
We have two all electric E-Transit vans that carry our trikes and all ride supplies to ride locations.
Our only physical location is a rented garage in South Portland that houses our trucks, trikes, EV and trike chargers.
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 weekdays and 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.
