Release: Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021
Contact: Nick DelleDonne ,
delledonne.n@comcast.net, 703 929 6656
WABA’s DC Funding Raises Questions
DC taxpayers are subsidizing the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), funding a big chunk of its budget.
Perhaps the major public advocate for bicyclists in the region, WABA identifies itself as a nonprofit, tax exempt, educational corporation that lobbies elected officials, including members of the DC City Council. It calls itself “a powerful movement to make biking the best way to get around [and its] membership. . . helps us stand tall when we advocate and organize for safer streets, connected trails, and better places to ride.” Registered as a 501(c)3 organization, it is a membership organization with nominal “pay-what-you-can” dues.
However, the major part of WABA's budget comes from the DC Government, according to online city contracting and federal tax records. The city allocated $655,731 in FY2018, $849,377 in FY2019, $292,998 in FY2020 and $1,105,507 in FY2021, or almost $3 million over the last four years. Here is a link to WABA 2018 tax return https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JsNqQx9be0a4GkcBsotejtj3NiB4FyLL/view?usp=sharing
On the expenditure side, WABA appears to have a staff of almost 20 people with such titles as Outreach Manager, Adult Education Coordinator, Youth & Family Coordinator, Business Partnerships Coordinator, Membership & Development Coordinator and DC Bike Ambassador Coordinator. It also has corporate sponsors, including JBG SMITH Properties, REI Coop clothing store, and Uber and Lyft.
With its overwhelming city financial support, the question arises: How independent is WABA? Is it really a DC agency spending taxpayer money to advocate for itself? Should it register with the DC Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA) as a lobbying organization. Is this a relationship that the DC Auditor and the Inspector General should take a look at?