Team LIVESTRONG Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Are there deadlines for registration?
• The deadlines for team events outside of the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Series are based on entry availability. This is different per city and all entry applications are reviewed and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. If you already have obtained an entry to an event and simply want to join our team, please email teamlivestrong@LIVESTRONG.org.
  
  For the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Series, our event capacities are determined per city based on the number of people who can fit safely on each course. As a potential participant you can register the day of the event, but you will run the risk of being denied if the event is full. As the events draw closer, we'll update our website to alert participants if a ride or run is filling up. Don't miss your chance to participate, register today.

Is there an age minimum to register?
• For RAGBRAI, we ask that any participant under the age of 21 be accompanied by an adult, who is also a fundraiser for Team LIVESTRONG. For half marathons, the age limit is 16 and for full marathons, the limit is 18. For triathlons, please check the specific event's website. We have agreed to uphold the limitations set by our partners at these events.
  
  For the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Series, we welcome participants of all ages to join us. Minors (18 years of age or younger) must be accompanied at the event by a registered adult participant who also agrees to the fundraising commitment. Please note that the 60- to 100-mile ride options may include challenging hills not suitable for the novice rider. We recommend only experienced cyclists who are at least 16 years old register for the 60- to 100-mile distance options. Guardians of minors who wish to participate must sign an additional release form upon picking up the minor's bib during event weekend.

Can I participate in more than one Team LIVESTRONG event this year?
• Yes, you'll need to register and pay the necessary registration fee, as well as meet the minimum fundraising requirement for each separate Team LIVESTRONG event for which you are registered.
  
  Prior to your first event, please inform your fundraising coach that you plan on participating in multiple Team LIVESTRONG events. We would like you to use only one of your fundraising HQ pages to do your fundraising to avoid confusion for your donors. However, you must meet the fundraising requirement for each event (i.e., if you're participating in multiple events, you must meet the fundraising minimum for each event and funds cannot overlap). If you need money transferred from your main account to cover the minimum required for a separate Team LIVESTRONG event, please contact your coach two weeks prior to the event so that he/she may make the necessary adjustments.

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Ride for the Roses Questions

What is Ride for the Roses Weekend?
• Ride for the Roses Weekend is a celebration of LIVESTRONG's most enthusiastic supporters. This year, Ride for the Roses Weekend will be held in conjunction with the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin, October 18-20, 2013. Fundraisers from the following areas are eligible for Ride for the Roses Qualification: Team LIVESTRONG Challenge, Team LIVESTRONG rides, runs and tris, Grassroots Fundraising and Partnered Events. Participants must raise a minimum of $10,000 by Friday, September 27, 2013, by 5 p.m. CT, to be invited to participate in Ride for the Roses Weekend. For more information contact ridefortheroses@LIVESTRONG.org.

If I've raised at least $10,000 total but I've used my separate fundraising accounts (i.e. marathon and Challenge participant, or two Challenge cities) to do so, will I still be invited to Ride for the Roses?
• Prior to your first event, please inform your fundraising coach that you plan to participate in multiple events and would like your donation totals added together prior to receiving fundraising incentives. If the combined total of the donations you raise for all Team LIVESTRONG events is more than $10,000 as of 5 p.m. CT on September 27, 2013, you will be invited to Ride for the Roses. However, you must inform our staff that you want your donation totals added together before you participate in your first event. For more information contact ridefortheroses@LIVESTRONG.org.

What is the deadline for Ride for the Roses fundraising awards?
• Each year during the Ride for the Roses weekend we give awards to the top fundraisers throughout the year. The deadline for these awards is Monday, October 14, 2013 and winners will be notified that day by 3p.m CT. Awards will be presented to the top fundraiser in the following categories:
  • Team LIVESTRONG Challenge (Davis, Philadelphia, Austin)
  • Endurance events (All runs, walks, rides or triathlons)
  • Grassroots events
  • Partnered events

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Donations and Matching Gift Questions

Who should I make my check out to?
• Please make all checks payable to: LIVESTRONG Foundation.

Where do I mail donation checks?
• All donations must have a donation form attached and should be mailed to the address on the donation form:
  LIVESTRONG Foundation
  National Mail Processing Center
  P.O. Box 6002
  Albert Lea, MN 56007-6602

How do you know that a donation is for me?
• The only way we know that a mail-in contribution was made on your behalf is if the donor has placed your Participant ID on the memo line of their check, or attached the donation form to their check.

Is it necessary to send a separate donation form for each donation?
• Yes. In order for a donation to be processed properly it is necessary to send a separate completed donation form for each donation. We will process only one check per donation form. Donation forms can be found on your personal fundraising website.
  
  If you need a donation check to be split, please send a separate donation form for each participant and indicate the amount to be credited to each participant. Once a donation is posted to an account, it cannot be split.

What if a check is made out to me, not LIVESTRONG?
• If a donor makes the check out to you, simply endorse the check with your signature and "Payable to LIVESTRONG" and submit it with the donation form. Please note that the account holder on the check will receive the tax receipt from LIVESTRONG.

When will my donations show up in my account?
• Please allow 2–3 weeks for processing throughout the year. If you wish to follow up on a check that you or a donor sent in please email donations@LIVESTRONG.org.
  
  (When inquiring about a check please have a check #, date, amount, and name of account holder available. This will make for quicker processing time.)

Can I accept the bulk of the donations and write LIVESTRONG one check?
• We do not recommend this method of donation acceptance. If you collect all of the donations and deposit them into your account so that you can write one check, two things will happen: 1) The IRS will consider that deposit income in your account and you will be taxed on the amount, and 2) because the check is from your account, you, and not your donors, will receive a tax receipt from LIVESTRONG.

What should I know if I'm holding a fundraising event to support Team LIVESTRONG?
• When fundraising and putting on large events, it is not necessary to be a 501(c)(3) or use another organization's 501(c)(3) status. As an individual, you can set up a bank account under the name of your event. In order for there to be no tax implications, the balance of the account at the end of the year must be a zero balance. You also must have receipts of event expenses and proof that money was donated to LIVESTRONG.
  
  When holding an event where some of the proceeds will go to offset event costs, you must be very clear about communicating to donors what percentage of the money will go to LIVESTRONG and what percentage will go to offset event costs.

If a business donates goods or services for my event will they receive a tax receipt from LIVESTRONG?
• When a business donates goods or services to your event it is considered an "in-kind" donation to your event. The business did not donate the goods or services directly to LIVESTRONG; therefore, we cannot issue them a tax receipt.

Will I be notified of the donations in my account?
• Upon receiving a donation you will be sent an e-mail letting you know that a donation has been made to your fundraising progress.

Can I mail a cash donation with a donation form?
• No, please do not mail a cash donation with a donation form. We cannot accept cash donations. For any cash donation you receive, please convert the cash to a cashier's check and mail it with a completed donation form. Please be sure to include the donor's personal information on the donation form so that an accurate receipt can be generated for tax purposes. Please do not deposit the cash into your own account and write a check for that amount; the IRS regards this as income and in addition, if a check is written from your account, you would then receive the tax receipt. It isn't possible to have a check written from your personal account credited to another donor. However, if you have several cash donations from different donors and want to convert them to one check, you can accompany one cashier's check with multiple donation forms to indicate the amount that each donor contributed. Each donor will receive a tax receipt for the amount specified on their donation form.

A donor is requesting a 501(c)(3) letter. What is that and how can I get a copy?
• The 501(c)(3) letter is proof that the LIVESTRONG Foundation is recognized as a nonprofit organization by the federal government. Contact teamlivestrong@LIVESTRONG.org to obtain a copy of this form.

Can I transfer shares of stock as a donation?
• Yes, LIVESTRONG is able to receive this type of donation. If your donors are interested in making a donation of stock, or donating via wire transfer, please contact teamlivestrong@LIVESTRONG.org, to ensure that you receive credit for this donation and your donor receives a tax receipt.

What should I do if I have a question about a matching gift?
• Please complete the matching gift form with all the details necessary for our staff to look into your matching gift issue. Upon submission of this form, our staff will be in touch within 2 business days.

What additional information should I include with my matching gift form?
• To ensure that the participant you are sponsoring will be credited when the gift is matched, please write the participant's name, event location and participant ID in the upper right hand corner of the matching gift form. If your company's matching gift form is completed online and a "notes" field is provided please include the participant's name, event city and participant ID.
  
  Also, please attach a copy of your donation receipt (if available) to the matching gift form.
  
  Once you have made a copy of the matching gift form to retain for your own records, you should mail the original form to:
  
  LIVESTRONG Foundation
  Attn: Matching Gifts
  National Mail Processing Center
  P.O. Box 6002
  Albert Lea, MN 56007-6602

How long will it take for a matching gift form to be processed and mailed back to the matching gift company?
• When we receive your matching gift form it will be verified and sent back to the company within two weeks to be matched. we encourage our participants to check with their companies as to whether this can be done through an online portal for ease of processing. Also, please review the lifecycle of a matching gift, which details how long this process could potentially take from start to finish if you have more questions.

How long will it take for the matching gift to show on my donation report?
• This depends on the company's policy. Please please review the lifecycle of a matching gift, which deatils how long this process could take from start to finish if you have further questions. The best thing you can do is be an advocate for your matching goft. Contact your company to find out how often matching gifts are distributed. Determine what, if anything, you can do to expedite the process or make sure your donation is processed as quickly as possible. Once we receive the matching gift check, it will be processed and added to your donation report within two-three weeks. Please note that on occasion, the matching gift companies do not note on the check that the funds were intended for your account. If you have confirmed that the matching gift company mailed the check to us and three weeks has passed, please contact us at teamlivestrong@LIVESTRONG.org so we can be sure to credit the funds to your account.

Can I get credit for an expected matching gift?
• Unfortunately we are not able to provide credit for expected matching gifts. We do this because a matching gift company can, at any time, amend its program and/or its payout schedule. Once funds are received they will be credited to your account.

 

What happens if the matching gift is not approved by the matching gift company?
• If the matching gift company does not approve a matching gift, the company will contact either the donor or Team LIVESTRONG with a denial notification. If Team LIVESTRONG is contacted, we will pass the information on to the participant.

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Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Questions

Is the format of your events changing in 2013?
• At LIVESTRONG, our goal is to keep our events dynamic in order to meet the interests of the cities and populations we visit. In 2013, based on participant feedback and additional internal analysis, we've decided to vary what events are offered in each city. Although we may not offer the exact same options we offered in previous years, our goal is always to provide the best Team LIVESTRONG Challenge experience possible.
  
  In Davis, we will offer only a bike ride. In Philly, in order to accommodate a larger number of participants, we will maintain a two-day format with the walk/run on Saturday and the ride on Sunday. And finally, in Austin, we will offer a ride on Sunday.

Why did you remove the 5K as an option in Austin?
• As part of the Austin community, we are facing stiff competition with the number of walks and runs happening each weekend in Austin. For the past few years, we have lowered our registration fee in an attempt to make participation easy and affordable for those in the community. However, after multiple years of declining participation rates and rising permitting and infrastructure costs, we made the very difficult decision to discontinue the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge 5K.
  
  On a positive note, we have a growing relationship with the LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon and Half Marathon which also provides a 3.1 mile option through the Paramount Break-a-Leg 5K. Join Team LIVESTRONG for this event and you have the opportunity to fundraise for LIVESTRONG and earn the incentives, just like you did for the Challenge.
  
  We will also continue to work with our community partners to identify other run/walk outlets for LIVESTRONG cancer fighters.

How do you select your weekends?
• We work with each city and review their local calendars to make sure we do not create a conflict with another similar event and also to ensure the city can provide an adequate and safe level of logistical support. Our goal is to fill gaps in the city's schedule and/or provide events that are not currently being offered. Additionally we try to choose an appropriate time of year suitable for cycling and outdoor events so typical weather in each area is an important consideration as well.

Is there a health insurance requirement to register for a Team LIVESTRONG Challenge?
• Yes. All registered participants (and volunteers) must have personal health insurance during the time of the event in order to participate. Although we provide emergency medical services at stops along the route free of charge, each participant must have personal medical insurance to cover the cost of any medical services received away from the event (for example, ambulance transport and emergency room costs). If you are unable to obtain health insurance, please contact teamlivestrong@LIVESTRONG.org to sign an insurance waiver.

What if I want to recommend my city for a Challenge?
• The Challenge is a very big undertaking and we take particular care in making sure these events are the right fit for each city we enter. While we greatly appreciate our participants' enthusiasm for our expansion plans, we encourage them to consider other athletic events we participate in as Team LIVESTRONG as an alternative means of supporting the fight against cancer. If your passion lies in organizing an athletic event, please consider registering any event you plan through our grassroots fundraising program.

What should I know about the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Mentor Program?
• The Team LIVESTRONG Mentor Program is designed to help our participants recognize their fundraising goals. Longtime and proven fundraisers with a history of Team LIVESTRONG participation, our Mentors steward each participant in his/her fundraising efforts. Our Mentors offer effective and innovative approaches to fundraising which result in an average increase of $600 raised by a participant with a Mentor versus one without. Mentors work with participants via email and actively communicate with their respective groups once a month. We truly believe in the successes of this program and encourage you to request a fundraising Mentor today.

When does the 2013 Team LIVESTRONG Challenge fundraising begin and end?
• Our 2013 season launched on December 3, 2012, and all participants who register will have active fundraising pages. Please note that fundraising minimums must be met prior to each event but your fundraising web pages will remain active until the end of November so that you can still receive support from family and friends throughout the year.
  
  At the end of each event season we will shut down the event web pages as we prepare to launch the next event cycle. Once those pages are shut down you will no longer have access to them or be able to fundraise from that page. You will need to register for a new event and begin your fundraising via that new web page.

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