Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I collect pledges after completing the event?

A. Sure. Your fundraising page will be active for two weeks after your event to give you the opportunity to collect donations from outstanding and post-event supporters. However, we encourage your champions to donate before your event.

Q. Will my contributors be contacted by HRC after the event?

A. It depends. We will consider people who sponsor you to be members of HRC and may send them periodic e-mail updates on our work to advance LGBT equality. However, when they make their donation, they have the ability to opt out and instruct us to not contact them in the future

Q. I would like to raise some big bucks for HRC, but have never done fundraising before. What do you suggest?

A. We can definitely help here. Consider the following ideas:

Reach out to your friends, colleagues and family. When you register, we provide you with a sample fundraising letter that you can tailor to tell your story about being an Athlete for Equality. Be personal and specific about your motivation for fundraising. Don't forget to include photos to engage your readers. Then compile a list of e-mail addresses for all of your friends, family, colleagues, contacts on Facebook, etc., to share the news about your race! Many athletes reach their fundraising goals just by sending e-mails to everyone in their address book. Your e-mail will need to include a link to your personal fundraising page. Don't forget to keep this updated as you progress with your training.

Plan a fundraising party. A simple night in with drinks and snacks can turn into a fundraising success, with the help of our HRC video that you can show to your guests.

Get creative. Plan yard sales, car washes and bake sales.

Q. Can my sponsors pay by check?

A. Yes! Please ask them to make the check payable to the Human Rights Campaign and address it to the following:

Human Rights Campaign
c/o Athlete for Equality
1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036

Q.Can my sponsors pay by cash?

A. We try to encourage all donors to pay by credit card, check or money order to avoid a risk of loss. If you receive cash, we would prefer that you write a personal check to HRC or get a money order to avoid cash going through the mail. Then please send the check or money order to HRC.

Q. Will my sponsors receive a receipt?

A. Yes, they will receive an acknowledgment of their contribution.. The confirmation will indicate that the donations are not tax-deductible.

Q. Will HRC guide me through my training program?

A. No. This program is open to all athletic events. HRC cannot take any responsibility for organizing your training. We encourage you to enter into training only after consulting with your physician. If you've never done an event of this type before, please consult with someone knowledgeable in this field of athletics.

Q. Is there a minimum age requirement to participate?

A.We ask that all athletes be at least 18 years old. If you're under 18 years old and interested in participating, please contact us at athlete@hrc.org.

Have a question or concern we didn't cover? Feel free to e-mail us at athlete@hrc.org.