FAQ

AIDS Walk San Francisco 2019 primarily benefits Project Open Hand, PRC, and Ward 86. Other recipients of major AIDS Walk funding include the National AIDS Memorial, AIDS Legal Referral Panel, and dozens of other local AIDS service organizations. These groups provide access to health care, nutritious meals, housing, education, and more for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in the Bay Area. 

We do not require walkers to raise a minimum amount of money. However, we encourage everyone to set a fundraising goal and do their best to achieve it. Additionally, fundraising walkers for AIDS Walk San Francisco are eligible for Fundraising Awards. Those who raise $1,000 or more become one of our elite Star Walkers™, receiving additional awards and other special perks!

With more than 300 that sign up each year, forming or joining a team is one of the most popular and engaging ways to have a memorable AIDS Walk experience! A team is simply any group that registers to raise funds and walk together. They include companies, schools, religious institutions, or other organizations in the tristate area. Many friends and family teams also participate, some of whom walk in memory of those they have lost, or to support friends and family living with HIV/AIDS. Teams can range in size from two to more than 1,000 walkers. Each team is assigned an AIDS Walk Fundraising Specialist from our staff to guide its fundraising and keep in touch with tips, tools, and information about incentives and special events leading up to the Walk.

Mark your calendar for Sunday, July 14, 2019!

8:30 a.m. – Sign-In Opens
9:00 a.m. – Aerobic Warm-up
9:15 a.m. – Opening Ceremony Begins
10:00 a.m. – AIDS Walk San Francisco Begins
12:00 p.m. – Post-Walk Show Begins

It is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and takes roughly 2 to 3 hours to complete.

Please make checks payable to “AIDS Walk San Francisco” or “AWSF.”

It is not a good idea to send a cash donation in the mail. You may drop off the cash at Early Sign-In or on the day of the event. 

Or, you can deposit the cash into your checking account and send a personal check from your account. Be sure to include the name of the walker being sponsored.

You can mail donations to:

AIDS Walk San Francisco 
P.O. Box 193502
San Francisco, CA 94119-3502

Please note: clearly write the name of the person you are sponsoring on the check or on a separate piece of paper; otherwise, your contribution could be credited as a general donation. 

If a donation check has been written out to you personally, you may endorse the back of the check and mail it in with a completed donation form to AIDS Walk San Francisco.

Anyone who donates online, regardless of the amount, will receive a receipt via email. If someone donates via cash or check, they can request a receipt by calling the AIDS Walk San Francisco office, 415.615.WALK (9255), or getting in touch with us through our online contact form. You may also email sfinfo@aidswalk.net. 

No. We strongly discourage our participants from collecting donations in public spaces such as street corners, public transportation, street festivals, and door-to-door from businesses. We advise you not to give donations (cash, checks, or credit card information) to someone you do not know who is soliciting donations in these settings. Please contact the AIDS Walk San Francisco office for more information, or if you feel someone is collecting funds in an unsafe or unendorsed manner.

Fill out this form. You will be guided through the registration process. Once your registration is complete, you will receive a confirmation email from sfinfo@aidswalk.net. If you register by phone, mail, or fax and provide us with an email address, you will receive the same email with a temporary password if you have not selected one for yourself. Log in so you can update your profile information and personalize your page.

All walkers should register using their home address. If you must use your office address, make sure you include your company name.

The Star Walkers Club is made up of walkers who set a goal of raising $1,000 or more for AIDS Walk San Francisco. Those who achieve this goal will receive additional awards, recognition, and an All-Access Star Walker Pass on the day of the AIDS Walk. With the pass, Star Walkers will enjoy a hot breakfast, photo booth, and more at the exclusive Star Walker Breakfast on the morning of the event.

At the time of registration or any time before AIDS Walk San Francisco, walkers can request to be mailed a Walker Kit. This includes Sponsor Forms, a Commitment Letter, an addressed envelope to mail in donations and a voter registration form if requested. If your company has sent us a Matching Gift Form, that will also be mailed in the kit.

Virtual Walker is someone who is unable to physically be at the event, but would still like to register and fundraise with us – we welcome everyone! On the day of the event, you may choose to wear a red ribbon to show that you stand with the AIDS Walk San Francisco community. Do you have a group of people that would like to fundraise for the AIDS Walk, but cannot make it to the event? Consider forming a Virtual Team!

We offer a few simple suggestions to get started with your fundraising below. Contact the AIDS Walk San Francisco office at 415.615.9255 (WALK) for more assistance from our Fundraising Specialists.

• Set up your team or individual fundraising web page. Then send out an email to friends, family members, and co-workers. Each email sent from your HQ contains a link to sponsor you online with a credit card.
• Matching gift programs. Many companies have programs that match the contributions their employees give to a charitable organization. By utilizing the matching gift programs of your employer or your family and friends' employers, you can quickly double or triple your fundraising dollars.
• Host a fundraising party. Ask a local bar or restaurant to donate their space for a happy hour or fundraising dinner party. Charge a flat admission or suggest a donation. Plan a raffle, contest, or drink special to make the night exciting!
• Awards, premiums, and incentives! Give your Team Members or donors an incentive. Ask a local merchant to contribute to your fundraising by providing an incentive award or two. Reward the person who raises or gives the most!

There are many opportunities to get involved in AIDS Walk San Francisco, such as by becoming a corporate sponsor, making an in-kind donation, or volunteering. If you would like to find out more about any or all of these options, please contact the AIDS Walk San Francisco office at 415.615.9255 (WALK).

Yes, your username and password will remain the same as long as you register with the same email address you used in 2018. Fill out the registration form – it will allow you to access your account information from AIDS Walk San Francisco 2018.

On our new and improved website, your username is always the email address you used to register. If you forgot your password, click on the “Forgot Password?” link and enter your email address. You will receive an email with a link to reset your password. You will need to follow this link to update your password. Please email sfinfo@aidswalk.net for further assistance.

Due to processing fees, we require a minimum transaction amount for online credit card transactions. If you wish to use your credit card for less than $15, simply fill out your credit card information on the bottom of your Sponsor Form in the credit card section. If a sponsor wants to donate less than $15, ask a few sponsors to combine their donations, and one person can deposit those donations into their bank account, and use his or her credit or debit card to donate online. Each donor’s name can be listed in the donation text on the web page. If that is not possible, we will take credit card contributions over the phone, and checks and money orders in any amount are always greatly appreciated! You can mail those to us and make sure that the walker's name is on the check, so we know who gets the credit. Everything helps and we have many alternatives for you to contribute, so don't let the credit card minimum discourage you. If you have additional questions or need help please call our office at 415.615.9255 (WALK).

When you send an email from your HQ, the link to your individual fundraising web page will automatically be included in the bottom of the email. Also, on the home page of the website, friends and family can locate a participant by typing in the first and last name of the participant in the “Search Walkers and Teams” box. Upon clicking “Search,” they will be directed to the participant's individual fundraising web page.

While these searches are not case sensitive, you must type in the exact spelling of the first or last name of the person you are looking for. If you continue to have a problem locating a participant that you are sure has registered, please contact us at sfinfo@aidswalk.net or call 415.615.9255 (WALK).

Log In. (Don’t know your login information?) You can then view your donation report to see who has donated to you online and the amounts they have donated by clicking on the “My Fundraising Report” tab on the left of the web page.

While credit card donations made through the website will automatically appear on a walker’s personal web page, cash and check donations, or “offline” donations, require walkers to update their fundraising web pages by logging in and choosing the “Enter Offline Donation” option in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Any donations entered here that are $999 or less will appear on the walker’s web page within one business day. Donations of $1,000 or more must be received by the AIDS Walk San Francisco office before they are posted to a walker’s web page.

As your donors make a contribution, they have the option of whether or not they want to appear in the recognition scroll.

Yes. We have made every effort to protect your information. We use industry-standard SSL encryption techniques to make sure that your credit card information, passwords, and personal information travel securely over the Internet.

For security reasons, the website will time out if you are inactive for 20 minutes or more. Being active means clicking a link on the site. Typing a message does not keep you active on the site, so if you are typing a message, please save regularly. Be warned that there is no prompt to let you know you are being logged out.

A Team Leader's role is to recruit, inspire, and motivate people to register as well as raise funds for his or her team. In order to promote team participation, a Team Leader's first task is to email or pass out promotional cards or send recruitment emails to all potential walkers as quickly as possible. After walkers begin to register, following up on fundraising progress is the key to success.

Gold Teams are the top 20 fundraising teams from the previous year’s AIDS Walk. In recognition of their outstanding efforts, Gold Teams enjoy several perks, including their own exclusive meeting area on the day of the event, an exclusive Sign-In Area, and a professional team photo taken at the event.

A Team Meeting Station is a designated area for Team Members to meet up on the day of AIDS Walk San Francisco. Team Meeting Stations are arranged alphabetically in a designated area in Golden Gate Park. Many Team Leaders decorate their Meeting Stations with balloons and banners, in addition to bringing T-shirts and breakfast items for their team. To qualify for a Team Meeting Station on the day of the AIDS Walk, your team must have 20 or more walkers pre-registered by Wednesday, July 3 by noon. A list of teams that qualify for a Team Meeting Station will be posted online the week of the AIDS Walk. Teams who do not qualify for a Team Meeting Station can arrange their own location to meet on the morning of the AIDS Walk.

Team Rosters are always available on your team web page. Log in and click "View Team Page." You may also call your Fundraising Specialist to request a Team Roster at any time.

We suggest:
• Download and print additional tools.
• Set up your team web page and send out an email to recruit Team Members. Remember, anyone can join your team.
• Ask family and friends, or invite vendors, clients, and customers to raise money and walk with your team.
• Request promotional materials for your team. Put up our cardboard display stands and posters (provided by AIDS Walk San Francisco) in cafeterias, near elevators, on community bulletin boards, and anywhere else you can with high foot traffic/visibility.
• Form an AIDS Walk San Francisco committee. Encourage some co-workers to become Co-Leaders. Ask senior management to write an appeal to all employees urging them to register.
• Hold an AIDS Awareness Day with a kick-off luncheon or brunch. Sign up Team Members at a registration table. An AIDS Walk representative can attend your event and help make it a success!

Pre-registered walkers can still be part of your team. Simply call the AIDS Walk office at 415.615.9255 (WALK) with the walker's name, address, phone number, and email address (if available) and ask to have them transferred onto your team.

Walkers may still become part of a team after the pre-registration deadline. Walkers may transfer to a team using the Team Transfer Sheets at the Information Booth on the day of the AIDS Walk, Sunday, July 14. Write their name, address, phone number, and email address in the appropriate fields on the Day-of-Event registration form and leave it with an AIDS Walk representative at the Information Booth. You can also call the AIDS Walk office at 415.615.9255 (WALK) to notify us of any additional people that need to be listed on your team. In the weeks following the AIDS Walk, Team Rosters will be updated with new walker names and contributions. A final list will be emailed to all Team Leaders in September.

CONFIDENTIALITY. Neither party shall (nor shall it permit or request its employees, agents, or representatives to), at any time or in any manner, either directly or indirectly, use for its own benefit or divulge, disclose, or communicate in any manner, any information that is proprietary to the disclosing party (“Confidential Information”) without the disclosing party’s express prior written permission. The receiving party and its employees, agents, and representatives will protect the Confidential Information of the disclosing party and treat it as strictly confidential. This provision will continue to be effective after the termination of this Agreement. AIDS Walk reserves the right to publicly use (in white papers, seminars, conferences, marketing materials and the like) aggregate data describing supporter populations and behaviors without compromising the identities of either those supporters nor Client (unless Client provides permission to make such disclosure).