Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a change to my fundraising page?
Have the routes been planned? How hard is the walk/ride?
Is there an entry fee or minimum fundraising requirement?
Can I make a donation by check or cash?
Can someone support me if they don’t have access to a computer?
Can I donate to a walker/rider anonymously?
Do I have to ride to raise money for my school?
Can my friends and I walk/ride as a team?
I have kids in several Novato schools. How do I walk/ride for all of them?
When I submit my personal information, where does it go and what will it be used for?
My company has a donation matching program. How do I get the required verification of donation?
What will the money raised be used for?
What if my school raises more money than their goal?
What will School Fuel do with the money it raises?
How do I make a change to my fundraising page?
You can change any of the information on your fundraising page (such as your fundraising goal, your photo, or your message) by logging into your Walker/Rider Account and updating your Fundraising Page. If you don’t know your login, you can search for your account. If you still need help, contact the site webmaster: .
Have the routes been planned? How hard is the walk/ride?
Two planned riding routes and one planned walking route are available for all ages. The walking route is a level 2.6 miles and focuses on Grant Avenue and nearby side streets. The Family Ride is the shortest riding route and is designed for young riders and families with very few hills. The Classic Route has some moderate hills. See the Route Maps page for route and elevation information.
Is there an entry fee or minimum fundraising requirement?
We are asking all walkers/riders to commit to raising a minimum of $100, with a goal of $250 (remember that this is a fundraiser for our schools). Every walker or rider must register. All registered participants receive a T-shirt and lunch.
I have kids in more than one school, but I have supporters who would like to donate all their money to just one school. Is this possible?
Yes, in a roundabout sort of way. Assuming two schools, you can create two riding accounts and allocate the funds from each going 100% to each school (instead of one account with 50% going to each school). Your supporter needs to select the account that donates to the school of choice. If you know who those supporters are you can send them the link to the appropriate account.
Can I make a donation by check or cash?
If you prefer to pay by check, please contact School Fuel volunteer, Susan Mathews. You can email her at to work out the details.
Can I donate to a Walker/Rider anonymously?
Yes. When filling out the donation form, enter ‘Anonymous’ (or something similar) in the Donor Name field. Only the Donor Name you enter appears on the website, your real name does not. If you would like a receipt for your donation, you will need to enter a valid email address, as all receipts are sent by email. If you have already supported a walker/rider and want to change your donor information that appears online, please contact the webmaster: .
Do I have to ride to raise money for my school?
No. Although you will be signing up as a “walker/rider”, we don’t require that you walk or ride. We only request that you let your supporters know your intentions. On your fundraising page and in messages to potential supporters you can say something like “Although I will be unable to walk/ride the day of the event, I hope you will support my efforts to raise money for our school.”
Can my friends and I walk/ride as a team?
You can certainly ride together (assuming you’ve all registered for the same route). This year we have sponsored teams as an option on the website as well. Keep in mind, that we do not have the ability to split team efforts among different schools, so sponsored teams must designate School Fuel or one of the individual schools as the funding source for their team. However, individual riders have the option of designating both a team and up to two individual schools as beneficiaries. If you are interested in sponsoring a team, please contact .
I have kids in several Novato schools. How do I walk/ride for all of them?
Walkers/Riders can allocate their donations to School Fuel, which funds programs across all of the Novato public schools. Or you can specifically designate up to three Novato schools. Indicate on the sign-up form the percentage of your raised funds that will go to each school or School Fuel.
When I submit my personal information, where does it go and what will it be used for?
We do not collect or store any credit card information. When you make a donation with your credit card, you are redirected to a payment gateway operated for Chase Bank and none of your financial information is transmitted to us, only your donation. When you submit your personal information, as a rider or donor, it goes into our database, which only a few select (and responsible) people have access to. We will not give your personal information out to anyone, except as described below. We will use it only to send you information about the Tour of Novato and Community Fair. This may include information about this year’s event or, in the future, to notify you of next year’s event.
If you are a walker/rider… Your name, schools, personal message, photo, photo caption, and fundraising goal will appear on the website. We use your email to keep you informed about walker/rider-related event information. If your school has a School Coordinator, we share your name, email, and phone number with the School Coordinator so you can be kept informed of walk/ride activities related to your school. Your other personal information does not appear on the website and we do not give out to anyone; it is only used if we need to contact you and cannot reach you by email.
If you are a donor… Your donor name, donation amount, and message will appear on your walker’s/rider’s fundraising page. We will use your email to keep you informed about the event. Your donor name, email, phone, donation amount, and message will be emailed to your walker/rider to inform them of your support (so they can thank you). If you are paying by credit card, your personal information is passed through to the credit card payment form, but we do not store any credit card information. Your other personal information is only used if we need to contact you and cannot reach you by email.
My company has a donation matching program. How do I get the required verification of donation?
Every company’s program is a bit different, but most have a form you fill out that requires a receipt or some form of verification of the donation. The payment confirmation email you received may be enough to satisfy this requirement; sometimes a credit card statement is needed. If you need anything else from us, please contact Susan Mathews at School Fuel: .
We can provide your company with whatever is needed. And we can add the matching funds to your Fundraising Page so you get credit for raising the extra dollars, assuming that we receive the matching funds before we close the donation tally for the event (normally 60 days after the event).
How can I help?
Volunteers for a variety of tasks are needed, especially the day of the event. Please contact the volunteer coordinator at and we’ll get back to you.
What will the money raised be used for?
Every school site has identified one or more specific classroom technology tool(s) or training that will be purchased with the money raised through this event. You can see each school’s goal on the School Totals page.
What if my school raises more money than their goal?
If your school passes its goal, you get an A+ for effort! Every school keeps the net proceeds to spend on programs and equipment for their students. Some of the programs and/or equipment that have been identified by the schools can be scaled up or down depending on the success of the fundraising. Others might be in the lucky position of looking for new areas of need as they decide how to spend the fruits of their labor.
What will School Fuel do with the money it raises?
Ever since it was founded in 2003, School Fuel has worked to spend its money equitably between all Novato schools in a way that benefits as many students as possible and that has the most impact on quality of education. School Fuel most often uses the money to fund enrichment grants in the elementary, middle and high schools that fund specific projects proposed by students, teachers, and/or parents. For a complete list of what School Fuel has funded each year, see the School Fuel website.
