Frequently Asked QuestionsGeneral Question about the Walk4Hearing
Online Transactions
Registration
Registered Walker Questions
Online Fundraising
Walk4Hearing events are fundraising 5K (3.1 miles) walks held across the United States. Since its formation in 2006, Walk4Hearing has raised over $10 million dollars for programs and services for people with hearing loss, and has grown into the largest awareness and fundraising event for the Hearing Loss Association of America® (HLAA). Collaborating with local HLAA chapters, Walk4Hearing educates the general public about hearing loss while easing the associated stigma. Striving to make hearing loss a public health issue, thousands of people of all ages, races, and backgrounds have come together to display their compassion for the cause and to make hearing loss an issue of national concern.
Supporters walk in the Walk4Hearing for many reasons: to support a family member or loved one; to create awareness of their own hearing loss; and to support the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). HLAA has seen the importance of walks for other organizations around the country and know that these Walks have created awareness and education. We believe that hearing loss is something everyone should have knowledge of. The Walk is creating awareness and becoming an educational tool for HLAA, to help make hearing loss an issue of national concern. Anyone can participate; family, friends, co-workers, businesses, schools and caring professionals that want to make a real difference for people affected by hearing loss. Thousands of families in our community, and millions across the country will benefit from your support and the success of the Walk4Hearing program. No, there is no registration fee. Many people donate by going to their chosen walk's page and selecting Donate. From there, they can select a Walker that they would like to donate to. Don't know someone participating in the Walk, but want to contribute to a great cause? No problem! On each walk's donation page, there is also an option to donate directly to the event. Visit the Walk4Hearing locations page for list of Walk locations and dates. What is the main purpose for a Kickoff event or Team Captain Rally? There are three main reasons to hold these events before a Walk. They are:
A walk team is a group of walkers of any age who walk together to raise money for a special cause. What types of teams are usually in a Walk? Typically walk teams are made up of groups of walkers that are walking as representatives of a family (most commonly a family that is directly touched by the disease, disorder or illness that the walk is being held to combat), a company or business (again, oftentimes walking in support of an employee who is directly affected by the disease, disorder or illness the walk is being held to combat), an organization, church, team or group of any kind. In most cases, a walk team is organized by or for someone who is in some way directly affected by the cause that the walk is being held to combat. How large does a group have to be for it to be considered a Walk Team? Generally a group of walkers is considered a team if it consists of 2 or more walkers, the walkers all consider themselves as walking together as a team, and they identify themselves in some way the day of a walk as a team. How do groups of walkers identify themselves as a team the day of a walk? Two ways: The first is by having a team name and using it when they register for the Walk. A team name might be the name of a family (The Smith Family Team), an organization (The St. Johns Church Team), or a company or business (The ABC Company Team). Team names can also be more creative and unique. Samples of more creative team names are: "The Can You Hear Us Now Team" or "Angie's Angels" or "Madison's Marauders". Are all the walkers on a walk team expected to raise money for the walk? It is not mandatory that every walker on a team raise money for the Walk, but it is hoped that they will if they can. How much does the average walker participating in a walkathon raise? The average walker in a walk raises approximately $100. However, it is not uncommon for highly motivated walkers who are directly touched by hearing loss to raise $1,000 or more. What is Hearing Loss Association of America? Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is the nation’s foremost membership and advocacy organization for people with hearing loss. HLAA was founded in 1979 by Howard E. "Rocky" Stone, a retired CIA officer. Shortly after celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2005, the name was changed from Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc (SHHH) to Hearing Loss Association of America. What is Hearing Loss Association of America's mission statement? HLAA’s mission statement is to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing information, education, advocacy and support. Online TransactionsHearing Loss Association of America has made every effort to protect your personal information. We use industry-standard SSL encryption techniques to make sure your credit card information, passwords and personal information travel securely over the Internet. There is also an encryption engine on our database server so your data is securely stored. How is my credit card information handled? Credit card information is not stored in our database. During the donation process, we send your credit card information to an online processing terminal using a secure connection. The information passed back is an approval or denial for the credit card donation. Can I make a donation by check? Yes, you can make a donation by check, but online transactions must be made by credit card. Please make the check payable to Walk4Hearing. We do not accept cash. Checks and pledge sheet will be collected on the day of the Walk. A pledge sheet should be available for download on each walk location's homepage. If you are not going to be participating in the Walk but will be supporting a walker, then mail a check to an individual or team you wish to support and they will take it to the Walk. Donation made are tax-deductible as allowed by law. RegistrationWhich registration option should I choose to participate in a Walk4Hearing event? This depends on how you would like to participate. If you are interested in starting a team, choose the "Register to Start a Team" option. However, if you would prefer to walk by yourself as an individual, select "Register as an Individual" instead. For those looking to join an existing team, select "Register to Join a Team" but you will need to know the name of the existing team you want to join. If you don't know or remember the team's name, you will have the ability to search for it during registration but you can also find it by going to the "Find Walker/Team" page. The registration form will ask for the team name to ensure you are added to the right group. Another option would be to find another person on that team and click the "Join My Team" button on their personal page.
What if I don't want to provide my credit card information for my donation? As detailed above, Hearing Loss Association of America takes online privacy very seriously and uses the highest security standards for online processing of credit card information. However, if you are uncomfortable using your credit card to make a donation, then you are welcome to mail a check payable to Walk4Hearing to an individual you wish to pledge. How do I register other family members or friends with only one email address? OPTION 1: There is now an option to register a family member before completing your own registration. But there is certain information to keep in mind:
OPTION 2: If you don't want to have your address associated to them and want to have the option of selecting the username and password, then follow the steps below. Remember this means you will need to go through the whole registration process for each person.
What do I do if I can't see the registration options? Some MAC users and AOL users may not be able to see the complete screens. Those users may need use the Firefox browser, which can be downloaded for free at www.mozilla.com General questionsHow do I use my Username and Password? Every time you visit the Walk4Hearing website, click on the "Login to My Walk Center" button at the top of the page. What if I've forgotten my Username and Password? Your Username and Password are case sensitive. To retrieve your Username and/or password, visit our User Login page. There you can have your Username and Password sent to you by email. Make sure to use the same email address you used when registering. If you still have problems, please contact us for help. How do I change my Username, Password, e-mail and other personal information? First, Login to My Walk Center using your current Username and Password. Once logged in you will see a link at the top of the page called "Profile." A pop-up window will appear and you will see your current profile. Click the link “Edit Your Profile” to change your contact information, username and email address or click the link “Change/Reset Password” to change your password. Once you have made your changes, make sure to click on the Save button at the bottom of the page. All changes will be made to your account immediately. There is no need to Login again. Just close the pop-up window when done making changes.
How do I unsubscribe from e-mail? Towards the bottom of each email message there will be an “unsubscribe” link. Click this link and follow the instructions given to unsubscribe. Online FundraisingA Personal Web Page is an online promotional tool for your use when asking your friends and family to join your team or sponsor you by making a donation. Once you sign up for the Walk, by default, you will have a personal page created for you. You have the option of personalizing this page by going to My Walk Center. You will be able to customize images and text. For detailed instructions, download My Walk Center Help document in PDF format. By default I have a personal page, do I have to change it? Once you sign up for the Walk, by default, you will have a personal page created for you. A compelling personal page attracts and engages supporters. While you can spread the word using customized email solicitations, your personal page can be your own creative expression of your commitment to the cause. Utilize the elements of text, photo to their fullest advantage. Can I create a personalized URL to my Personal Page? You can create a personalized URL to your Personal Page to make it easier to remember and share with other people. This is a link you can add to messages you may send from your personal email, outside of “My Walk Center.”
How do I change my personal fundraising goal? Login to My Walk Center using your Username and Password, then on My Walk Center home page you will see "Your Fundraising Progress". There is a link by your goal amount called “Change”, click this link. A small blue box will appear, enter your new goal and submit the changes. How do I change my team name or team goal? Only the team captain has the ability to change the team name or team goal.
How can I see who has donated to me? Once you have registered, you will have your personal web page where your friends and family can donate by clicking the Donate button. Their name and donation amount will be listed in the Honor Roll scrolling list on your personal web page. Also, you can login to My Walk Center using your Username and Password, then click on "Progress" and you will be able to view your donor list and the amounts donated under the "Donation History" section. How can I see who is on my team? Login to My Walk Center using your Username and Password, then on the My Walk Center homepage there will be a link on the right hand side called “View Team Roster”. Click this link and you will be able to view your team roster. Can I make my personal page private? Yes, but please do not do so. The whole purpose of the Walk is to get the attention and the donations from your friends, family and co-workers. Donations to you can still be made anonymously, but you want to let the whole world know of your participation in the Walk. What is my Contacts list in my Walk Center? Your Contacts list is automatically generated in your Walk Center with the name and email address of people you have contacted by emails via the Walk Center Email area as well as anyone who has made a donation to support your fundraising efforts. How do I import contacts with a CSV file? Although you can always manually type in a contact, you can upload a file of contacts to make it much easier to enter multiple contacts at one time. You can do this by creating your own file in the comma separated value (.csv or CSV) format or exporting your contacts list or online address book from another email service that you use.
What do I do with cash and checks that I receive from people sponsoring me in the Walk? Any donations made via cash and checks are called "offline" donations. We do not accept cash so if you receive small cash donations, then we recommend you compile them and write one personal check for them. Otherwise, if they are large cash donations, then we recommend you ask the donor to write a check so they are able to get the recognition and use it as a tax-deduction as allowed by law.
I entered an offline donation, but the scrolling list and the thermometer have not changed. There is a 15 minute delay between when a change is made and when it becomes visible on your page. You will need to refresh your page or come back later to see the updates.
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©2024 Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is a tax-exempt, charitable organization and is eligible to receive tax deductible contributions under IRS Code 501(c)(3). All rights reserved. Walk4Hearing is organized by the Hearing Loss Association of America.
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