Frequently Asked Questions
about Online Fundraising

A. Personal Webpage

1. What is a Personal Webpage?
A Personal Webpage is a page you customize and ask your friends and family to visit when soliciting donations.  You have the option of personalizing the images, text, style, color, and layout on your page by going to your Participant Center.  It's your own little corner of the web. 

2. Do I have to use and change my Personal Webpage?
No.  When you register, a Personal Webpage will be created for you, and your name will be included in the online database.  You do not, however, ever need to make any changes to the webpage.  However, unique touches can really add to your fundraising campaign!

3. What is the difference between making my Personal Webpage "Private" or "Public?"
By default, your Personal Webpage can be accessed by anyone searching the site, and your name is listed on the Participant Search page.  Setting your Personal Webpage to "Private" means that your name will not appear in the list and only people that you invite will be able to view your webpage.

4. Why does my Personal Webpage include an ID number?
Every Walker is assigned an ID number that has two parts: a location prefix and a 5 digit number.  These help the ALR office track the money that comes in and correctly apply it to different Walkers' fundraising campaigns.  Please include your ID number on all the paperwork you turn in, including checks from donors.

B. Teams

1. What is a Team Webpage?
In addition to their Personal Webpages, Team Captains can also modify Team Webpages.  These list all members of the team with links to their Personal Webpages, display the current team fundraising total, and include a photo from and text about the team itself. 

2. Does a Team have an ID number?
Teams do not have ID numbers.  The Personal ID number identifies the walker, who is a part of that team.

3. Should I use my Team Captain's ID number?
No.  Please do not use your Team Captain's ID number.  Your Team Captain will be using it for his or her own fundraising.

4. Should all checks from a Team be gathered together?
Team Captains may collect all the donations from their team members in order to turn everything in on walk day.  However, the checks should stay with the original paperwork from each walker, and not be gathered together.  All money will count towards the individual walker, and in turn towards the team.

5. Can Volunteers and Virtual Walkers be Team Captains?
When it comes to fundraising and being a Team Captain, Volunteers and Virtual Walkers (see below) are exactly like all other Walkers.

C. Participant Center

1. What is the Participant Center? 
The Participant Center contains all the tools to make the most of your online fundraising experience.  You can modify Personal and Team Webpages, send emails asking for donations, and track your personal and team fundraising progress.

2. How do I get to my Participant Center? 
If you login from a page specific to your Walk location, you should be taken directly to your Participant Center.  If it is a General Information page, you may need to go to your location's Home Page for the link.

D. Donations 

1. How do I know when someone has donated to my campaign? 
Unless you select otherwise, you will automatically receive an e-mail notifying you when a donation has been made.  You can also check the "My Progress" section of your Participant Center. 

2. Can people make anonymous gifts?
Donors can choose to keep their names anonymous, and can select whether or not their donation amount is displayed online. 

3. What are Team Goals and Personal Goals?
Everyone can set a Personal Fundraising Goal from his or her Participant Center.  This amount will be reflected in the status "thermometer" on their Personal Webpage.  A Team Captain can also enter a team goal, which will set the goal on the Team Webpage's "thermometer." 

4. How does the money I raise get credited to my team?
All the money a walker fundraises counts towards that walker.  If that walker is on a team, his or her total will be included in the Team Total. 

E. Virtual Walkers

1. What is a Virtual Walker?
A Virtual Walker is someone who wants to fundraise, but will be unable to attend on Walk Day.  He or she has a Personal Webpage and can use all the online fundraising tools just like any walker.  He or she can also be a Team Captain

2.  How does one sign up as a Virtual Walker?
When you register online, you will be given the opportunity to register as a "Walker," a "Volunteer," or a "Virtual Walker."  If you registered offline, if someone else registered for you, or if you need to change your status, please call the toll-free walk hotline at 866-WALK-ALR (925-5257) or email walks@lupusresearch.org.

F. Security

1. Is my information secure?
Convio has made every effort to protect your information. They use industry-standard SSL encryption techniques to make sure that your credit card information, passwords, and personal information travel securely over the Internet. They have also installed an encryption engine on our database server so that your data is securely stored.

2. How is my credit card number handled?
Credit card numbers are not stored in our database or in Convio's database. During the donation process we send your credit card number to an online processing terminal using a secure connection. The information passed back is an approval or denial for the credit card donation. View the ALR's Privacy Policy

3. I forgot my Username and Password.
You will receive an email with your username and password when you first register.  Using that email address, you can request username and password reminders from the User Login screen.  If you are having difficulty logging in, remember that your username and password are case sensitive. 

4. Can I change my personal information?
There is a link in your Participant Center where you can modify your profile.  You will be able to change your contact information, email address, username and password.  All changes will be made to your account immediately. There is no need to sign back in.  To change your information now, click here

5. Will I be on the ALR mailing or email list? 
When you register, you have the option to unclick both the "Accepts email" and "Accepts postal mail" check-boxes.  The Alliance for Lupus Research will respect your wishes.  You can change your selections by modifying your profile.  Note that you will still receive notifications about any money you have donated.
 

The Alliance for Lupus Research uses software created by Convio, Inc. to administer this website.  Convio is an Internet software and services company that provides online Constituent Relationship Management (eCRM) solutions for nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions and associations.

Do you have additional questions? 
Please call the Toll-free Walk Hotline at 866-WALK-ALR
(925-5257) or email online@lupusresearch.org.