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?
Where do I pick up my T-shirt?
How do I create a single fundraising page for my whole family?
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 participant anonymously?
Do I have to ride to raise money for my school?
Can my friends and I participate as a team?
I have kids in several Novato schools. How do I fundraise 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 Participant 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 webmaster: .
Have the routes been planned? How hard is the walk/ride?
Three planned outdoor riding routes, one indoor cycling ride, and one planned walking route are available. The walking route is 5K 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 and has options for riding 50 km, 40 km, or 25 km. The indoor cycling route will take place on Sunday May 5th at CycleBar Novato. See the Route Maps page for route and elevation information.
Is there an entry fee or minimum fundraising requirement?
We are asking all participants to commit to raising a minimum of $100, with a goal of $250 (remember that this is a fundraiser for our schools). You must pay an initial entry fee based upon what route your select and when you register. Go to the Registration Information page for specifics. Once you’ve paid your registration fee you’re set to begin fundraising. The more you ask, the more you earn for your school!
Where do I pick up my T-shirt?
We will have the T-shirts available for pick up at registration on the afternoon of Friday, May 3 from 2-5 in front of City Hall, or on Sherman Ave. at the registration tent during the event on May 4. Riders registered for the CycleBar ride on May 5 can pick up their shirts at CycleBar.
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 participant 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.
How do I create a single fundraising page for my whole family?
If you all want to fundraise together, you can create a single fundraising page for your whole family. During the registration process, give your family team a name such as The Jones Family. Then register each family member and pay the applicable registration fee for each of them. At check-in we will give you a numbered wristband for each participant, and have some additional release forms for you to make sure that we have a record for each participant, and so that we can make sure all of the participants are accounted for by our safety team out on the course.
Can I make a donation by check or cash?
Check, yes; cash, not so easy. If you prefer to pay by check, submit the online donation form and when you get to the last step, click Pay by Check and follow the instructions. Checks should be made payable to ‘School Fuel’. To pay by cash, follow the same process, but you will need to hand deliver the cash to either your participant or to the School Fuel president, Kathryn Hansen. You can email her at to arrange a meeting.
Can someone support a participant if they don’t have access to a computer?
We’ll need some help from you (the participant) on this one. If you know someone who would like to support a participant, but does not have access to a computer, we suggest the following process.
- Go to your fundraising page and click Support Me.
- Print the donation form and give it to your donor.
- Collect the completed form and payment from your supporter. Checks should be made payable to ‘School Fuel’.
- Go back to your fundraising page, click Support Me, and enter your supporter’s information. Stop when you get to the payment page.
- Mail the paper form and payment to:
School Fuel, Tour of Novato and Community Fair, 448 Ignacio Boulevard #410, Novato, CA 94949. - After the payment is received it will appear as Paid on the website.
Can I donate to a participant 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 participant and want to change your donor information that appears online, please contact the webmaster: .
Do I have to ride or walk to raise money for my school?
No. Although you will be signing up as a “participant”, 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 participate as a team?
You can certainly walk or ride together (assuming you’re on the same route).
I have kids in several Novato schools. How do I participate for all of them?
Participants 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. Designate on your Fundraising Page 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 page to enter your financial information. None of your credit card information is transmitted to us, only your donation. When you submit your personal information, as a participant or donor, it goes into our database, which only a few select (and responsible) people have access to. We do not give your personal information out to anyone, except as described below. We use it only to send you information about the Tour of Novato. 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 participant…
Your fundraising name (not your real name), the schools you are supporting, your fundraising message, photo, photo caption, and fundraising goal will appear on the website. We use your email to keep you informed about participant-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 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.
If you are a donor…
Your donor name, donation amount, and message will appear on your sponsored participant’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 sponsored participant 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. See our Volunteer to Help page. Or, 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. This is identified on each school’s fundraising page. Click a school name anywhere on the website to see their fundraising goal.
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?
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 the quality of education. School Fuel most often uses the money it raises to provide classes, or programs that are shared by multiple students, such as elective teachers, librarians, and counselors. For a complete list of what School Fuel has funded each year, see the School Fuel website.
