Donation FAQs

How do I make a donation? How do I make multiple donations at one time? How can I make an anonymous donation? How do I make a check donation? Why do my donors send checks to Chicago? I thought all money stayed in St. Louis? What do I do if a donor handed me their check? Why do you ask for so much donor information? What do I do with cash donations? How do I transfer a donation to my team member? What if I meant to make a donation to a rider or team but accidentally made a general donation instead? Why doesn't the amount "I've raised" equal the total donations listed on my profile page? What happens when donors do not send the check donations they have pledged? Can I change the recognition name? Is my donation tax deductible? Is Pedal the Cause a 501(c)(3)?

How do I make a donation?

You can make a donation by clicking "Donate" at the top of the screen. You can make a general donation to Pedal the Cause by clicking on "General Donation" or you may select a specific rider or team to make a donation towards. If you are making a donation towards a rider or team, you may also make a donation by searching for their name by clicking "Search" at the top of the screen to take you to their profile page to make the donation.

How do I make multiple donations at one time?

You can make as many donations to different riders and/or teams as you'd like at one time by clicking "Add Another Donation" on the rider's or team's donation screen. When you are done selecting your riders and teams you would like to make a donation towards, enter in the information in the field for each rider and team and click "Check Out". Your credit card will be charged the sum of the donations made.

How can I make an anonymous donation?

When making a donation, click the "Remain Anonymous" box located on the donation screen. Your donation will be anonymous to the public, but the rider you made a donation towards will be able to view your name. We provide this information to the rider so that they may properly thank their donors.

How do I make a check donation?

To make a donation by check select "check" from the "I will be paying by" line on the donation page. After submitting your donation, print the invoice from the Thank You page by selecting "Click here to view the invoice for your donation". If you forget to print this invoice, print a copy of the Thank You email that you will receive at the email address you provide because it will contain the same information.

Please make the check out to Pedal the Cause and mail the check and invoice to:

The Private Bank
c/o Pedal the Cause
8410 Solutions Center
Chicago, IL 60677-8004

Why do my donors send checks to Chicago? I thought all money stayed in St. Louis?

Private Bank logo All money does STAY in St. Louis! Our sponsor, The PrivateBank, has their processing center in Chicago, therefore checks go through Chicago to credit to Pedal the Cause.

What do I do if a donor handed me their check?

Please mail the check to us at the above address. Make sure that your Rider # and/or name are included in the memo line, so that we may appropriately apply the donation to your ride.

Why do you ask for so much donor information?

The data we collect is necessary to create accurate donor records and provide appropriate tax acknowledgement information. The information is not used for solicitation purposes. If you have any questions about the information that is being collected, please email info@pedalthecause.org.

What do I do with cash donations?

Credit card and check donations are always best for tax acknowledgement purposes.

If you are a donor, you must bring the cash donation to the Pedal the Cause office if you wish to receive a tax acknowledgement receipt. Pedal the Cause cannot issue a tax acknowledgement for cash donation submitted by anyone other than the actual donor. Please do not send cash through the mail.

If you are a rider who has received a cash donation, either from an individual or from an event, please do not bring the cash to the office. Instead, please keep the cash and make an online donation to yourself for that amount. Pedal the Cause cannot issue tax acknowledgements for cash donations that are not brought directly to the Pedal the Cause office by the actual donor. Please do not send cash through the mail.

How do I transfer a donation to my team member?

There are two ways to share funds among team members:

  1. The team's general funds may be shared among individual members who still require funds to reach their minimum fundraising commitment.
  2. An individual team member's funds in excess of their minimum fundraising commitment may be transferred to another team member who still needs additional funds to reach their minimum fundraising commitment.

There is a funds transfer form located on the Team Captain's page. All requests to share funds in either of these scenarios MUST be completed by the team captain at least one week before the fundraising deadline.

What if I meant to make a donation to a rider or team but accidentally made a general donation instead?

Please contact us at 314.787.1990 if you would like to change your donation to go towards a specific rider or team.

Why doesn't the amount "I've raised" equal the total donations listed on my profile page?

While every donation pledged to you is immediately reflected on your donation list on your profile page, a check donation can only be added to the amount that you've raised after the check has been received by the Pedal the Cause office.

To see which check donations have not yet been received by the Pedal the Cause office, log in to your profile page to view your donor list. Check donations which have not yet been received will not have a green checkmark next to the dollar amount.

What happens when donors do not send the check donations they have pledged?

It is up to you to make sure your donors send their checks. When logged in, you can view your profile and look at the details for each donation. Donations without a green checkmark next to the dollar amount are donations which Pedal the Cause has yet to receive. If some time passes and you don't see a change, you may want to follow up with that donor and remind them of the donation they've pledged. Please remember, any unpaid pledges will not count toward your fundraising and you are still responsible for meeting your fundraising minimum.

If a donor never sends the check they pledged to the Pedal the Cause office, it will not be counted towards the amount you've raised. If you need that check donation to meet your minimum fundraising commitment, you must follow up with the donor to make sure they send the check to the Pedal the Cause office by the fundraising deadline. Pedal the Cause does not contact individual donors on your behalf. Pedal the Cause does not send a separate invoice for check donations other than the invoices that are sent in the emails immediately after the check donations are pledged.

Can I change the recognition name?

If you would like to change the recognition name that appears on the riders public profile page, please send an email to info@pedalthecause.org. Please include the following information: rider name; donor name; date of the donation; and desired recognition name.

Is my donation tax deductible?

All donations are 100% tax deductible. All credit card donors will immediately receive a tax acknowledgement letter via email. All online check donors will receive a tax acknowledgement letter via email once the check has been processed by Pedal the Cause.

Is Pedal the Cause a 501(c)(3)?

Yes, Pedal the Cause is a 501(c)(3). If you would like more information about our Tax ID# or non-profit status, please email info@pedalthecause.org with your questions.