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Design Your Own Event

We realize that there are a lot of cool ways to fundraise for your favorite cause and make an impact on your local community or environmental advocacy group. We want to help! That’s why we’re offering the Independent Challenge program.

Group Size
1 – 1,000,000!
Suggested Fundraising Commitment
$1000
Reg Fee $25
Location
You choose!
Dates
You choose!

Scroll through to learn more about our Independent Challenge program! For the best viewing experience on a desktop or laptop, please allow the photobook to fully load before viewing. Once fully loaded, you can select widescreen (arrows at bottom right) and then you can toggle using the large right and left arrows on the photos and videos.

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We’ll be here to help you set up a fundraising page, give you pro-tips on fundraising, and connect you to our extended network of sustainably-focused organizations.

Have an idea for an event or adventure? Starting an Independent Challenge is easy as 1-2-3.

What kind of help do I get?

Once you’re registered, you can use our toolkit, which is full of helpful resources, including fundraising strategies and tips, sample messaging and text templates, and logos that you can use to create flyers, t-shirts, banners, and so on.

You’ll also hear from a Climate Ride representative who can help with planning, fundraising, and anything else!

Is anything off limits in terms of what I do for an event?

The sky is the limit! You can run, hike, swim, jump rope, pedal, or paddle to fundraise. Participants have also given up birthday or wedding gifts in lieu of donations for their cause.

Please note, if there are any serious concerns about the way your event is being implemented, or if the activities of the event organizer undermine Climate Ride’s mission and values, Climate Ride reserves the right to remove your online fundraising page and/or withdraw involvement at any time. Keep it appropriate, and you’ll be fine.

Is there a fundraising minimum?

Yes. Climate change and sustainability issues are urgent, complex, and important problems, and we need your passion and dedication to help solve them. As such, the fundraising minimum for Independent Challenges is $1000. We want to maximize the support we provide to the beneficiaries that are doing this important work! Once you reach the $1000 threshold, we’ll ship you a special package of goodies, to prepare you for your event, and to say thank you for your efforts.

If you don’t meet the $1000 minimum, you can still participate in your event and we’ll still direct your fundraising to the beneficiaries you’ve selected. We just won’t send you a package of goodies before your event. Sorry!

Will I have my own website?

Yes. Every Independent Challenger receives their own fundraising page after registering. Most participants provide a link to their fundraising page in their email signature, as well as in every fundraising letter.

However, that long string of nonsense that make up the URL link can feel a little unwieldy. Fortunately, there are some ways to whip that link into tighter shape. At tiny.cc, you can paste your long link to your fundraising page into the box in the center of the page. Then, in the little box below labeled ‘tiny.cc customurl,’ type in what you want it to be, like “sarahsride” or something. Then click Tiny! and it will make you that custom link.

If you want to add the new and improved link to your email signature in Gmail, click the gear icon (upper right of your Gmail page) and go to “settings”. On your settings page, under “general”, scroll down to find the “signature” box, where you can customize your email signature. Paste your custom URL into the signature box and voila! Now your tiny url will be attached to the bottom of all your emails.

Can I create my own jerseys, t-shirts, etc.?

Yes, and you can use the logos here! We can recommend our favorite vendors, or you can use your own. You’re responsible for the cost of making your own items.

Who can I fundraise for? (Fundraising Beneficiaries)

Participants can choose from the more than 100 incredible beneficiary organizations in our network! One of the things that makes Climate Ride such an effective program is that you can select the organization(s) you wish to fundraise for from our extensive list of beneficiary organizations. Our beneficiaries were selected for their work on the environment, conservation, sustainability, climate education, and active transportation advocacy. At the end of the year, Climate Ride grants the proceeds from our fundraisers to these hard-working organizations.

What are the terms and conditions of signing up to fundraise?

You must agree to our waiver which you will see and agree to during the registration process. Because you are designing your own event, and it is a third-party event, we are not affiliated with your event. If you are hosting an event, particularly with multiple people, it is recommended that you purchase insurance. You can try services like Event Helper.

More Questions?

Be sure to review our general FAQ and policies or contact us!

Scott Heacock
Independent Challenge

The Climate Ride Independent Challenge program made it so easy for me to raise money to support causes that I care deeply about. I was out on a bike ride early in spring and was thinking about how I could combine two of my biggest passions: 1) environmental causes; 2) riding my bike. Climate Ride allowed me to do this and my 3.5 day trip from Baltimore to Deep Creek, Maryland was one of the highlights of my summer.

Tim Oey
Independent Challenge

I ride to encourage more people to walk the walk and ride the ride. Climate Ride is a fantastic organization that is raising awareness, raising funds, and educating people.