FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

To make a general donation to STEPtember, click on 'Donate' at the top right-hand corner of the STEPtember page.

If you wish to make a donation to a STEPtember participant or team, you can search for their name here.  On their fundraising page, choose donate on right hand side of the screen, and follow the prompts.

To make a donation by writing a check, click on 'Donate' on the person or team page that you wish to donate to. Fill in the amount you'd like to donate. On the next page, and your details, select the ‘check’ button located under ‘Payment Details’.

After you click on the ‘Donate’ button, you’ll receive an email with a document called a ‘Pledge’. Follow the instructions in the email write us a check and mail it to us.  Your donation will appear on the person or team fundraising page, when we have received and processed the check.

You will find the icons for many social channels within the top of your fundraising page, simply select the channel you want to share to. You can also share a request for support from the "Get Support "page within your dashboard.

It sounds like something might have gone wrong. Please make sure you’ve completed all fields on the donation page. If this still doesn't work, use the contact form below to get in touch.

When the donation has been successfully processed, you will receive an email tax receipt.

By making a donation to a STEPtember team or particpant, you are supporting the work of Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation - abbreviated as CPARF.  The charge for your donation will appear on your credit card statement as “CPARF.”

Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation (CPARF) is a US based entity classified by the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit registered 501(c)(3) organization. All online transactions made on this site are in $USD. CPARF is exempt from federal income tax and donations made (by US residents) to our organization are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by US tax law. A copy of the IRS letter of determination declaring our tax-exempt status is available upon request.

All transactions and donations made to the US STEPtember site by people outside the US will be made in US dollars, and will most likely incur a foreign currency transaction fee. We advise that participants and donors from countries outside of the US should consult tax professionals for guidance regarding tax deductibility in their country.

STEPtember is about being mindful of our activity and setting goals to move and increase our daily physical activity. 10,000 steps a day is a lot for most people – but it’s only a goal to aim for during STEPtember. The World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of low to moderate intensity physical activity per week to maintain and improve your health. This means your steps throughout the day can contribute to your 150 minutes of target activity.

We encourage you to get moving in any way that works for you. You can use our conversion chart to log over 80 different activities as steps.

STEPtember is for everybody. No matter what your fitness or ability level.  Any way you move is an awesome way to move, and to keep STEPtember as inclusive as possible, we’ve created this exercise guide with some ideas for every ability level. STEPtember challenges everyone to get active however you can, and there are more than 70 Activities that convert to steps.

To log your steps and activities during the STEPtember challenge, you can either use the ‘My Dashboard’ page on the STEPtember website or use the STEPtember app.

If you make a mistake while entering your steps, you can delete steps or activity by logging into your account on the website only. Log into your account, click ‘Steps’ then scroll down to see your logged steps. Click on the trash icon next to any entry you wish to delete. This will completely remove the entry so you can start again. If you have any issues contact the Customer Support team and we'll be able to help.

Access to log all your STEPtember steps for retroactive dates, up to September 30 will be open until Monday October 7, 2024. Donations to your fundraising can still be made up until midnight on Thursday October 31, 2024.

We no longer provide pedometers.  The STEPtember App will connect with the health kit apps in most smartphones, as well as fitness trackers and smart watches. Alternatively there are a range of good value pedometers on Amazon.

During the registration process, the team lead will be able to enter the names and email addresses of up three additional team members. Each team member will then receive an invitation via email from the STEPtember website to join the team and complete their personal registration. It’s important that each team member has a unique email address during this process.

If you have already registered as an individual and wish to create a team;

1. Log in and go to your dashboard page.

2. On your dashboard page you'll see a range of options across the page - choose 'Create a Team'

3. On this page you can add a team name and invite people (not already registered) to register and join your team.

If you have friends already registered, you can continue to invite them to join via your team page - using the emails that they have registered with.  Please reach out and confirm the emails with them.  

Please note: there is a maximum of four people per team.  If you experience an issues, please reach out to our support team at steptember@cparf.org

If you have already registered as an individual and have been invited to join a team, ensure that you are logged into your STEPtember page, and in a seperate tab type in www.steptember.us/join/xxxx where (xxxx) is the name of the team. This will prompt you to confirm that you wish to join the team.  Click confirm and your set to go! 

Please note: there is a maximum of four people per team.  If you experience an issues, please reach out to our support team at steptember@cparf.org

If you wish to change the name of the team you are the captain for, please email our support team at  steptember@cparf.org  Let us know the current and new name of your team. 

Please note: if the team name you want is already taken we will be unable to change it. So make it unique and engaging!

New this year — try our team name generator!

To add people to your team that are not already registered:

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to 'My Team'
3. Team Member
4. Select the option to Add Team Members and enter their details

They will then receive an email with further instructions to complete the registration process.

If you have colleagues or friends that have already registered that want to join your team, please send an email to steptember@cparf.org with the names of the participants and the STEPtember support team can connect them for you.

Yes. You can have anywhere from one to four people in your team.

Unfortunately, no. There is a set maximum of four people per team. You can however, have multiple teams created under an organization or group. If you have group of family and friends, for example-  nine or more people - register by creating an organization. As part of this, you can create the first team, and then let others know what the organization name is so they can search and join your group.

Yes! Simply sign up as an individual during your registration. You can always invite team members down the track if you change your mind.

No. Each participant is identified by their unique email address, which is paired to a single team.

We can help you with that, just contact the Customer Support team via email at steptember@cparf.org and we'll give you a hand. Let us know which team you would like to join and we'll get it sorted.

Ask!

It may seem scary, but most people are happy to help. An easy way to get started is to 'Start a Facebook Fundraiser' directly from your STEPtember page. It's a super easy way to raise funds as Facebook will help promote your fundraising for your STEPtember challenge and update your friends and family on your progress.

Send out an email or a text to your friends and family to let them know what you're doing and why it's important.

You can also share your STEPtember page on Linked-n, Twitter and Instagram.  Go to our resources page and download our Social Media Tips & Tricks guide

If you've never done any fundraising before don't stress as we're here to help! We've got lots of helpful hints and tips to get you on your way. Just visit our Hints & Tips page for ideas and information. 

Yes. All donations receive a tax receipt that will be sent to their nominated email address immediately. Make sure your sponsors check their junk mail for their tax receipt if they haven’t received it.

That’s up to you! All funds raised by you and your Team Members will be combined to reach your team target.

Your Team Captain can increase your team’s target at any time on the My Team page.

No. You’re welcome to start fundraising as soon as you register.

Yes. The STEPtember website uses SSL technology to encrypt your personal data when it is transferred from your browser to the website. Your personal details are protected on our servers, which are PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant. We never store any credit card details on our servers.

• On the Resources page, at www.steptember.us/resources you’ll find a range of poster options you can use. There are ready-to-use flyers to print as well as a range of social media tiles that you can customise to post to your followers.

Your fundraising target is just a guide to motivate you and your team throughout the challenge. Any fundraising you do will make a huge difference to cerebral palsy research and the millions of people with cerebral palsy around the world.

YES! Our app is a great way to take STEPtember with you. You can easily log steps, check leaderboards, or share your page straight from the app.

You can download the STEPtember App from your App Store:

You must have registered for STEPtember 2023 and confimed entry to access the app. When you register for STEPtember, an app account is automatically created for you. You can log in to the app using the same email and password you used to sign up for STEPtember.

If the App isn't working on your device, you may have an outdated version.  Please delete any old STEPtember Apps and reinstall the new app.

Click here for iOS users

Click here for Android users

If you are having challenges logging in, please check that you are using your correct user email and password. A straightforward way to check this is to try logging in to the STEPtember website via your preferred mobile browser, or a laptop computer.

If the above is working fine, please make ensure your device is not set to caps lock, check all spelling, and try again.

If you’re still having issues, you can:

1. Reset your password in your account
2. Log in again to the STEPtember website with your refreshed password
3. Try to log in to the app again

Still having issues - please email the STEPtember Support Team - steptember@cparf.org

Within the STEPtember App there are multiple ways to track your activity.

First option – Link to your Smartphone Health App.

1. Open the App
2. Click MENU
3. Click Settings
4. Click Connected Apps.
5. Check the box for either Apple Health or Google Fit

NOTE: - All participants must logged their steps.  A connected health app will NOT synch and log steps for you.  You must log your steps to your profile each day.

SEE FAQ - What wearables can I connect to the app?

Second Option - Logging your STEPS or ACTIVITY

1. Open the app
2. On the home screen - click the blue 'LOG YOUR STEPS' button
3. If you have your smartphone health app connected - there will be an option at the bottom of the screen to 'Synch from Apple Health -or- 'Google Fit'.
4. To manually log steps - choose the second option. Choose the correct date and type in the step count.
5. To log an activity, such as dancing, swimming, physical therapy, wheelchair basketball - choose the third option.  There is a drop down menu of 70 plus activites. If you do not see your activity option, choose the option that is the closest match.  Enter the number of the number of minutes - the app will automatically convert it to an equivalnet step count.

Third option – In Built Activity tracker

1. Open the app
2. On the home screen - click the blue 'LOG YOUR STEPS' button
3. You will need to enable location permissions if you have not already.  The App will acquire your locatin via GPS signal.
4. Click “START / PLAY SYMBOL” and then you can start walking, wheeling, riding or running.
5. Once completed your activity select Stop and your activity will be logged (note if your activity is under 200m it will be considered too short and not recorded).

Please note prior to September 1st, while you won't be able to log steps or activity via the dashboard on the website you will be able to log steps and sync wearables to the app. Any stepping/activity data logged prior to September 1st will be wiped clear on August 31st at 23:59pm.

To delete steps or activity via the app - 

1. Open the app - click MORE on the menu bar

2. Click View App Profile.

3. Click steps to view all your recorded steps and activity by date.

4. Scroll to the date to be corrected. Click on the activity to be deleted.

5. Click the three dots in the top right corner -select Delete, and confirm.

To delete steps or activity via your laptop / desktop- 

1. Log into your account
2. Click on ‘log steps from the drop down menu or horizontal menu on your profile page’
3. Scroll down to see your STEP LOG.
4. Click on the trash icon next to any entry you wish to delete. This will completely remove the entry so you can start again.

GPS issues may occur during an activity. This can be caused by the phones operating system attempting to preserve memory and battery, as well as accuracy of the GPS signal. 

If you have a weak signal, then discrepancies can occur. In this case the activity may report a different distance than you travelled, and the STEPtember app cannot ‘fill in’ the missing data.

It is also common that different devices can show slightly different data for the same activity. Issues typically fall into three categories:

• GPS drift: The GPS track generally follows the shape of the road/path but with much less precision.
• Lost GPS signal: If the GPS signal is lost and later re-acquired, the pre- and post-signal-loss points will be connected with a straight line.
• GPS bounce: A 'jumpy' GPS signal can cause your activity to report more distance than you travelled.

To ensure the best GPS connection, please complete the following steps:

• Have a clear view to the sky as obstructions between your phone and the sky can affect the signal.
• Ensure your device data is always enabled for the App.
• Give it time - allow time for the GPS to connect, this may take 30 seconds to a minute, and you should see this via a more accurate track of your progress against the street map
• Disable any battery saver settings, including Power Saving Mode or Battery Management.

To get the most out of the app, please ensure that you have provided the app with the appropriate permissions. You can check this by taking the following steps:

For iPhone devices

• Head to Settings
• Scroll down until you find STEPtember
• Click into Location
• Select ‘always’

For Android devices

• Turn your phone off and back on
• Turn GPS off and back on
• Go to Settings > Apps > (STEPtember) > Permissions > Toggle Location ON. Be sure that you've allowed the app to use GPS in the background.
• Check that your location settings are set to high accuracy:

Settings > Connections > Location > Locating method > High accuracy.

The app event feed is a way to share your activities with other STEPtember participants, as well as with your team and your organisation. For example, you can upload an image of yourself after your activity is completed and share it to the feed to motivate and inspire others.

You can also like and comment on feed items. Given this is a STEPtember forum, we would like to remind all participants to be always kind and respectful of others when commenting. If you see any negative or abusive comments, please take a screen shot and contact the STEPtember team at steptember@cparf.org immediately, so we can remove and manage the feedback.

The event feed can be filtered down to just your Organization or Team or You if you are connected.  

The STEPtember App is provided by District Technologies in collaboration with Cerebral Palsy Alliance and STEPtember’s website platform host Funraisin.

https://www.funraisin.co/funraisin-x-district

The data stored on the app is fitness data, either manually entered or via the use of fitness wearables.

No payment or other financial information is stored on the app, as all financial and donation processing is handled by Funraisin's platform via the STEPtember website

Information collected from the STEPtember app, including location data, is stored in the country in which the STEPtember licensee operates (Australia, USA, European Union), and used to provide an engaging and rewarding STEPtember participant experience offered by the STEPtember app.

For more information view STEPtember privacy policy

If you opted in to receive SMS communications during registration, we will occasionally send you messages to provide assistance during the event. Should you wish to opt out of receiving these messages at any time, you can simply reply with STOP, OPT OUT, UNSUBSCRIBE, or request removal by replying to any of our SMS messages. We will promptly remove you from our SMS communication list.

If you registered as part of the wrong organization, contact our customer support team and we'll help you with the change. Please let us know what organization you should be registered.

No, not at all! We have so many different ways that you can be involved. If you just want to step on your own or with a team, but not as part of an organization, we would love to have you. This is available as part of the registration process.