Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our frequently asked questions below. If you can't find what you're looking for, email events@parkinson.ca or call 1-800-565-3000.


Registration

You can register online by clicking here. The steps are fairly straightforward, but you can call Parkinson Canada for support at 1-800-565-3000.

If you were registered for Fundraising Your Way in a past year, you will be able to register as a returning participant using your username and password. If you can’t remember your username and password, you can get your username and password emailed to you here.

You should receive a confirmation email right away to the email address that you provided during registration. There's a chance it went into your spam folder (or promotions tab if you use Gmail), so be sure to check there.

If you haven't received a confirmation email yet, please contact the events team at events@parkinson.ca for assistance.

You do not need a pledge form if:

  • You register online and all your donors are online (online donations).
  • You put the donations through on your credit card and in the donor's name (to feed your thermometer).

If you raise funds offline (cash and/or cheque), you will need to mail the full and completed pledge form and all the cash and cheques that you collected to: Parkinson Canada Fundraising Your Way, 316-4211 Yonge Street, Toronto M2P 2A9.

Please make sure that the total amount of donations equals the total amount of the cash/cheques you submit. Also, please make sure that your pledge form is legible and accurate. If a donor's name or address is unclear, we may not be able to issue a tax receipt for their donation.

No, we have added a new feature this year that allows you to do multiple registrations once you have completed your own. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise
  2. Click on “Register”
  3. Complete the registration process for yourself.
  4. In step 5 of the registration process, click on "Register Another Participant"
  5. Complete the registration on behalf of your husband/sister/child/friend (you can continue to register more individuals the same way)

To update your contact information, please follow these steps:

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise
  2. Login to your Paricipant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Click on "Your Profile"
  5. Update your information and click "Update"

Teams/Events

To create a team/event for Fundraising Your Way, you can do this as part of the initial registration process. If you have already registered and did not create the team during your initial registration, then you have two options: 

Option 1 - Have another person (who has not yet registered) that would like to join your team register and create the team. This team member can then add you as a co-captain. They can add you as a co-captain by:

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Scroll down and select "My Team"
  5. On the bottom right-hand side, click "Manage Captains".
  6. Select the member of your team you would like to add as a co-captain and click "Save".

Option 2 - If you do not want another person to be a co-captain (as in option 1), please contact the events team at events@parkinson.ca and request the team be created for you.

To join a team/event, you can do this as part of the initial registration process.

If you have already registered and would like to join a team, please email the events team at events@parkinson.ca and we will help you out.

NOTE: You must be the team captain to edit your team page.

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Scroll down and select "My Team"
  5. Click on "Update Photo".
  6. Click on "Choose File" and select the image file from your computer that you would like to use.
  7. You can also add a caption (e.g., "My Family") if you would like.
  8. Click on "Save/Upload".

NOTE: You must be the team captain to edit your team page.

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Scroll down and select "My Team"
  5. Click on "Edit Content".
  6. Enter your team message in the box. We provide default text for you which you can either keep or remove.
  7. Click "Save".

NOTE: You must be the team captain to edit your team page.

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Scroll down and select "My Team"
  5. Click on "Edit Goal".
  6. Enter the new goal amount
  7. Click "Save".

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Scroll down and select "My Team"
  5. On the bottom right-hand side, click "Manage Captains".
  6. Select the member of your team you would like to add as a co-captain and click "Save".

You can view the list of top Canada-wide participants and teams on the www.parkinson.ca/fundraise homepage.

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Scroll down to the Team Roster Section

Participant Information

If you register this year as a returning participant (with the same account as last year), anyone who donated to you last year will be in your current list of contacts for this year. If you would like a donor report from last year, please contact the events team at events@parkinson.ca.

If you register as a returning user for Fundraising Your Way with the same account (same username and password), your donors from last year will be saved as contacts in your Participant Centre.

To reduce administrative costs, we strongly encourage you to request supporters donate online.

However, if you must collect donations with an offline/printable pledge form, you have two options for submitting the money. Here are easy to follow instructions:

Option 1: Submit the money by mail.

Please mail the donations, along with the completed pledge forms to Parkinson Canada Fundraising Your Way, 316-4211 Yonge Street, Toronto ON, M2P 2A9. For each donation, please ensure that all the donor's information appears neatly and completely on the pledge form. Full name and mailing address are required to issue tax receipts.

Option 2: Deposit the money and put the donation through on your credit card.

Go to your personal page and donate to yourself on behalf of the donor using your own credit card information, and the donor's name and receipt information.

Note: To ensure your information doesn't get merged with your donor's, please log out of your account before proceeding with these steps.

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise
  2. Click on "Donate"
  3. Search for your own profile/personal page and click on it
  4. Click on "Donate Now"
  5. Fill out the donation form using the donor's information under the "Donor Information” section and then use your information (as the credit card holder) under the "Payment Information" section. Please note: you must be logged out of your account to do this or the system may override the donor’s information with the information from your profile.
  6. When the form is complete, click "Process"

Please note: if you wish to pay for multiple donations through one transaction, please contact our office at events@parkinson.ca or 800-565-3000

  • Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise
  • Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  • Click on "Participant Centre"
  • Scroll down to "Personal Donations"
  • Click on the "Download" button in the top right corner

Please note that cash or cheque pledges will not show in this report until they have been processed.

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Click on "All Contacts"
  5. Click on "Import Contacts"
  6. Select your email provider and click "Next".
  7. If your browser does not allow for pop-ups, you will notice text that says "Your consent is needed to access your online address book. If the authentication and consent pop-up does not appear automatically, click the link on the right", if so, then click on "Display Content Pop-up" to allow the pop-up to show.
  8. Login to your email account
  9. Click "Allow Access"
  10. In your Participant Centre, click "Next"
  11. Provide your consent and click "Continue"
  12. Select "All" or individually click beside the contacts you would like to import and then click "Next"

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Click on "Send Email"
  5. Click "Compose Message"
  6. Create the email template you would like to save and then click "Save as Template".
  7. When you would like to use this email template, go to "Select a Prewritten Template" and then select your email.

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Click on "Send Email"
  5. Click on "Sent Messages"

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Click on "All Contacts"
  5. Click on "Email All"

Yes, there is a limit. The system allows up to 500 contacts to be emailed at one time, as a security control. It is setup this way, so it discourages spammers from using our system to send spam emails. If you would like to send to all your contacts, and if you have more than 500 contact emails, you can split your list up and send in blocks of up to 500.

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Click on "All Contacts"
  5. Click on "Add a Group"
  6. Name your group and click "Add a Group"
  7. Select "All Contacts" or choose the individuals you want to add and then click "Add to Group"

  1. Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise.
  2. Login to your Participant Centre, using the link at the top of the page.
  3. Click on "Participant Centre"
  4. Click on "Send Email"
  5. Under Contacts select your group
  6. Click "Email Group"

Due to an increase in threat actors using $0 registration events as platforms to send out large numbers of spam emails using the Luminate Online platform, a system update has been implemented that prevents fundraisers from using the email functionality in the Participant Centre until they meet one of the following criteria:

  1. They have made a $5 donation to the organization at any point
  2. They have received confirmed donations of $5 or more
  3. Their constituent record is 365 days or older.

If you do not meet the criteria, your emails may still show as sent, but it will not be received by the intended recipient.

For Donors and Supporters

Donating online is always the easiest way to support a fundraiser. When you donate online, your donation will automatically show up on the fundraiser's profile and you will receive a tax receipt by email within 48 hours of the donation. This is also helpful to Parkinson Canada as it reduces costs.

You can do this by following these steps:

  • Go to www.parkinson.ca/fundraise
  • Click "Donate"
  • Search the fundraiser's name (you do not have to enter full information, but the more you enter, the better results you will get)
  • Find the fundraiser you would like to donate to and click on their name
  • Fill out all the mandatory fields on the donation form and click "Process".

We receive donations in various forms and follow strict CRA guidelines when issuing tax receipts. For example, those deemed to receive a benefit for their gift (i.e., purchasing a ticket to a concert) or those submitting funds received from others (i.e., sale of cookies at a fundraiser marketed with proceeds going directly to Parkinson Canada) are not eligible. For further details on eligibility for a tax receipt, click here

Yes. If you donate online, you will automatically be emailed a tax receipt. If you donate by mailing a cheque or cash, you will get a tax receipt for any donation above $20 CAD. If you donated by giving a cheque or cash directly to a fundraiser, your tax receipt will be sent after they have submitted their donations to Parkinson Canada.

When possible, we send digital tax receipts to your email address. If you do not have an email address, your tax receipt will be sent by mail to the address provided on your pledge form.

Important note for credit card donations: Parkinson Canada requires full and correct donor information in order to issue an official online tax receipt that meets CRA requirements. If you do not have full information for all mandatory fields indicated with a red asterisk in the donation form, you will not be able to pay for the donation.

If you donated online, you should have automatically been emailed a tax receipt. First, make sure the tax receipt has not gotten stuck in your spam filter. Donation receipts online are issued by events@parkinson.ca under the name "Parkinson Canada". Please add this email to your list of approved senders.

If you didn't get it, please reach out to us.

If you donated by cheque or cash and you did not include an email address, your receipt is being mailed to you (for any donation above $20 CAD).

Yes. An offline cash or cheque donation can be given directly to a fundraiser to submit on your behalf, or you can mail them directly to Parkinson Canada Fundraising Your Way, 316-4211 Yonge Street, Toronto ON, M2P 2A9.

For each donation, please ensure that information appears neatly and completely. Full name and mailing address are required to issue tax receipts.

Fundraising Your Way raises money and awareness for Parkinson Canada. Parkinson Canada funds critical research, provides information and support, increases awareness and advocates for improved healthcare outcomes for people with Parkinson's across Canada. If you want more information about Parkinson Canada, visit the Parkinson Canada website.

Tools

About Fundraising Your Way

Fundraising Your Way is your opportunity to turn your ideas, passions, and hobbies into a fundraiser to support Parkinson Canada. As a fundraiser, you will get access to an online toolkit and helpful resources that will make fundraising simple and fun!

Choose one of the options provided to get started and transform the lives of people living with Parkinson’s today.

Our events team would love to help you set up your event. If you want to discuss your fundraising idea, need more than a personalized fundraising page, or need support getting your idea off the ground, call us at 1-800-565-3000 or email events@parkinson.ca.

When you register or donate to Fundraising Your Way online, you’ll be automatically registered to receive email updates. If you didn't register or donate, but would like more information, you can sign up to receive email updates here

About Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's is a chronic, progressive disease that occurs when brain cells related to movement are dying. People with Parkinson's can experience symptoms including resting tremor, slowness of movement, muscle rigidity, balance problems as well as anxiety & depression, sleep issues, and cognitive impairment.

More than 100,000 Canadians live with Parkinson's, a number expected to increase substantially in the coming years, with 30 Canadians diagnosed each day. The average age of diagnosis is 60, but some people are diagnosed prior to 50 and referred to as having early onset Parkinson's. It is still unclear what causes Parkinson's, but scientists believe the disease usually results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Parkinson's is a disease that affects not only individuals, but also families, friends and care partners who come together to manage the realities of Parkinson's.

About Parkinson Canada

At Parkinson Canada, people with Parkinson's are at the centre of everything we do. Parkinson Canada funds critical research, provides information and support, increases awareness and advocates for improved healthcare outcomes for people with Parkinson's across Canada. For more information, visit the Parkinson Canada website.

Yes. A national registered charity, Parkinson Canada fulfils its mission through the generosity of donors and is an accredited organization under the Imagine Canada Standards Program.

Please visit parkinson.ca, call 1-800-565-3000 or email info@parkinson.ca in English or French for more information, to get involved or to support Canadians affected by Parkinson's by making a donation.