Take Steps is the Foundation's largest nationwide fundraising campaign, which includes local community walks dedicated to raising funds to find cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Each local Take Steps walk is unique to the community, but every event brings together the IBD community in an empowering, fun atmosphere. Find your local walk for specifics about what's planned in your community!

Find your local Take Steps event — enter your city state, or zip code to find the walk nearest you. Once on your local walk page, hit the Register button — you will see the option to start a team and become a Team Captain, join an existing team, or walk as an individual. We encourage everyone to form a team and invite friends, family members, co-workers — everyone you know! — to join you at Take Steps and fundraise alongside you. Not only does a team fundraising effort show patients that they have a supportive community behind them, but it will amplify your impact toward cures for IBD.

Teams can include companies, organizations, families, schools, and clubs and can range from as few as two walkers to hundreds!

There is no better time to join Take Steps as this year we are unveiling for the first time a new Take Steps walk day experience. You don't want to miss out on all that's in store for you and your network of friends and family. We can't wait to celebrate your unique IBD journey as together, we head toward our ultimate destination: cures and Mt. Remission.

I was a Team Captain last year. How do I reclaim my team?

1. Visit the login page and select “Forgot Password?”
2. Enter your email address and hit “Reset My Password.”
3. Check your email for a password reset link.
4. Set a password for the new Take Steps website.
5. Select “Find an Event” to begin registration and reclaim your team.

Take Steps events are held in communities nationwide mostly in the spring with a handful of events in the fall. Find a walk in your community to get all event details for a specific event.

While there is no cost to register, we encourage everyone to set a fundraising goal of at least $100. Participants who raise $100 will receive a Take Steps t-shirt. Individuals who reach $500 or more in funds raised are recognized as Top Fundraisers, with special access for them plus one guest to the Trailblazer Lodge on walk day. Additionally, each local walk has their own special recognition of Top Teams. Check out your local walk's Fundraising Rewards section to learn more about exclusive fundraiser and team incentives on walk day at in-person events.

Visit the Fundraising page for tips and tools to help you get started with your fundraising journey. Once you register, you can log in to your Fundraising Dashboard to update your personal fundraising page and use email or social media to invite friends and family to support you with a donation. You can also download the Donor Drive app for iPhone or Android, which allows you to share your Take Steps page link via text message or QR Code. Need more ideas? Connect with your local Take Steps staff member (listed on your local event page); they will be delighted to advise and support you.

We encourage everyone to set a personal fundraising goal of at least $100 so that you can receive a Take Steps t-shirt. Ready to aim higher? We have exclusive incentives prizes available for fundraisers to claim starting at $350, all the way up to $10,000! Remember, the more you raise, the bigger impact we can make for those living with IBD. We're here to support you in your fundraising efforts. You'll be surprised: Raising $100 can happen quickly with our fundraising tools and resources as your guide.

Select "Find an Event" in the top right corner of this page and enter your city state, or zip code to find the walk nearest you. Once on your local walk page, hit the Register button — you will see the option to start a team and become a Team Captain. Complete your registration to form your team. Then use the Fundraising Dashboard to customize your team page. Add a photo, update your team goal and share why you registered for Take Steps. Then you're ready to post the link on social media and send in emails asking your friends to join you by registering and fundraising as a member of your team.

You can find resources specifically for Team Captains under the "Resources" section of your Fundraising Dashboard.

If you are a Team Captain, you will have both a customizable personal and team fundraising page once you are registered for Take Steps. The function of the Team Page is to provide you with a url to recruit team members, allow team members to register, and to show progress towards your team goal. We recommend donors contribute to the personal fundraising pages, instead of the team page. Only contributions to your personal fundraising will count towards your individual fundraising total and incentives.

Encourage participants to donate online so those donations can be credited toward your goal right away and quicker access to tax receipts. For donations collected offline:

• Mail the donation to your local Crohn's & Colitis Foundation chapter office. Print the offline donation form.
• If your team or event has scheduled a collection day, often called "bank day," you may turn in everything you've collected on that day.
• You may hold on to all donations collected and turn them in on the day of your walk event. Please make checks payable to: "Crohn's & Colitis Foundation" and be sure to add participant/team in the memo or include a note to be credited with your donation.

Many companies offer matching gift programs to maximize their financial contributions to non-profit organizations. Visit our matching gifts page for information about requesting a matching gift for your donation.

Take Steps is a non-competitive walk event with routes that average two to three miles in length, but varies by walk event. Contact the walk staff of your local event to find out the exact length.

Our patients can't stop during bad weather, so neither do we! Take Steps will take place rain or shine except in cases of dangerous weather — your local chapter will notify participants of alternate plans.

Strollers are welcome at all walk sites. Bicycles and in-line skates are not allowed. Pets are welcome on leashes at most walk sites, but please check with your local chapter.

Take Steps makes every effort to ensure clean, accessible and comfortable bathroom accommodations are available at the walk. Please contact your local walk staff for information about exactly what will be available at your event.

Reach out to your local Take Steps walk staff or local chapter. Find your local staff on the homepage of your event or check your email inbox for your welcome email if you are a registered participant. You can also email us with your questions and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.