Registration opens on World Homeless Day- October 10th, 2025! All participants must register as individuals- including children and dogs. Once registered, participants can create or join a team to walk with friends, colleagues, and family. The Winter Walk encourages a registration donation of $100 for adults and $50 for youth/students. While not required, we welcome all participants who are walking to fundraise beyond their registration donation for our Organizational Partners - every dollar makes an impact, and we can help you with resources to fundraise! Participants of all ages are required to review our liability waiver and accept the terms. Parents/guardians can read and accept on behalf of participants under 18 years of age.

You can join or create a team AFTER you register.

Here's how: How to Join or Create a Team From Your Fundraising Account

Log in to your fundraising account. Once you're logged in, go to your Dashboard.

Look for the “Quick Actions” section. You’ll see an option that says “Join / Create a Team.” Click on it.

If you want to create a team:

Click Create a Team Enter your team name and a short description

Click Create Team

That’s it your team is created!

If you want to join a team:

Click Join a Team

You’ll see a list of teams you can join

You can also search for a team by name

Once you find the team you want, click Join

Winter Walk is a non-profit on a mission to end homelessness in America. Winter Walk hosts Walk Events in major cities across the United States designed to raise funds for local service organizations while building community between housed and unhoused people, and offers educational services to the public designed to eliminate the stigma associated with homelessness.

Our target date is Sunday February 8th, 2026. Stay tuned for updates!

100% of the funds raised at all Winter Walk Events are given directly to our Organizational Partners, the service providers administering aid to the unhoused people that live in the cities we walk in, in the form of unrestricted funding. Winter Walk Inc. funds our administrative costs through corporate sponsorships, independent donors, grants, and in-kind donations, which allows us to continue to offer our Walk Events at no-cost to our Organizational Partners while ensuring that all funds raised by walkers and their donors continue to go to them directly.

Stay tuned for updates!

10:00 AM - Registration opens; 10:30 AM - Program begins; 10:50 AM - Walk begins; 11:30 AM - Breakfast served; 12:15 PM - Goodbyes/Thank Yous

Our Walk Event is for everyone! The 2 mile route is on a paved path, and participants walk at their own pace. Our routes stay on sidewalks so that wheelchair and mobility devices are able to more easily be used. For anyone that is unable to participate in the Walk itself, we invite them to stay in the area to meet our partners and learn about their work, listen to music being played by our DJ, enjoy coffee or hot chocolate, and spend time talking with others that are joining the mission to end homelessness!

All registered participants will receive a Winter Walk hat with our logo and a backpack with a pair of socks, generously provided by our Sponsor, Bombas. You're also invited to join us for a community breakfast after the walk, and hear from our organizational partners about the work they do every day to provide aid to the unhoused people of Chicago. Your registration fee is tax deductible.

After your registration fee - $100 for adults, $50 for youth and students, and $10 for dogs - there is no fundraising minimum.

Every one of our walkers has a fundraising goal of $1,000. 100% of the funds raised through our Walks are given directly to our Organizational Partners, and every dollar counts!

Start by making the first donation yourself. People are significantly more likely to donate to a fundraiser that already has donations because it creates social proof, signals success, reduces perceived risk, and leverages the "bandwagon effect," making potential donors feel good about joining a popular, effective cause, with data showing even a small initial push drives more giving!

We encourage you to leverage text messages, email and your own social media channels with a link to your fundraising page to solicit donations from your community, to help you meet your fundraising goal. We have published a fundraising guide full of tips and ideas to help you - check your registration confirmation email to get it and get started fundraising!

Yes! All donations that your supporters give towards your participation in the walk are fully tax deductible. All your donors will receive tax documentation, via email or letter, for their gifts.

Winter Walk, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 92-0734185). Your contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Yes, registrations can be transferred or given as gifts. In the event of a transfer, the actual participant in the walk must provide us with their contact information and sign our liability waiver.

There are many ways to help the Winter Walk. You can help spread the word, share our website, Facebook or Instagram. You can visit the websites of our Organizational Partners and help share their incredible work. You can volunteer to help with our Walk, or better yet, volunteer to help our many Organizational Partners. You can also make a donation to the Winter Walk!

Please wear weather appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes for walking. The Winter Walk takes place rain, snow, or shine (unless it's a state of emergency, but we're hopeful that won't happen). Participants should be prepared for very cold weather and possible inclement conditions. The time outside will be about 2 hours for the full event.

Yes, please feel free to bring strollers if it helps with walking with little ones!

We love dogs! If they are good in crowds and cold, and can walk within our route safely with others, including small children, then we’d love to have them join us! We even offer a special registration add-on for dogs!