How to Get Involved with or Support Next Step Fund

Updated

Next Step Fund offers four main ways to get involved: donating, becoming a corporate partner, volunteering or joining Team Next Step, and fundraising. All four appear in the site's "How You Can Help" navigation, alongside a "Donate" link in the header. The right path depends on whether you want to give money, give time, bring an organization in, or raise funds through an event. The site does not publish donation amounts, fees, or sign-up requirements, so treat the steps below as starting points and confirm details directly with Next Step.

Donate

Donating is the most direct option and is listed first under "How You Can Help." The site's header also carries a persistent "Donate" link, so you can reach the giving page from any page.

  • What you need: nothing beyond a willingness to give; no eligibility conditions are stated.
  • What to do: use the "Donate" link in the site header or the "Donate" item under "How You Can Help."
  • What to expect: a donation page. The site does not state accepted payment methods or whether gifts are one-time or recurring, so check the page itself before giving.
  • Check first: if you need tax information, the "Financials" page under About Us is the place to look.

Corporate partnerships

If you represent a business, the "Corporate Partners" page is the entry point. It sits under "How You Can Help," next to Donate.

  • What to do: open "Corporate Partners" to see how businesses work with Next Step.
  • What to prepare: the site does not list partnership tiers, minimums, or benefits, so plan to describe your company's goals and ask what forms of support Next Step currently accepts.
  • Why it may fit: Next Step's programs are free to participants, which makes outside support the mechanism that keeps them running. A partnership is a way to fund that directly.

Volunteer and Team Next Step

Two separate paths cover giving time:

  • Volunteer — listed under "How You Can Help." Use this if you want to contribute time to programs or operations. The site does not specify roles, time commitments, or screening steps, so ask about current openings.
  • Team Next Step — listed under Events. This is the athletic or event-based fundraising route. The homepage points to a specific upcoming event ("Run the 2027 Boston"), which suggests Team Next Step is tied to named races or challenges. Check the Events section for the current event and its registration details.

Fundraising events

"Fundraising" appears twice in the navigation—once under Events and once under How You Can Help—so there are two angles: attending or participating in Next Step's own events, and running your own fundraiser on its behalf.

  • Next Step's events: the Events section lists programs and fundraising events. The homepage highlights upcoming programs as free to join, but that refers to participant programs, not fundraising events; don't assume event registration is free.
  • Your own fundraiser: the "Fundraising" page under How You Can Help is the starting point. The site does not describe a toolkit or platform, so ask Next Step what it provides before you set up a page.

Choosing between the options

If you want to… Start here Confirm before committing
Give money with minimal effort Donate (header or How You Can Help) Payment methods, one-time vs. recurring, tax receipt
Involve your company Corporate Partners Partnership forms, recognition, minimums
Give time Volunteer Roles, time commitment, screening
Combine fitness with fundraising Team Next Step (Events) Current event, registration, fundraising target
Raise money your own way Fundraising (How You Can Help) Whether a toolkit or platform is provided

A quick way to see the impact

Before choosing, the "By the Numbers" and "Impact" pages give concrete figures: more than 11,000 program attendees since 2001, a 9.8/10 recommendation score from peers, 95% of young people reporting they feel empowered to make life changes, and 80+ original songs written in the Song Studio. Participant quotes on the homepage reinforce the same point—one says, "It's so comforting to know that I am not alone." These are the outcomes your donation, partnership, or volunteer hours would support.

Practical notes

  • The site's mission statement—empowering young people living with serious illness to create their brightest future—tells you who the support serves. If your giving priorities don't match that group, another organization may fit better.
  • No pricing, fees, or login requirements for any of these paths are stated on the homepage. Don't assume any option is free or open without registration; verify on the relevant page.
  • The "Contact Us" page is the reliable fallback for any question the site leaves open, including current volunteer needs and partnership terms.