Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Membership

What does AW use my membership dues for?

Your membership dues help fund our river stewardship work. Put simply, your dollars go directly to saving rivers all throughout the United States.

What happens if I renew my AW membership before it expires?

You won't “lose” any time on your membership. If you renew early, we'll simply add that amount of time to your current membership. Memberships are for 365 days.

How do Auto-Renewals work?

If you sign up for auto-renewals, we bill your credit card or debit card each year for your chosen membership level. We send you an email a month before we do this, so you don't have any surprises. It is your responsibility to notify us of any changes in your credit/debit card information (new card # and/or new card expiration date).

To cancel your auto-renewal status email membership@americanwhitewater.org and we'll take care of it no questions asked.

How do I sign up for Auto-Renewals?

  • New or Renewing Member: go to our Join or Renew page https://americanwhitewater.org/join and select “Auto-Renew”
  • Current Member (who doesn't want to renew at this time): call us at 1-866-262-8429

Can I pay for my membership in installments?

Yes. You can pay for any $125 and above membership in 12 payments over a year via credit card or debit card. There are no refunds if you choose to cancel partway through. To sign up, go to https://americanwhitewater.org/join, select a membership level of $125 or more and select “Monthly Payments.” If you would like to set up a custom payment method, give Bethany a shout out at membership@americanwhitewater.org

Member Level 4 Payments 12 Payments
$250 Platinum Paddler $62.50 $20.83
$500 Explorer $125.00 $41.67
$1,000 Lifetime $250.00 $83.33
$2,500 Steward $625.00 $208.33

Note: installment amounts are for membership only, additional donations and subscriptions are not available on an installment payment plan.

Does my membership include the AW Journal (published 5 times a year)?

Yes, all AW members receive the AW Journal. You can have it sent to you in the mail, you can read it on our website through the Library menu option, or you can download a PDF from our website Library. You can change this preference any time by emailing membership@americanwhitewater.org.

What is my membership number?

This can be determined several ways:

  • When you’re logged into the website it’s in the top-right box (if your website profile is associated with your membership account)
  • In the mailing label on your AW Journal

Does AW share my personal information with others?

No. We will never sell, share or otherwise distribute your personal information to others. We value your privacy, only AW Staff and AW Board of Directors have access to your personal information.

How do I purchase a gift membership?

Easy, select 'Gift Membership' page at https://americanwhitewater.org/join and fill out the form. That's it!

Why isn't the Family membership discounted for Affiliate Club members (like regular memberships)?

The Family membership is actually already deeply discounted. Multiple members of an immediate family can be members for less than the price of two individual $35 memberships. As such, we don't further discount this membership level.

I'm an employee of an American Whitewater Partner, how do I take advantage of my discounted membership?

Employees of current American Whitewater Partners can receive a discounted membership for $25. To take advantage of this discounted membership, employees should go to the Join or Renew page http://americanwhitewater.org/join, under Membership Level they should select “Discounted Member - $25”.

Can I join via the mail?

You bet! Download and fill out the American Whitewater Membership Form (PDF). Then, mail it to:

American Whitewater
PO Box 1540
Cullowhee, NC 28723-3553

Donations

Can I contribute in someone’s memory or honor?

Of course, simply go to our Donate page at http://americanwhitewater.org/donate and fill out the form. In the “Additional Comments / In Honor Of” box include the person(s) name or event you're honoring. The contribution will be listed as being made in their honor.

Can I make a donation via the mail?

Of course! Please make your check payable to “American Whitewater” and mail it to:

American Whitewater
PO Box 1540
Cullowhee, NC 28723-3553

Your donation will be attributed to the individual or company listed on the check. If you have other instructions, please include them along with the donation check.

Can I make regular, automatic donations?

You bet. Simply contact us at membership@americanwhitewater.org and we'll get you set up. Thanks!

Website

Do I have to set up a website user account?

Only if you want to, there is no requirement to do so. However, if you set-up a website profile and link it to your paid membership you will no longer see a dialog pop-up asking you to join and support AW.

Why can't I download the Journal?

To download the Journal you must be:

  • a current AW member
  • logged into the website
  • your website profile must be connected to your membership account

If you're not a member, or your membership has lapsed, you can join or renew online. If your membership is current, you may need to connect your website profile with your paid membership account, to do this see the “How do I link my website profile to my membership account?” question in this FAQ.

Why am I seeing a dialog box asking me to Join American Whitewater?

To never see this dialog box again, you must:

  1. Be an American Whitewater Member
  2. Have your Membership connected to your Website profile (directions)
  3. Be logged into your website profile when visiting the river pages

Why? Unfortunately, the AW website receives hundreds of thousands more visitors than we have members (really, sadly). As a non-profit with limited resources we have to try and use our most visible resource as a way to support our river stewardship work.

How do I link my website profile to my paid membership?

It's simple:

  1. Go to americanwhitewater.org and login with your website profile (or create one if you don't already have one)
  2. After you have logged in, go to My Account > Enter AW Membership #
  3. On the next page enter your:
    1. Zip Code (the mailing address zip code you have on file with us)
    2. Last Name
    3. Membership Number (if you don't know it, see “What is my membership number?” in this FAQ)
  4. Click Verify Membership

How do I add a river to my "River Network" (personal gauge list)?

  1. Log into the American Whitewater website
  2. Go to the state river page that lists the rivers you want to add
  3. Click on the check box next to the river you wish to add
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Join” in the “River Network” section

How do I remove a river from my "River Network" (personal gauge list)?

  1. Log into the American Whitewater website
  2. Go to the state river page that lists the rivers you want to remove (you can see which rivers are in your River Network by the star that appears next to them)
  3. Check the check box to the left of the river's name you wish to remove
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Remove” in the “River Network” section

Partnership / Companies

How can a company support American Whitewater?

Make a Donation

This is the simplest way to support AW. It is a one time donation that can be made Online, over the phone at 1-866-262-8429 or via the mail. This donation will be recognized in the American Whitewater Annual Report.

Become a Member

Membership is appropriate for companies looking to contribute to AW in the $35-$999 range who would also like to receive benefits available to regular members. Examples of these member benefits would be receiving the AW Journal, member rewards based on member level, etc. To become a member (as a company), simply fill out our online membership form and put your company name in the “Name” field. Alternately, you can call us at 1-866-262-8429 to arrange a membership over the phone.

Become a Partner

Official Partnership is appropriate for companies looking to support American Whitewater in the $1,000-$20,000+ range. A business that joins in this range receives Promotional Benefits depending on their level of support. To become a partner, please contact Clinton Begley at clinton@americanwhitewater.org or 828-586-1930 to arrange a formal agreement outlining your support and received benefits.

Are my company's contributions to American Whitewater tax-deductible?

American Whitewater is a legal 501c(3) non-profit. As such, contributions to American Whitewater are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.


What if my question is not answered here?

Email us at info@americanwhitewater.org and we'll get you taken care of :)

Join AW and support river stewardship nationwide!