ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Has Raised $100 Million & Counting

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Has Raised $100 Million & Counting

The viral philanthropic blockbuster, which has been ubiquitous on Social Media by luring in hundreds of celebrities, has sparked millions of donations to ALS research and raised awareness -from all walks of life, to the disease.

The ALS Association announced that donations related to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge where participants pour a bucket of ice water on their heads and dare others on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram to donate — have topped $100 million in the past month.

In retrospect, that's a 3,500% increase from the $2.8 million that the ALS Association raised during the same time period last year. More than three million people have donated, the association says.

To put in perspective on how social media can accelerate fundraising, consider the following: Livestrong launched its yellow bracelet cancer-awareness campaign in 2004 which took them one year to raise $50 million.

Perhaps the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge works because it hit a sweet spot amongst its darers, challengers, participants, and viewers. Not only was it for a good "compelling" cause, it was accessible and just plain fun.

As with anything in life, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has rubbed some people the wrong way, especially as participants get caught-up in the act of making videos for publicity rather than focusing on the substance of the charity itself. Regardless, given the campaign’s unbelievable success — who knows what the next viral celebrity challenge will be like in the near future?