Throwback Thursday: Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge?

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Throwback Thursday: Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge?

Do you remember the phenomenally successful campaign, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge from four years ago?  The viral, crowd sourced fundraising campaign – which, according to the national chapter of the ALS Association, raised an astonishing $115 million during a six week period – is a newsmaker once again.

Researchers – funded by the ALS Association, through ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (IBC) donations have identified a gene that contributes to ALS.  According to the national organization it’s the third research breakthrough made possible from the fundraising success of the Ice Bucket Challenge.

When more than 17 million ALS IBC videos flooded Facebook the summer of 2014 participants were not only having fun.  They – along with the 440 million people who viewed the videos 10 billion times – knew participating would make a difference in the important work of the ALS Association (the only national non profit fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front).  How wonderful such positive outcomes came so fast!

The ALS Association had built on the success of the Ice Bucket Challenge, seeking to raise awareness and funds to finish what the ALS IBC started in 2014: an end to ALS. The campaign, called Every Drop Adds Up, pays homage to the Challenge, visually emphasizes the now iconic “bucket,” and builds on the idea that when people come together they can make big, impossible things happen.

It’s a great example of building on fundraising successes and keeping the momentum around and commitment to a cause moving forward! What lessons can your organization learn? Can you think of another successful online giving or crowdfunding campaign to share with our readers?

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