Haters Gonna Hate: Ice Bucket Challenge Edition

The Ice Bucket Challenge is currently taking my News Feed by storm and as a nonprofit social media professional, I thought I'd take a few moments to reflect on my thoughts about this challenge.

If you don't know about The Ice Bucket Challenge, read about it here.

The Ice Bucket Challenge popped up in my world a few months ago. At that time, my sister did it and the beneficiary was the Make a Wish Foundation. Then I would only see a few posts on my feed a week. My first reaction was, Why dump the water on your head? Just donate! I thought it was gimmicky and thought nothing of it.

Jump to today where I easily see 10 to 20 videos a day. I had to stop and think, Why is this working? The ALS Association is raising tons of money due to this campaign. What is it about this campaign that is working in the social media space?

I've boiled it down to these two things:

• People love watching their friends do "embarrassing" things. If I were to put up a graphic that said DONATE TO THIS CAUSE! PEOPLE REALLY NEED OUR HELP! I would be surprised if people actually followed through. It is hard enough to get people to donate for the fundraising walks and runs I do, let alone "just because".
• People love to be part of a community. Participating in the challenge means you join a group of people who have done the same. You all know what it feels like to record yourself dumping water on your head and sharing it with your friends. It's a thing, and people love things. Peer pressure is alive and well on the internet and for once, it is nice to see it being used in a positive way.

So what does this all mean?

As a nonprofit professional, I think it means that the way that we connect with donors is changing. We are so used to writing annual appeal letters or Facebook posts targeted on connecting a donor with the emotional message of the cause. This is a proven formula to get people to give.

What the Ice Bucket Challenge has shown us is that maybe we don't need to try so hard. Granted, banking on something to go viral is a pretty risky chance to take, but maybe we should give a go. I'm not saying that every nonprofit should try to find their version of the Ice Bucket Challenge, but maybe the identity of the donor has changed. I think that this challenge shows that people want to do something fun and simple to feel connected. Not fill out a postcard after reading a letter from the Executive Director.

And so what if people are making videos and not donating money? They might be challenging a friend who will research ALS and decide to become an annual donor. Or maybe people donate to another charity in place of supporting the ALS Association. More money being donated is never a bad thing. Furthermore, if we can make donating a social norm, we all benefit.

Finally, many of my friends have said that they looked up what ALS was before posting their video or they included facts about ALS in their videos. How great is that? While nonprofits need money to achieve their missions, awareness of the cause is just as valuable.

So yes, people are using more water than normal this month to participate in The Ice Bucket Challenge. But when looking at the big picture, The Ice Bucket Challenge could make the world better for nonprofits for years to come.