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What happened to the cash raised in one of great online fads of the era, the ice bucket challenge? Reports posted online this week by a watchdog group offer an accounting for much of the staggering sum raised worldwide, an estimated $220 million. It raised so much a Florida charity chapter, for example, plans to spend the money over three years, not one.
“Quite honestly, we can’t count on that extra half million every year,” said Julie Niehoff, director of marketing and communications for the ALS Association Florida chapter. “It was extremely unusual.”
It was about one year ago the ice bucket challenge became a hot thing — or actually a cold thing. Something like 17 million people doused themselves with buckets of frigid water and stuck it on youtube: celebrities, kids, even one police officer later charged with disability fraud.
Not everyone quite got the idea of helping a charitable cause, but over time, many embraced raising awareness and/or money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The biggest beneficiary: $115 million for the national ALS Association, the organization told watchdog group Charity Navigator in a report posted this week.
The ALS Association Florida Chapter said it raised $510,000 from Ice Bucket Challenge donations, but did not plan to spend it all at once.
"Our plan is to utilize Ice Bucket Challenge donations over a three year period by improving services to patients and caregivers ($136,000); developing new programs to better meet patient needs ($265,000); investing in ALS research ($72,000); and infrastructure/capacity-building ($37,000)," a statement from the Florida chapter said.
“That was money people directed to our chapter, ” Niehoff told The Palm Beach Post. “This was money donors in Florida who went to our website wanted to stay in Florida.” That allowed the Tampa-based group to hire a regional care manager in Miami who is bilingual, she said.
Among those accepting the challenge: Post staffers inspired by one of their own, reporter Susan Spencer-Wendel, who died with ALS last year.
Dumping freezing water on one’s head became a fad, though at first the campaign was awkwardly crafted. If you were challenged, early versions went, you had to donate to an ALS charity within 24 hours OR have ice water dumped on your head. That evolved into various forms of dumping AND giving.
“Our main concern at Charity Navigator with such gimmicky fundraising appeals is that they perpetuate the lack of discussion around what should be the core issue – the charity’s impact and thus true worthiness of support,” Charity Navigator advised in August, 2014. “So, before you dump ice cold water over your head and make a donation, take the time to investigate ALS related charities to find one that matches your passion – from those that support research for a cure to those that promote awareness.”
For the record, Charity Navigator gave high marks for accountability to both the national ALS Association and its Florida chapter. The national organization spends 79.4 percent of its money on program expenses, as opposed to administrative and fundraising expenses. The Florida chapter spent 84.7 percent on program expenses.
It can cost $250,000 a year to care for someone with ALS, and the Florida chapter tries to help families with programs including loaner equipment and supplies, Niehoff said.
Both groups responded to one-year-later questions from Charity Navigator with answers posted this week.
The latest plan: Renew the ice bucket challenge in August each year.
“With almost 1,500 people living with ALS in Florida at any given time, the need is still great,” the Florida chapter’s statement said.
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