|
[Newsmaker] Ice Bucket Challenge changes nonprofit world
Published : 2014-08-24 20:41
Updated : 2014-08-24 20:59
The Ice Bucket Challenge’s phenomenal success is making other charitable organizations rethink how they connect with a younger generation of potential donors.
Since the ALS Association began tracking the campaign’s progress on July 29, it has raised more than $53.3 million from 1.1 million new donors in what is one of the most viral philanthropic social media campaigns in history.
Thousands of people, including celebrities like Taylor Swift and Oprah Winfrey, have posted videos of themselves getting buckets of ice water dumped over their heads and challenging others to do the same ― or donate money to the ALS Association, which raises money for Lou Gehrig’s disease research and assistance.
The Ice Bucket Challenge has shown it’s OK to be silly for a good cause, says Brian Mittendorf, a professor at the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, who teaches courses in nonprofit finance.
“Normally the model is to find people who are passionate about a cause and then ask for donations or to educate people and then seek out donations. (The Ice Bucket Challenge is) something that’s fun that people can do ... people are taking part in it and then taking the info and donating.”
The viral nature of the effort surprised even the ALS Association.
“This level of unprecedented giving is (something) I don’t think this country has seen before outside of a disaster or emergency,” said ALS Association spokesperson Carrie Munk. “We had no idea it would get to this point.”
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife cheer on staff as they douse themselves with cold water on the steps of the state Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, Friday. The Haslams were participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge to support research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. (AP-Yonhap)
Who should get credit for making this a viral sensation depends on whom you ask. Some say it began earlier this month when friends of a 29-year-old Boston man with ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, did a group challenge.
It’s also demonstrated that the average Joe or Jane can make waves.
“One of the big take-aways is the power of individuals who are so tightly connected to a cause can really make a difference,” Munk said. “I’m pretty sure that if any company or any nonprofit had all of the public relations dollars in the world to come up with a campaign, we never would’ve seen this kind of success.”
Lucretia Gilbert, executive director of the Pink Agenda, which raises money for breast cancer research and awareness, believes it will encourage other nonprofits to get creative on social media.
“It’s a very simple thing and that’s kind of the beauty of it. Everyone can do this challenge,” she said.
The effort comes at a time when private groups are searching for new ways to raise dollars in the wake of tighter federal government spending on basic medical research, including on diseases like ALS.
The National Institutes of Health is spending about $30 billion this year, money that is divided in a highly competitive process to scientists around the country, and the world, to pursue what are deemed the most promising leads to understand various diseases and to find new targets to fight them.
Congress cut government spending last year; in 2012, the NIH’s budget was $30.8 billion.
And even before those cuts, the agency’s budget hadn’t kept pace with inflation for about a decade. As a result, the NIH is funding about one in six grant applications ― down from about 1 in 3 a decade ago, director Francis Collins said earlier this year.
For Lou Gehrig’s disease, the NIH’s estimated budget this year is $40 million, down from $44 million in 2012.
Employing technology for fundraising campaigns, of course, isn’t a new idea: Perhaps one of the most enduring began in 1966 when the Muscular Dystrophy Association had its first annual Labor Day weekend telethon. Last year, it raised $59.6 million in contributions. Fundraisers have also embraced donating by text message in recent years.
But some fundraisers contend that one of their greatest challenges is asking the same people for money year after year ― a challenge successful social media campaigns could solve.
Mindy Bailey, corporate and community development specialist for JDRF, a foundation that raises money to fight Type 1 diabetes, said volunteers want to come up with a similar idea to fuel donations.
“We have had a lot of people reach out to us and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to do the Ice Bucket Challenge,’” Bailey said. “Recently we had a woman say, ‘I’m thinking of doing a pie-in-your-face idea.’ The wheels have been turning.”
However, not everyone is a fan of the public approach of the Ice Bucket Challenge.
#NoIceBucketChallenge is a hashtag on Twitter that’s being used for a variety of reasons.
“I just think it seems hokey and far too gimmicky and a hot trend and part of the whole ‘me’ culture of ‘Oh look at me. Pay attention to me,’” said Cameron Mitchell of New York. “The charity part seems like an afterthought.”
Some even argue that it’s wasteful to dump water, even for a cause, especially in places like California, where there’s a drought.
The California Water Board offered a measured response.
“It doesn’t violate any of our regulations. People should always use good judgment whenever they use water while we’re in a drought. On the other hand, we understand that this is a charitable event,” said George N. Kostyroko, director of the California State Water Resources Control Board’s office of public affairs, in an email.
Annoyed, impressed or otherwise, the Ice Bucket Challenge has people talking ― and ALS’s Munk asserts that even if they don’t donate, the campaign has raised public awareness, a major focus of the organization that last year spent 32 percent of its annual budget on public and professional education and 27 percent on research.
Just a few years ago, she said, only about 50 percent of Americans knew what ALS is.
“We’re really looking forward to see how the needle moves,” she said.
(AP)
--------------> Free discussion
Why Do We Dream? - Top Dream Theories
Many different theories have emerged to help explain the mystery of why we dream.
© Valua Vitaly/iStockPhoto
"Dreams are the touchstones of our characters." - Henry David Thoreau
Dreams have fascinated philosophers for thousands of years, but only recently have dreams been subjected to empirical research and concentrated scientific study. Chances are that you’ve often found yourself puzzling over the mysterious content of a dream, or perhaps you’ve wondered why you dream at all.
First, let’s start by answering a basic question – What is a dream? A dream can include any of the images, thoughts and emotions that are experienced during sleep. Dreams can be extraordinarily vivid or very vague; filled with joyful emotions or frightening imagery; focused and understandable or unclear and confusing.
So why do we dream? What purpose do dreams serve?
While many theories have been proposed, no single consensus has emerged. Considering the enormous amount of time we spend in a dreaming state, the fact that researchers do not yet understand the purpose of dreams may seem baffling. However, it is important to consider that science is still unraveling the exact purpose and function of sleep itself.
Some researchers suggest that dreams serve no real purpose, while others believe that dreaming is essential to mental, emotional and physical well-being. Ernest Hoffman, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Newton Wellesley Hospital in Boston, Mass., suggests that "...a possible (though certainly not proven) function of a dream to be weaving new material into the memory system in a way that both reduces emotional arousal and is adaptive in helping us cope with further trauma or stressful events."
Common Dream Themes and Their Interpretations
Being naked in public
Most of us have had the dream at some point that we're at school, work or some social event, and we suddenly realize we forgot to put on clothes! Experts say this means:
•We're trying to hide something (and without clothes we have a hard time doing that).
•We're not prepared for something, like a presentation or test (and now everyone is going to know -- we're exposed!).
If we're naked but no one notices, then the interpretation is that whatever we're afraid of is unfounded. If we don't care that we're naked, the interpretation is that we're comfortable with who we are.
Falling
You're falling, falling, falling... and then you wake up. This is a very common dream and is said to symbolize insecurities and anxiety. Something in your life is essentially out of control and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Another interpretation is that you have a sense of failure about something. Maybe you're not doing well in school or at work and are afraid you're going to be fired or expelled. Again, you feel that you can't control the situation.
Being chased
The ever-popular chase dream can be extremely frightening. What it usually symbolizes is that you're running away from your problems. What that problem is depends on who is chasing you. It may be a problem at work, or it may be something about yourself that you know is destructive. For example, you may be drinking too much, and your dream may be telling you that your drinking is becoming a real problem.
Taking an exam (or forgetting that you have one)
This is another very common dream. You suddenly realize you are supposed to be taking an exam at that very moment. You might be running through the hallways and can't find the classroom. This type of dream can have several variations that have similar meanings. (Maybe your pen won't write, so you can't finish writing your answers.) What experts say this may mean is that you're being scrutinized about something or feel you're being tested -- maybe you're facing a challenge you don't think you're up to. You don't feel prepared or able to hold up to the scrutiny. It may also mean there is something you've neglected that you know needs your attention.
Flying
Many flying dreams are the result of lucid dreaming. Not all flying dreams are, however. Typically, dreaming that you are flying means you are on top of things. You are in control of the things that matter to you. Or, maybe you've just gained a new perspective on things. It may also mean you are strong willed and feel like no one and nothing can defeat you. If you are having problems maintaining your flight, someone or something may be standing in the way of you having control. If you are afraid while flying, you may have challenges that you don't feel up to.
Running, but going nowhere
This theme can also be part of the chasing dream. You're trying to run, but either your legs won't move or you simply aren't going anywhere -- as if you were on a treadmill. According to some, this dream means you have too much on your plate. You're trying to do too many things at once and can't catch up or ever get ahead.
Your teeth falling out
Many people have dreams that they lose all of their teeth. In this dream, they may feel something strange in their mouth and then spit teeth into their hand, eventually losing all of their teeth. According to some, our teeth are related to our sense of power and our ability to communicate. Losing our teeth not only makes us embarrassed by our appearance, which hinders our communications, but it also lessens our power because we may not speak our minds. It's also associated with feelings about our appearance.
--------------> Free discussion