Over the past couple of weeks, a media phenomenon has swept over our Facebook profiles: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a “progressive, neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,” according to http://www.alsa.org. Participants of the challenge dump a bucket of ice water over their heads and then nominate some of their friends to either complete the challenge and pass it on to raise awareness, or to donate $100 to the cause.
The internet challenge has spread like wildfire; with celebrities and professional athletes participating, it comes as no surprise that the ALS Association, the recipient of donations, has raised over $100 million due to the Ice Bucket Challenge, according to http://www.alsa.org. While we may find the deluge of videos on our Facebooks and Instagrams annoying, the challenge has raised a huge amount of donations. But where exactly does that money go, and are its recipients handling it properly?
Speculations have been raised that donations from the challenge are not actually going towards research. The Ice Bucket Challenge, however, is no scam. Charitynavigator.org gives the ALS Association a four star rating and 97 percent “accountability and transparency.” Seventy-three percent of their budget is spent directly on the programs and services they offer, about 10 percent on administrative expenses and just under 18 percent on fundraising expenses.
While many protestors of the challenge claim that the ALS Association has been misusing donations, reports on their spending discredit those allegations. Those who question the legitimacy of the association have no real basis for their claims. A junior at UT, Madison Kenney, thinks that “it’s ridiculous that people are hating on it.” People should not be criticized for choosing to donate their time and money to a good cause. 
Just around the time that the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral, ALS researchers in Boston came across new discoveries that “have left scientists more optimistic than they were a decade ago about potential new treatments that could significantly slow or halt the progression of the disease,” according to The Boston Globe.
The Boston Globe also quotes chair of neurology at UMass Medical School, Dr. Robert Brown, saying “The most exciting, high-risk, high-gain projects are often funded by private agencies like the ALS Association rather than the federal government.” Brown’s comments prove the importance of the donations raised from the Ice Bucket Challenge.
Unfortunately, even with all of the success the Ice Bucket Challenge generated, it does have some drawbacks. People tend to have a limit on the amount of money they’ll donate throughout the year, so when the majority of of the population gives the amount they’re willing to donate to the same charity, others suffer, according to http://www.theguardian.com. The Guardian explains that “different charities have different cost-effectiveness,” and it has been argued that ALS fundraising has taken away from more cost-effective organizations, such as one that donates bed nets to reduce malaria cases.
Using social media has become second nature to most of our generation; we are always liking, favorite-ing and retweeting at lightening speed. With the constant slew of cat videos and Kardashian memes, it’s refreshing to see a good cause, like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, in the spotlight. However, there are countless charities that could also use some attention. Hopefully the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge will inspire people to become more involved and excited about helping those in need.
Emily Silverman can be reached at emily.silverman@spartans.ut.edu