The ALS Association has very high reviews from CharityNavigator which looks for ripoff charities…of which ALS Association definitely is NOT. Wonderful they are getting donations.
HOWEVER……
The REASON for the ice bucket challenge is to make up for the dollars lost in funding when the Sequester went into effect. $1.6Billion was given in grants to disease research of this type….I SAID WAS as it was cut from the NIH budget by the Sequester. Directors of centers focusing on this research say the Sequester has set us back a generation in research…one research center had over $60Million cut…THAT WAS ONE CENTER. Tens of thousands of researchers are now…not working. ALS reports all of this media coverage has resulted in only $15Million being collected…nearly 10 times their normal amount…which means their donations are headed down steeply once America’s entertainment eye goes elsewhere. This is not seen as a longterm thing at all….this funding or this PR move. $15Millioncollected from rampant internet advertising and promotion…as opposed to $1.6Billion in prior normal funding.
SO…..
As opposed to funding these disease projects…the alternative is to pour ice on your head….and as a result raise less than 1/1000th of the amount they had previous….which was a bare bones budget to begin with. And to boot many of the supporters of this had family members die from ALS and a myriad of diseases. Now they do not have the one bit of solace that the scientific effort to stop this horrible disease might stop others from their horror…that solace is now not funded and derailed a generation of research. And after the loss of family members and loved ones….their alternative is to pour ice on their head and collect LESS than pennies on the dollar for their effort and loss. Your family member died from this disease….now to fund research to fund it for a penny….pour a bucket of ice water on your head instead of it just getting funded.
omg……………. America is truly THE HUNGER GAMES.
And “GUESS WHO” wanted much much deeper Sequester cuts???????? This cut made us closer to a balanced budget…great huh?
How about voting for lawmakers who didn’t want to cut funding in the first place so you don’t have to pour ice on your head? Nah….
So what should celebrities, billionaires, and your Facebook friends really start banding together around? Voting out politicians who cut funding for medical research…
You can start by registering to vote at OurTime.org.