The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge: How to Get Nominated and Make Your Impact Count

The Official Rules: Nomination, Timing, and Video Documentation

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge follows a three-step process: film yourself pouring a bucket of ice water over your head, post the video publicly on social media using #alsicebucketchallenge, and tag two to five people you're nominating to participate. [1] Once nominated, participants have 24 hours to complete the challenge -- either by taking the ice bucket and donating $10, or by skipping the water and donating $100 instead. [13] Tagging your nominees directly in the video is what drives participation forward, since the public call-out creates social accountability rather than leaving acceptance as an optional choice. [1] If you want to extend your impact beyond a single video, our [create a fundraiser](https://alsunited.org/blog/create-a-fundraiser/) page has tools to build a personal campaign around your challenge.

Amplifying Your Challenge: Directing Donations to ALS United and Local Support Programs

When you take the challenge, directing your donation to a local ALS United member organization keeps funds close to the families who need them most. The impact of the challenge continues to ripple at the regional level -- funding local programs, patient services, and advocacy efforts that serve people directly in their communities. [15] Tagging your regional ALS affiliate in your video, beyond the general hashtag, increases the visibility of local services for people in your area who may not know help is available. [1] For anyone newly connected to the cause, [ALS support groups](https://alsunited.org/blog/als-support-groups-connecting-with-others-facing-the-disease/) through local member organizations are a direct path from awareness into an active, supported community. [14]

Creative Variations That Keep the Movement Alive in 2025 and Beyond

The challenge has proven adaptable beyond its original format. In spring 2025, a University of South Carolina student group called MIND launched the "Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge," directing donations to a nonprofit focused on youth mental health -- a cause that directly intersects with ALS, since caregivers and people living with ALS commonly face depression, anxiety, and grief.[16] The ALS Association publicly praised MIND's efforts, noting that mental health "affects the ALS community in profound ways" and that the original challenge's spirit of collective action continues to inspire new forms of activism.[16] Influencers including James Charles and Haley Kalil participated in the mental health variation, confirming the format still draws public engagement more than a decade after Pete Frates helped connect it to ALS research -- and that each new version has the potential to bring fresh audiences back to the original cause.[16]

From Viral Moment to Sustained Action: What Happens After You Take the Challenge

Connecting Challenge Participants to ALS United's Comprehensive Support Network

Taking the Ice Bucket Challenge is often a person's first direct encounter with the ALS community -- and ALS United member organizations are built to meet people at that moment. [1] Each member organization offers coordinated services including free medical equipment loans, financial grants, caregiver guidance, and direct referrals to multidisciplinary ALS clinics, all built to support families from diagnosis forward. [1] Caregivers and family members can find region-specific resources and next steps through our [caregivers and families](https://alsunited.org/blog/for-caregivers-families) page, which connects people to social work consultations, equipment specialists, and financial assistance programs. [17] We are here for you -- whether you came to the ALS community through a viral video or a diagnosis, the support network built by challenge donations is ready to walk with you.

Turning Awareness Into Advocacy: Next Steps for Newly Engaged Community Members

The most durable contribution a newly engaged person can make is moving from a single challenge into sustained action -- through advocacy, regular giving, or volunteer work. Research on viral campaigns shows donations typically return to pre-challenge levels within weeks when social pressure is the only motivator; people who build personal connections to a cause through recurring involvement sustain their impact far longer. [4] Practical next steps include creating a fundraiser tied to a local ALS event, joining advocacy campaigns for increased research funding, or attending community walks throughout the year. [1] Local ALS organizations have clear pathways into each of these roles, and we are here for you at every step of the way.

Resource Guide: Where Your Donation Goes and How to Stay Involved

Knowing where donations go makes it easier to decide how to stay involved. Challenge funds supported 130 active research projects across 12 countries and 40 treatments in development, including $2.2 million toward AMX0035 -- a drug the FDA approved to slow ALS progression and the most direct proof that the challenge produced clinical results. [18] Local member organizations used their portion to expand free equipment loans, financial grants, and ALS clinic partnerships -- services that remain available to families today regardless of when they first connected with the cause. [1] For families navigating the financial complexity that comes with an ALS diagnosis, our [insurance and coverage guide](https://alsunited.org/blog/medicare-medicaid-and-private-employer-insurance) outlines the options available at each stage of care.