Think About This for a Moment

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations are registered in the U.S. This number includes public charities, private foundations, and other types of nonprofit organizations, including chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations and civic leagues.

This table, can give you more details of breakdowns, data up to 2009.

Because of the ALS #IceBucketChallenge, which has raised over $94 Million since July 29th alone,
there are now roughly 1,499,999 marketers working at non-profits who may be:
Afraid for their jobs
Depressed that they didn't think of it
Trying to do their own spin of the ice bucket challenge but it better be AWESOME

The problem with being a copy cat is obvious.
Unless you make a really awesome change, think Elon Musk's Tesla's, you will end up like everyone else and get your sliver of market share and that is all. But to your boss you look good. Good, far from excellent or great.

Don't be marginal! Be exceptional!

Easier said than done! I know this first hand.

You want to do so much, but your company gets in your way, fear of lawsuits creeps in, naysayers chime in, budgetary imprisonment meetings keep you from sanity.

Marketers are always pushed further to be original, creative, "viral" and many do fill these traits.

Companies are happy to join in the "me too" game of Fakeopoly. Look they bought a Cloud developer company that focuses on Chinese game sites. The next thing you know anyone saying they do it also gets gobbled up and at the end of the day, you look like the next marketer who has a "challenge" for everyone.

Reach beyond what yous see! Cross the chasm and grab the golden chalice!

The chalice may not be obvious, you need help, you need to ask people, get feedback, find your Rosebud.

Creativity comes from the competitive side of ourselves that pushes each of us to be original, thing differently, solve a problem, work with what we have, be MacGyver.

Come up with the next challenge, product, idea, whatever you need and think bigger and broader.

Did the ALS team know this would happen? Not necessarily and neither will you, but if you never try it, you will never know.