Irish Cancer Society donations double in 24 hours from #NoMakeUpSelfie

The Irish Cancer Society relies on donations from the public to deliver our services, so we are incredibly grateful to everyone who donated through the #NoMakeUpSelfie phenomenon, writes Irish Cancer Society Head of Fundraising, Mark Mellett (pictured above).

We are overwhelmed by the phenomenal response from the Irish public as a result of the #NoMakeUpSelfie movement. Since the spontaneous #NoMakeUpSelfie campaign started, the Society has received over €400,000 in donations, doubling from €200,000 to €400,000 in the last 24 hours alone. We would like to extend our appreciation to all those who have donated with such incredible generosity.

The funds raised from this extraordinary online response will go towards our major investment in breast cancer research and towards the provision of our  free services for  cancer patients, including breast cancer patients. These services comprise our free Night Nursing service, our cancer information Helpline (1800 200 700), our Daffodil Centres in hospitals across the country, our Care to Drive volunteer driving service and our peer-to-peer support programme for women going through a breast cancer journey.

Last August, the Irish Cancer Society launched BREAST-PREDICT, the first ever country-wide cancer research collaboration. We will invest €7.5m over the next five years in a collaboration involving most of Ireland’s leading breast cancer researchers working together to redefine how breast cancer is treated, with the ultimate goal of precision therapy – that is, more accurate and personalised approaches for breast cancer patients.

One in ten Irish women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, but 8 out of 10 will survive, thanks to new and breakthrough treatments, greater awareness and participation in screening. Every cent of the €4 which people are donating via text across most networks goes towards the Irish Cancer Society. (Some providers apply VAT where a minimum of €3.26 will go to the Society).

We would like to acknowledge LikeCharity, who provide this text service, for their assistance which is invaluable in helping us generate funds in this regard. Texting to donate is an easy option for younger generations who are outside the typical donor audience for many charities.

The spontaneity of the #NoMakeUpSelfie shows how powerful social media can be for charities, while the success of LikeCharity's text donation service in turning this social media craze into actual charity funds makes it clear - the future of fundraising is mobile and social.

The #NoMakeUpSelfie craze has grown organically as a viral movement and is not directly related to the Irish Cancer Society. We are, however, very grateful for any donations from the general public, including those coming from this source, as we rely on these donations to deliver our vital services. For anyone interested in making a donation, you can CallSave 1850 60 60 60, donate online here or text Pink to 50300 to donate €4 now.