Why I'm Not Participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

If you've spent any time on social media or watching TV in the last couple weeks, you've more than likely seen videos of people dumping buckets of ice water on themselves. The aim of these videos is to raise awareness for the neurodegenerative disease ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's disease) and to get people to donate to the ALS Association. If someone is "nominated" to participate by a friend, that person has 24 hours to either donate $100 to ALSA and not dump ice water on themselves, OR to dump a bucket on themselves and donate, if they choose. 

via alsa.org

I was nominated, but I am not participating. Hear me out:
I like the idea behind the campaign and what it aims to do. According to the ALSA, it's been successful. Between July 29 and August 12, $4 million has been donated to the ALSA through the ice bucket challenge (source here). That's wonderful.
I have nothing against ALS or raising money/awareness for it. I do think it's an awful disease and I support researching to find a cure. But no one has the funds to support every single cause that comes knocking or is "trending" (for lack of a better term) at any given time. Slate writer Will Oremus proposes an alternative: "Just donate the [...] money, whether to the ALS Association, or to some other charity of your choice. And if it's an organization you really believe in, feel free to politely encourage your friends and family to do the same."
If we all take responsibility and donate to causes that resonate with us, the world will be okay. If ALS is that cause for you, then get your ice buckets and checkbook ready. For me, those causes are diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. I participated in and contributed to Relay for Life in undergrad because people near and dear to me have fought cancer, and are still fighting it. My family contributes to the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association because those diseases run in my family. I understand that not everyone feels as strongly about those causes as I do, and that's perfectly okay. I encourage those people to donate to and participate in causes that are near and dear to them. 
Whether it's ALS, diabetes, environmental activism, or whatever else resonates the strongest with you, if we put our efforts into the causes that mean the most to us, then all causes will benefit. 
I also read Jacob Davidson's article "We Need to Do Better Than the Ice Bucket Challenge" on time.com.