If you happened to log into Facebook last Thursday, January 7, you probably got a gander into all of your female friend’s lingerie drawers (via colorful status updates, we mean).  Women across the country were secretly sharing the day’s bra color as a means to show their support for breast cancer awareness.

Facebook updates tell bra color

The risque updates created a buzz as marketers took notice wondering the source of the campaign.  Perhaps the bigger point isn’t where it began, rather what it resulted in – a “viral” campaign that actually went viral.

Oddly while on the topic of breast-related health and social media campaigns, a PA nonprofit, Feel Your Boobies Foundation was named one of the top 100 charities on Facebook via Chase’s Facebook contest, Community Giving.  They were awarded an initial $25,000 and are waiting to hear if they will be the grand prize recipients of $1 million (to be decided late February).

While both of these viral campaigns show the power of social media to share a message, perhaps we’ve all missed a rather obvious means to raising money for our favorite nonprofits – well, not all of us have missed it, exactly.  San Diego’s Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF) is using social media for their recent Viral Donor Drive, and they’ve tapped into C.K. Prahalad’s message: “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid.”

Our client, Aladdin Bail Bonds currently supports the local nonprofit, dedicated to breaking the cycle of youth violence by empowering kids.  TKF’s Viral Donor Drive uses their Facebook fan page, Twitter account, email database and a special “Stop Kids from Killing Kids” website to spread the word about the drive, with a goal of reaching $1 million.  The beauty of this campaign is that instead of asking a few significant donors for a large sum, TKF aims to reach their goal by asking for $1 from 1 million people – illustrating the power at the bottom of the pyramid and highlighting how well social media factors in, offering over 350 million eyes worldwide to TKF and other nonprofits.

Supporters of the nonprofit can make a donation or help fundraise by creating their own social networking campaign in which educational materials will be provided.  For more information or to donate, visit their website or Fan Page.