We decided it was important to show Michael focusing on the end goal – rolling up his sleeves, getting the job done and reaffirming his commitment to helping find a cure to Parkinson’s in this decade. We let Michael 'speak' from the heart, in his charming, warm, and funny way. And, by letting Michael be Michael, we broke the mold for nonprofits and stood out from the crowd. Also, by using humor, we could ask for money without people feeling pity for Michael. We also knew that featuring him in our ads would capture readers’ attention and increase our chances of getting media placement.

Even though all our media space is donated, and we have no control over whether or not our ads run, we have achieved incredible results. To date, this campaign has helped the foundation raise enough funds to award over $35 million in research grants.

According to data collected on fund-raising trends, the average donation to a new or young charitable foundation is only $25. Our average donation is $244.70, which is unprecedented in the fund-raising arena. Also, our work is so compelling that we have publications such as Vogue, New York Magazine, and Men’s Health asking us if they can run the work instead of us asking them.