Alternatives to Komen for Channeling You Dollars & Energy to Fight Breast Cancer

By now, you’ve heard that Susan G Komen For the Cure, which at first announced that it would withdraw its funding to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screening programs, now appears to (but may not actually) have reversed that decision after an enormous public outcry.

Komen is not new to controversy.  Many have criticized their “pink-washing” campaign, which has promoted some very unhealthy products and brands in return for donations (Pink buckets of fried chicken? Really?…) But with this latest political move, they’ve gone too far for many of their supporters, some of whom say they will stop supporting Komen. Planned Parenthood, in the meantime, has raised record dollars since Komen’s initial announcement, topped off by a $250,000 matching grant from Michael Bloomberg.

I could go on and on about the controversy, but that’s not the point of this post, which is simply to answer the question I found myself asking – what should Komen’s former supporters do now? How can they channel their efforts to fight breast cancer if they are not going to give to Komen?

One option, of course, is to give to Planned Parenthood, The other option is to donate to one of the other charities on the front lines in the battle against breast cancer. Komen, after all, is not the only game in town.

Here are a few other places where your dollars will be put to good use fighting breast cancer. All of the following groups get high ratings from the American Institute of Philanthroy and/or Charity Navigator

And if you’re not already donating to the fight against breast cancer? Well, maybe it’s time to start.

11 Responses to Alternatives to Komen for Channeling You Dollars & Energy to Fight Breast Cancer

  1. Excellent and reasoned post. Thanks for listing the options — I will take the one of donating to Planned Parenthood — you know the attacks on them will keep coming!~!

  2. oh, thank you! i’ve not been a fan of the pink for a long time, and am a stalwart supporter of PP, but this is a great list for those wanting to donate to research and/or patient care.

  3. How about BreastFest?! http://breastfest.org.

    Founded by five sisters who lost their mother to breast cancer, it is a music festival fundraiser in five cities raising money that stays local for diagnostic and imaging and breast health programs, with 10% going to the Tyanna Foundation, names for the sisters’ mother.

    I work on the one in Athens, GA. It is pro-woman, local- focused, and raises money for a Free Mammogram Day for local women!

    We’d LOVE your donation! (Also one in New Jersey, Boone, North Carolina, Philly and Baltimore, and they’d love your donation, too!)

  4. Am I missing something here?? You want people to give to Planned Parenthood instead of Komen…because Komen supports Planned Parenthood?? Can I be the only person reading this who gets that?!

    • J Schrick –

      This post was written in response to Komen’s plan to cut its funding to planned parenthood. They since reinstated that funding after the public response against it. Hope this clears things up for you.

      Peggy

  5. Oh. Thanks for shedding light on it then for me. Only seven of Komen’s 125 national chapters actually support Planned Parenthood, I have since learned (from a lengthly conversation with a Komen rep). The National chapter doesn’t, either. The outcry against Komen for going back on it’s decision to withdraw all Planned Parenthood support seems a little silly given that fact. What IS justification for withdrawal of support for Komen is the fact that they support stem cell research, and they refuse to acknowledge the scientifically proven link between abortion and breast cancer. In my recent research I’ve learned additional facts that have surprised and disappointed me regarding Komen’s ethics. I have supported Komen for years but cannot going forward. Until/unless they make a few serious changes- and stand by them this time. So there’s one woman’s opinion.

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