Komen Effect: $400,000 Donated To Planned Parenthood In Past 24 Hours

Photograph by Tyler Olson/Shutterstock

After yesterday's AP report on how leading breast cancer charity, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, was stopping its grants to Planned Parenthood—grants that go towards breast exams and information—Planned Parenthood asked its supporters to donate. And they have: The Washington Post reports that $400,000 has been donated to the organization in the past 24 hours.

Last year, the Susan G. Komen Foundation gave $680,000 in grants to Planned Parenthood and about $580,000 in 2010 to 19 of Planned Parenthood's affiliates. New York City's chapter wasn't funded by the grants, but chapters like Planned Parenthood of Southern New England were. Ann Hogan, president of Susan G. Komen for the Cure Connecticut, told the WaPo that she was frustrated by the furor of the defunding, "We have a great partnership with Planned Parenthood, and our hope is that the investigation that has prohibited them from receiving Komen grants will be resolved quickly." She added she was frustrated about spending her time on damage control, "The big picture is we want to end breast cancer forever. In the meantime, we want to make sure women have access to the services we need, and that’s what we spend our time on."

Planned Parenthood believes that the Komen foundation's management—notably former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Karen Handel who is now a VP—is bowing to pressure from pro-life groups by blaming its decision on the House investigation launched by pro-life Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Florida) and has pointed out various instances where Komen has previously affirmed its support of Planned Parenthood, like, this statement from Komen Montana—"The decision to fund any breast health and screening program is based on a thorough assessment of a community’s breast health needs and resources. In some areas of the U.S., our affiliates have determined a Planned Parenthood clinic to be the best or only local place where women can receive breast health care. In all cases, Komen funding is used exclusively to provide breast cancer programs, including clinical breast exams conducted by trained medical personnel."—or this press release from Planned Parenthood of Delaware and a Philadelphia affiliate of Komen about offering free breast exams—the Komen representative says, "We are proud to support Planned Parenthood of Delaware in their efforts to empower these women in the fight against this disease and help their children live in the hope of a future free from breast cancer."

Salon looks at Komen's history in a piece called, "Komen for the Cure sells out women, again,"—Sarah Palin is a senior policy adviser—noting, "Along the way, Komen has become the McDonald’s of cancer — an easy-to-remember brand with a logo that demands little thought or effort from the consumer. Write a check, buy a ribbon, voila! You get to feel like you’re curing cancer." Also, "In a 2010 story for the Huffington Post, writer Laura Bassett pointed out that, according to Komen’s own financial records, it spends almost “a million dollars a year in donor funds” aggressively going after other organizations that dare to use the phrase “for the cure” - including small charities like Kites for a Cure, Par for the Cure, Surfing for a Cure, Cupcakes for a Cure, and even a dog-sledding event called Mush for the Cure."

Planned Parenthood is still encouraging supporters to donate. Good also has suggestions on how to give Komen the pink slip.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on February 1, 2012 5:48 PM

Comments [rss]

Over the River

I'd like to thank Tom Joyce (above this comment) for his expanding on this
problem and discussing the bigger problem. As he says, this is a concentrated effort to enforce "Christian Law" in the United States. I don't have to look any farther than where I live, which is Virginia, to see our right-wing governor's attempts to turn Virginia's laws into Christian Laws. His efforts to make barriers to a woman's right to an abortion are state-wide "regulations" that require the clinics who provide these services meet construction and design standards mainly intended for new hospitals . Efforts to require a woman to view an ultrasound before an abortion, and other Draconian "rules" are doing their best to return Virginia to its Civil War past.

Elizabeth Nash, a public policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute in Washington, which studies reproductive health issues said it best when she said "All of these counseling laws are designed in one way or another to reinforce this message that women shouldn't get abortions, to otherwise shame a woman when she is trying to make a decision that is best for her family".
And this is just Virginia. Defunding efforts like Komen's are the tip of the iceburg. We all need to work together to shine a light on those who want to move the US backward in time.

Tom Joyce

Remember that many Christians believe that if their morality is not reflected in the laws, then they are "second class citizens". And they oppose Planned Parenthood because they oppose any contraception that is not "natural".

Look at their uproar over the Catholic hospitals being required to offer their overwhelmingly female employees birth control in their health care. it is not enough to say that Catholics do not have to use such care, they also must have the right to refuse it to others.

Many people are missing the goal of these Christians, which is to bring back the morality encoded in law that prevailed before the SCOTUS canceled a state's right to out law birth control.

They are also upset about sodomy laws being ruled unconstitutional.

For these Catholics and other Christians, they are nit free to practice their beliefs if the beliefs are not also the law of the land.

They are no different than the Taliban and the Muslim clerics in Iraq and elsewhere, and it is easy to understand their point of view if you consider the way they view sin. sin is an absolute category, and homosexuals and the sexually active, and so many others are not being punished by society anymore and to them this is a mockery of their beliefs. For them, it is as if we have made armed robbery not a crime. As long as homosexuals and others flaunt their sexual deviancy in front of their children and them, disobeying God's eternal laws, our society has made it impossible for them to live moral lives.

That is how they think, and that is why Planned Parenthood is an organization that they would oppose even if Planned parenthood stopped any connection to RU 84 and abortion. To them, all birth control is a crime and a sin.

Tom Joyce

I urge everyone to boycott Susan G. Komen, and their pink ribbons, and their sponsors. The people who oppose Planned parenthood oppose Birth Control. also, in many cases, such as The Roman Catholic church and others. They represent a cultural war against liberals, progressives, libertarians, and anyone who does not believe in their God, and in a hierarchical morality based on The Pope and the Bishop's relationship to what they believe is an absolute truth.

With many of the opponents of Planned Parenthood, this is a continuing war to bring back an America that they believe once existed and can be brought back, with prayers in the schools, religion making laws, and women in subservient positions in general, and as stay at home full time moms when they do get pregnant.

BoerumHillJo

It's Komen

Not Koman

NOT Korman

Mordicai

Sincerely, Boeum Hill resident "Jo Korman."

aspiringrapper

Regardless, the woman in the above photo is quite pretty.

Caleb_Grey

And totally misleading since PP doesn't do mammograms.

Caleb_Grey

330,000 a year.

Miriam

People think that everytime they make a donation to anything related to Koman that it is actually going to Koman. Not true. I am a survivor of both Uterian and Ovarian cancer and have a great deal of trouble wanting to give to Koman since they have become a "Brand" and that's not what they started out to do. Breast and Ovarian cancer are linked and for some reason Breast Cancer gets so much more money and press then any other form of cancer. Cancer is cancer, it doesn't need to be labeled, it needs to be cured. All of these groups are working against each other instead of working together. That's why I donate to "Stand Up To Cancer." They fund research and care on all forms of cancer. I disagree with the writer who said that it is not in the best interest of medicine to find a cure. All of my doctors have worked very hard to find a cure, unless you have had cancer, you really don't know what you are talking about.

seattlesnow

Looks like the Komen folks wasn't needed after all all politics side what does this nation well being have to do with a non for profit origination that does something that can be done at many other clinics and I'm not one of those Planned Parenthood is abortion factory I know they do yeoman's work in women's health however they are not the only game in town

slickpoetry

please try to start using punctuation once in a while it is very hard to read what you write when you don't bother to punctuate in fact i couldn't make heads or tails out of it because it is just one massive run-on sentence that makes absolutely no sense

Tom Joyce

You are right about seattlesnow. I wasted a few minutes trying to read a functionally illiterate writer.

m015094

Can everyone just admit that the number of abortions done due to
rape, medical reasons (congenital abnormalities) and legitimate
contraception failure is a tiny amount?

Most women who get abortions somehow fucked up. The had unprotected sex and
got pregnant and then decided it wasn’t a good time to have a baby. It
really is that simple.

anotherkate

Let's say you're right, and American tax dollars do make it through some loophole or another and fund abortions. If it truly is a tax issue, then I think it's worthwhile to do some math: which costs the taxpayer more, an abortion, or a child whose parents weren't ready for it? How many children who would have been aborted would end up taking advantage of social entitlement programs like welfare, subsidized school lunch, HeadStart, food stamps, Medicaid, and the like? Not to mention any potential ER visits that put an additional burden on the system. In the long run, a child whose parents "fucked up" and kept it may end up costing the taxpayer considerably more money than if that same couple had aborted.

I'm not really advocating taking this cold monetary approach to family planning, but just take your argument to its logical conclusion. Even if your tax dollars funded 100% of all abortions ever, you still might come out "ahead," tax-wise.

SFNY

Most women who get abortion somehow fucked up?

Like the 1 Million women who were responsibly taking their birth control pills only to learn yesterday, oh, whoops, turns out Pfizer fucked up the pills so oops, they might actually be pregnant.
How about the woman who got pregnant despite being on the pill for seven years straight, because of spontaneous ovulation during the placebo week?

How about the actual 20% failure rate of birth control pills and condoms? These are the actual average failure rates, not the "perfect" rates listed on the packaging. For every 1 million women having sex with a guy using one of those methods, 200,000 could become pregnant.

What about the 1.35 million condoms recalled yesterday in South Africa because it turns out they leaked like a sieve. What about all those women who may have gotten pregnant as a result, how did they fuck up? Did they deserve the HIV they might have contracted, too?

Guess what, YOUR TAX DOLLARS DON'T FUND ABORTIONS AND HAVEN'T SINCE 1976. Look it up: It's called the Hyde Amendment.

How do women get pregnant? From sperm that comes from a guy. Yeah, that's the woman's fault.

Quit spouting such totally baseless bullshit.

m015094

The yearly failure rate for oral contraceptive that is correctly used (every day) is 0.3% and condoms are 2% - even less when appropriately using both and/or spermicide. Not 20% like you claim.

The majority of failures of contraceptives are due to inappropriate use by the user. I would suggest that you talk to your OBGYN if you are confused about these numbers.

Here's the reference - you know, from a medical text book. Not something you made up.

http://www.contraceptivetechno...

Mama_in_the_city

I swear I try not to argue with idiots on the internet but this is more so I can stop yelling at "you" from my side of the computer screen. Here is the reality, who gives a shit how someone "fucked up" and got pregnant? The point is that now someone who has decided they weren't ready to be a mother (and in many cases some dude telling her he isn't ready to be a father) is faced with one of the most difficult decisions in their life. It's her uterus and she can decide what she would like to gestate in it. People like you get on my fucking nerves because the reality is isn't about your precious tax dollars it's about your barely veiled MISOGYNY. Your "tax dollars" fund illegal wars, "your tax dollars" fund all kinds of fucked up government mistakes and folks like you never say one damn word but God forbid a woman decides to not bring a "precious" life into the world. Think about this, should she bring said "life" to term and cannot afford to feed that baby you would be the same asshole complaining about how your tax dollars went to her food stamps, or free health care or little rent subsidy. See damned if she does, damned if she doesn't. For folks like you its never about your tax dollars its about your woman hating, you just hide behind the delusion that you are stressing "personal accountability". BTW the woman does "pay for it" herself, if she does not have insurance (which btw up until a few years ago MOST would on average pay for up to 3 abortions but wouldn't pay for birth control, they did however pay for viagra...hmmmm) Planned Parenthood charges a few hundred bucks to terminate a pregnancy. THERE ARE NO FREE ABORTIONS PEOPLE. If you are insured and poor then you're kinda up a creek without a paddle aren't you? Here is my last thought. The woman must make the decision and she "fucked up" but uhm it took a man to also chose (and thereby "fuck up") not to be protected, how come none of the onus is ever laid at his feet. I guess the irresponsible women got pregnant through immaculate conception.

m015094

Take a chill pill. Maybe that person who decides they don't want a kid should make that decision BEFORE having unprotected sex. Don't you think not getting pregnant in the first place is easier on everyone (woman, man - who as you mentioned have to make a very difficult choice) than going through with an abortion?

And I'm not absolving the man's responsibility to wear a condom,or take care of the kid (or abortion costs) if the woman becomes pregnant.

But ultimately it's the woman who gets pregnant (sorry nature). Unless a woman is raped - I'm sure she has some choice whether or not to let some guy bust his nut in her.

And, yes, the abortion clients at PP pay a fee which is subsidized. And tax money that goes to PP is fungible, meaning that it can be used for everything - including abortions (a clever little way around the Hyde amendment).

I'm not against abortion. Just take away ANY way to fund it by taxpayer dollars (including that "fungible" loophole) and I'd think you'd make everyone (including me) shut up about this. Until that's done, people are going to be pissed off about it.

Mama_in_the_city

I was going to respond to you the. I saw your above replies to everything else and I just chuckled. I apologize I'm an idiot for engaging you. Your logic is on such a slippery slope it doesn't even matter at the end of the day mu uterus my choice (and choice of my partner when it applies). There Are those who will use cancer to attack those who create platform for that and no matter what your skewed logic is that sucks donkey nuts, plain and simple.

Mordicai

Yeah, like I said elsewhere; I'm terrible at not taking the troll bait, so don't feel bad about it.

m015094

Slippery slope? How?

I am for cancer research.

I am pro-choice.

However, I don't support ME paying for YOUR elective abortion.

If you have a problem with that, I suggest you direct your money towards private funds.

delicats

*appropriately using. Cause condoms never break, people never throw up, etc.

My OBGYN recommended I keep a Plan B in my home just in case, despite the fact that I use birth control consistently. That is good advice. Although Plan B isn't effective either.

That said, what if BC fails? Who's fault is that? I'm curious to your answer.

m015094

My answer to that would be that the drug is to blame, but there's no liability because the failure is clearly printed with the drug.

But everyone here is assuming that if that happens then I would force the person to have the baby.

Did I ever write that? No, I did not.

I'm not against abortion and I'm not one of the people looking to abolish it - that would be stupid in emergent and medical cases.

My point is that MOST people who get abortion do so because of irresponsibility. Whether that irresponsibility came from not using birth control at all or not using it correctly (like skipping days when taking a BC pill), it doesn't change the fact that it was the individual's fault.

splicernyc

And even if this was true it affects you how?

m015094

Well, when my tax dollars are being used to fund others people's "mistakes," I'd say that effects me. Pay for it yourself and have all the abortions you want.

Flora Stadler

But you're ok with your tax dollars being used to fund political mistakes that lead to bloody wars needlessly killing thousands in the Middle East? Moron.

m015094

When the fuck did I say that?

Oh, that's right, I didn't. Learning to read is hard. Don't give up.

Elizabeth

if you don't like what your taxes are supporting, stop paying taxes! see how quickly you change your mind when the IRS throws you in a jail cell.

we won't miss you

m015094

Elizabeth,
Did you get knocked up by some dude while you or him weren't using birth control?

Is that why you're so mad?

Harper324

get the fuck over your precious little tax dollar. do you know how many "mistakes" totally unrelated to abortion or women that your tax dollars fund? and you're concerned about a teeny tiny portion that *might* somehow go towards an abortion? get a grip.

ps - you probably dont even make enough money to pay full fed income tax anyway.

m015094

Because OUR tax dollars are spent on stupid things (like a $700 billion defense budget), means we should be happy about funding a mostly ELECTIVE procedure? Wouldn't it be cheaper to offer people cheap birth control and not get pregnant in the first place?

Oh wait, we already do that, but some people don't understand birth control apparently.

And, yes, I know BC fails - about 0.5% of the time. So, what's the excuse the other 99.5% of the time?

Harper324

omg, are you still trying to defend your dumbass post?

m015094

Why are you so mad? Did you get an abortion(or cause it) because you were too dumb to use a condom or birth control? I don't really care if you did. Shit happens. Just don't make me pay for it.

Harper324

why do you assume that i am mad or that i have ever experienced a pregnancy of any kind?

oh, yeah, that's right, you're a misogynist!

Harper324

PS - this is what misogyny looks like: http://i149.photobucket.com/al...

m015094

Yes, I'm against spending $700B on defense and I call them retarded ...I guess that makes me a misogynist.

SFNY

Bullshit. Total lie. Hyde Amendment has prohibited that since 1976.

Tafter

You'd think that response would be the trump card, wouldn't you? Brace yourself for the inevitable: "But federal money is used to support this evil organization! Just as bad! Just as bad!"

m015094

You might want to do a little fact checking next time.
http://www.aclu.org/FilesPDFs/...

m015094

Nice. I show that tax dollars have funded abortion and nobody cares. You call it "bullshit" (using no source) and it gets 15 "likes." I refute using an actual source and get nothing.

Yes, the source-based medicine is clearly working in your case.

Or would that be popular hysteria over abortion?

Tafter

Many of those court decisions cited protect the right to access to state funding for an abortion ONLY when the woman's life is at risk. For instance, Doe v. Wright.

But looking at the bigger picture: move to a different state more aligned with your beliefs.

The people of your state have clearly decided that, despite the federal stance, they want to support reproductive care that includes abortion.

Candyce Moore

No. It really isn't

gem22

They spend a million dollars a year defending a copyright even against non-profits with admirable goals...come on...doesn't that tell you something about Koman.

theevilerone

You are a horrible person. Ideologues on either side suck.

TCF16

Nah man. If they're gonna bow to pro-life dickheads, they should lose some funding which should be funneled towards orgs with better ideology. Let the anti-abortion pieces of shit get cancer. That's a good trade off.

theevilerone

I disagree with Komen's stance, but what does boycotting them really accomplish? If the issue is really women's health, withholding funds just means other organizations that they fund to provide women's health services go unfunded. It seem like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

L

Boycotting Komen doesn't mean that your money won't be donated elsewhere to a different cause. As we've seen in this case, the money that Komen will not longer be giving to Planned Parenthood for cancer screenings will now go directly to Planned Parenthood...for cancer screenings.

theevilerone

Right for every person that makes the effort to do so. Many others will read the headline that PP got a ton of money and do...nothing. If the end game is women's health, I don't see how, net net, that cause comes out ahead.

RJGNYC

Thankfully there are plenty of other nonprofits that deal with cancer research. GOOD had a nice article on other options that are available: http://www.good.is/post/give-k...

Tafter

Thanks for the link!

I think Planned Parenthood is actually another great place to give money after this debacle. The have a hole to fill to continue to provide screening for women.

Roger_the_Shrubber

It's about time the abortion enthusiasts put their money where their mouth is. Now stop giving Planned Barrenhood tax money and let them take up that slack as well.

BTW: a cure for cancer most likely exists. It's just in the medical and pharmaceutical industry's interest to not cure it.

Elizabeth

you seriously do not understand economics and profit if you think pharmaceutical companies would hold back a cure that would make them MILLIONS of dollars

i hope you're a troll

bbqchickendancer

I think we should withdraw all govt funding for faith based organizations as well if your logic is to be followed all the way through- because they promote an agenda too

Harper324

And what about the tax break that churches and the "faith-based" organizations receive? We should probably eliminate that too, while we're at it.

edgie168

i see what i said to you in the other post didn't take hold.

not surprised.

jibbly

If not anything else, Roger is at least wholly unsurprising.

Ian MacAllen

Fortunately, there is a correlation between education levels and income and education levels and political affiliation. Not to say you are stupid or uneducated, but statistically, you probably are.

m015094

There ARE cures for certain cancers such as radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery - assuming that it hasn't metastasized. Some people get better, some people don't. If you want to talk about a disease without a cure (other than transplant), it's ESRD. People ALWAYS die from that.

But you knew that, right?

The Gaf

Well, it's clear they haven't found the cure for stupidity.

felixthecat

It benefits them not to find a cure. However a vegan diet is a preventive measure which none of these money making orgs will disclose. Many cancer caused by animal protein. this is a fact and many medical journals have published such proven studies.

Lloyd Bergenson

oy vey.

TCF16

You sir, are a dummy.

Amber

My eyes just rolled so hard that they might be permanently lodged in the back of my head, thanks.

Roger_the_Shrubber

An eye roll is the best you got? A petulant adolescent can do better.

Tafter

The question I'm asking is why anyone here should respond to a petulant adolescent. After this, I'm not.

Mordicai

I wish I had the self control not to be trolled by Roger, I really go.

Stan_LS

A petulant adolescent can do better but it's just not in the medical and pharmaceutical industry's interest for him to do so.

Kaonashi

My eyes went back so far I'm typing in Braille.

randomtransplant

This sort of excuse is reprehensible - don't agree with something? Launch and investigation, any investigation, regardless of merit. Planned Parenthood, NPR, ACORN...I don't think its a coincidence that these big three cases are all supported by members and voters who typically belong to one political party over another. The precedent has been set, and repeated.

Yesterday a commentor linked to a list of Korman's funders on their own website. Maybe they should suspend all donations from Loews, becaues Loews has been involved in labor investigations.

At the very least, if they are going to put ideology above a cure(not that I think they should), they need to disassociate from someone accused of using public campaign money on a personal shopping spree like Palin.

Korman is a conduit, not a direct service. They don't "cure" anything on their own. They are interrupting the good works they are asking you to donate money on behalf of in the first place. Hypocritical, a double standard, and anything but a decision made in the best interest of their mission statement.

rockyfella

I think they are actually putting cure above ideology. Their ability to raise money depends on the image they project to the donors. They know who their major potential donors are and act accordingly.

They are obviously not curing anything, but their role as a major conduit of money into cancer research is invaluable.

randomtransplant

I don't see how injecting yourself into an unrelated, contentious issue is "good" from a development perspecive - especially given the resulting PR and negative brand association which has occurred in only 24 hours.

As a sponsor, or any non-profit, you are in competition for donations. Undercutting such an integral medical service provider & calling attention to the amount of money spent on branding litigation rather than direct service is not competitive. That makes them less valuable.

rockyfella

I agree, my point was only a speculation that costs of withdrawing their support for Planed Parenthood might be lower than the negative effect on their fundraising potential. It depends whether most of their donations come from corporate sponsors, estate trusts, small individual donors etc. and how these donors are expected to react to continued funding of PP by Komen.

randomtransplant

That disappointing but true - Walk events are an established fundraising model which take alot of effort to pull off, though.

Korman isn't ostensibly in the business of leaving money on the table, and I wonder if future trusts & sponsors will as readily donate to 'that anti women's breast cancer group'. Maybe they will, or maybe Korman is satisfied with the base they already have. I wouldn't know.

Bernie_Geotz_Squirrel_Luv

Awesome. Now to boycott that walk of theirs.
Keep the pressure on.

stewart_nyc

I really don't understand the rabid backlash against Komen.

Mordicai

Allowing the fable that Planned Parenthood is some kind abortion factory to jeopardize the actual lives of women, I'd guess. Well, "fable" is a bit polite; lie is probably better.