58.4 F
Wrightsville Beach
Thursday, March 28, 2024

My thoughts

Must read

October is commonly known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The pink ribbon culture has also given rise to the moniker Pink Ribbon Month.

Pink awareness began following the death of Susan Goodman Komen of Illinois, who died of breast cancer at age 36 in 1980. Two years later her sister, Nancy Brinker, founded the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in her memory.

Twenty-five years later, the internationally recognized symbol, a small twisted pink ribbon, that is said to resemble a runner in motion, was adopted and marketed as a wide range of retail items from simple lapel pens, to blingy jewelry, to shoes and clothing, as well as emblem of the Race for the Cure events run around the world.

The organization has raised billions, attracted more than 100,000 volunteers. With money donated, it promises to fund breast cancer education, research advocacy, health service in the U.S. and around the world.

Last year, however, the organization lost some of its luster as one of the most trusted non-profits in America. Sponsor affiliations, and marketing, accusations of possibly misleading numbers used in advertising and a 2012 attempt to withdraw funding from Planned Parenthood for mammograms, which drew critics like flies, produced a downward trend in donations and volunteers.

Yes, Komen’s cause is certainly a noble one, because if current trends continue, one in eight women (including my older sister Dianna) will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime.

But the reality is less than 11 percent of total Koman revenue goes to “finding a cure,” as promised.

Just what portion of the money you donate to an organization actually goes to benefit the cause you choose? The answer will often astonish you.

Organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code are able to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions.

The non-profit’s 990 most recent filing is the first thing to look at before you donate. The IRS Form 990 is an informational tax form that most tax-exempt organizations must file annually. These must be made available and can usually be found by digging on the organization’s website.

Here’s a good rule: no 990 to review, no donation. Then, before stroking a check, look at the percentages of administrative costs to charitable contributions. Next, look at Schedule J: Compensation of the officers, directors or trustees. Also look for the number of individuals paid more than $100,000. Then look at Schedule O for fundraising expenses and independent contractors receiving more than $100,000. Many 501(c)(3) non-profits pay out a large portion of what they taken in to third party for-profit companies for fundraising and events.

It is when these tax-deductible organizations become top heavy in these areas that consumers should be extra wary.

Setting a high salary bar, Brian Gallagher, President/CEO United Way Worldwide received $1.026 million in compensation for 2012. Total revenues were $95.5 million.

However, the top exec at the American Red Cross, which received $3.4 billion in non-profit revenue for FY 6/13, Gail McGovern, received a more modest $622,361 in salary and compensation.

A program that raised money for veterans based in Jacksonville, Florida, called the Wounded Warriors Project came under criticism in 2012 for, among other things, the percent of revenue going to pay the CEO. The FY 9/12 990 filing has $311,000 of the $155 million raised going for Steven Nardizzi’s salary and compensation. (This non-profit is not to be confused with the Wounded Warrior Battalion-East at Camp LeJeune, Jacksonville, N.C.)

Habitat for Humanity International, based In Georgia, reported its FY 6/13 990 revenue as $297 million, with a CEO salary to Jonathan T. Reckford of $274,228.

Now compare this to Susan G. Komen Foundation, which on the FY 3/13 reporting, claimed $264 million in revenue with 47 individuals paid more than $100,000. Of these, founder, CEO and board member Nancy Brinker received $560,000 in salary plus $24K in other compensation; and the president Elizabeth Thompson pulled in a salary of $606,000, plus $26K in other compensation. In addition, Komen paid -$9.8 -million to a for-profit event management company, Event 360, Inc. (Since public outcry, Brinker’s job description was downgraded and salary cut to $390 grand a year, while the president’s pay has been capped at $475,000.)

In reading the heavy criticisms of the Susan G. Komen for a Cure non-profit, I have learned a new term: Pinkwashing. This is defined as the act of companies with questionable products washing their reputation by donating to breast cancer-related charities and then marketing the connection. To make it worse, critics say companies are profiting off of the disease by marketing pink items, or even worse, selling  items made from chemicals linked to cancer.

One early example took place in 2011, when Jersey Mike’s Subs launched a six-month campaign to raise funds for Susan G. Komen. The campaign involved the marketing and sale of specially branded plastic cups as part of the Pink Ribbon Combo. Meanwhile, plastic contains BPA, styrene, phthlates and other endocrine disruptors that are known cancer causers.

More recently the Komen foundation partnered with a major drilling services company, Baker Hughes. For the second year the company shipped 1,000 pink drill bits to the oil fields along with information to educate oil field workers. They marketed the endeavor as doing their “bit” for breast cancer. It is a marketing stunt and partnership gaining a great deal of ire.

Drilling services include oil and gas production, plus hydrolic fracturing — aka fracking — pumping toxic chemicals into the earth for oil and gas exploration. Critics correctly point out the obviously poor fit. Not much is yet documented about the health risks of fracking, because the industry, in many cases, has been allowed by legislators to protect as “trade secrets” the precise mix of chemicals used. A congressional report has identified 29 of the approximately 750 chemicals known to have been used in the fracking process as either likely or known carcinogens.

We are fools if we buy into this kind of egregious marketing.

Think before you pink.

- Advertisement -spot_img

More articles

- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest articles