In the past few months, we made mistakes that ultimately raised questions in the community about our commitment to the mission of saving lives. We take full responsibility for these missteps and we extend our deepest apologies. Our commitment to ending breast cancer for all women remains unwavering and sincere.
That was an excerpt from a letter Susan G. Komen For The Cure CEO Nancy Brinker sent to Congress last week. It would be easy to look at the letter as just another plea for money directed at our nation’s lawmakers, but it might also provide a window into the state of Komen’s bank account.
It seems that Komen’s signature Race for the Cure events have seen their numbers lag precipitously in comparison to years past. It might be possible to assume an implied message in Brinker’s letter; when you’re asking Congress for money, you’re opening yourself up to speculation about your organization’s financial health…or lack thereof. If there’s any justice in this world, Komen is feeling the pinch.
You’ll have to excuse me if my breakfast includes a healthy helping of Schadenfreude….
Yes, Komen has certainly made mistakes over the past few months, and owning up to that truth is a good thing. Unfortunately for Brinker, that does nothing to paper over Komen’s bloated and inefficient structure. It doesn’t negate Komen’s inability to remain apolitical. And it certainly doesn’t explain away Komen’s penchant for aggressively suing those they deem, even tangentially, to be infringing upon the Komen brand. Most of all, it can’t begin to justify Komen taking their eye off the ball and losing focus on their stated mission.
Silly me; here I’d been thinking that it was about the fight against breast cancer….
