The Susan G. Komen foundation, the powerful charity in the throes of controversy, has canceled one of its most important events of the year: its annual “Lobby Day” in Washington, D.C. The move is significant because it indicates that Komen’s problems could impact an array of women’s health initiatives that reach well beyond the ones the charity sponsors itself…. Leslie Aun, a spokeswoman for Komen, did not elaborate on the reasons for the cancellation…. “We know folks have been upset with us,” says Aun. “We get that, and we are sorry. We hope that people don’t turn their backs on women. If you don’t give to Komen, that’s someone who’s not going to get a mammogram.” She adds, “We fill so many gaps for women—we gave 700,000 free screenings to uninsured women last year, many of them impoverished. I can’t tell you how many cancers we have detected. Women are alive today because of Komen.”
I’m not going to deny that Susan G. Komen for the Cure has done good things over the course of its existence…but that’s not the issue in play here. No, the issue I’m focused on is Komen’s egregious politicizing of the fight against breast cancer. By caving to pressure from Conservative donors and Catholic bishops, Komen demonstrated conclusively that it’s far more concerned to political realities than their mission. Now, finally, it appears that Komen is feeling it in its bottom line. Americans are recognizing the corrupt behemoth the Komen has been for years. Bloated, inefficient, and concerned primarily with perpetuating their own existence, I’m not about to feel sorry for a charitable organization that’s lost sight of its mission.
Says Aun: “The way we’re going to get past this is to just live our mission every day. We’ve apologized; we’ve expressed regret. In the end we hope people remember that this is about the women.”
The apology and regret, while appreciated, don’t begin to address the systemic problem that’s corrupted and bloated Komen. Aun claims proudly that 83 cents of every dollar goes to programming. I’d be embarrassed if I ran a non-profit that made such poor use of donor money. When you allow top executives to pull down six-figure salaries, travel first class, and stay in fine hotels, you’ve clearly lost sight of your mission. It’s not about the women, not any more; it’s about an organization that behave more like a Fortune 500 company than a charity.
It may have been about the women at some point, and there are undoubtedly those within Komen who fervently believe that they’re fighting the good fight. Now, though, it’s more about politics, and Komen has become so bloated and top heavy that a donor can’t really feel that their money is actually going toward the fight against breast cancer.
It’s too bad, really; Nancy Brinker’s homage to her sister is now an embarrassment. It’s time for Komen to fold its tent and cede the spotlight to organizations who don’t play politics with the war on breast cancer.
