Word: pinks
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Other activists are worried that the sheer ubiquity of pink-ribbon campaigns creates an illusion that all is well in the world of breast-cancer research and treatment. "When companies make breast cancer so pink and pretty and upbeat, too many people think we're close to getting answers and that breast cancer isn't the problem it once was," says Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. "That's not the right message. We may have raised awareness, but incidence rates are higher than they were 30 years ago. We don't know how to prevent...
...Pink washing creates a dilemma for charities like Komen, which raises about $30 million a year by working with pink-promotion partners. Clearly, it's better for corporations to give something than nothing, and these programs do make it easy for people to donate. "We're always looking for ways to engage consumers in the breast- cancer cause by capturing them where they live, work and play," says Cindy Schneible, Komen's vice president of resource development. "But what we began to see that was troubling were programs that didn't carry a transparent disclaimer. They would say a percentage...
Komen, which has raised $775 million for breast-cancer research, screening, education and treatment since it was established in 1982, makes a point of transparency about its pink campaigns, as do at least two other large charities: the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), started by Evelyn Lauder. Komen, for instance, insists that partners in pink-ribbon promotions reveal what percentage of sales will be allocated to the charity and how the money will be spent. They do not, however, require corporate partners to divulge the profits from the products or the amount spent...
While it's hard to fault the intentions of any corporation or nonprofit that raises money for breast cancer, critics of pink-ribbon funding say that even though a lot of money is raised, it isn't necessarily being spent in a thoughtful, coordinated manner. "There's a lot of duplication on how we fund research, and there are huge gaps as well," explains BCA executive director Barbara Brenner, who would like to see more research on the environmental causes of breast cancer...
...breast-cancer-awareness month gets under way, American consumers are expected to generate millions of dollars for charities by buying pink. That is clearly a good thing. But consumers who want to ensure that their dollars will really make a difference "have to do their due diligence," urges Susan Arnot Heaney, director of corporate responsibility at Avon. In other words, take off those rose-tinted glasses, ask questions and read the fine, pink print...