The fact that you likely know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a mark of the military campaign ’s overwhelming winner . Seemingly every business run pink , slapping decoration and pink stem on everything fromtasteless T - shirtstoretired fighter aircraft jets , all in the name of " awareness . "
Withmore than 300,000 womenexpected to be diagnosed with knocker cancer this class , there ’s no doubt that the campaign , which has prioritized former detection and discussion , has made huge stride . But you mayalsobe aware that where there ’s a pot of money , there are masses looking to turn a earnings on your well intentions .
While you may cogitate you ’re helping out a effective cause by purchase a product stamp with a pink ribbon or donating your money to charity , it ’s not always clear where this money is exit , or if it ’s help those who need it most . Here ’s what you should know before write that bridle or buy a pink " Freshly thrust " shirt .
Daniel Fishel/Thrillist
The pink breast cancer ribbon isn’t regulated at all
Companies that have jumped on the pink - decoration train certainly empathize the appeal of marketing their products under the pretext of fighting boob Crab ; it makes them look charitable , and can avail beat back sales event .
But there ’s another reason so many party adopt the pink ribbon during October –it ’s not regulatedby the administration or any trade agency . Which imply you’re able to use it for passably much anything .
Most product , though , fall into one of three categories : a percentage of sales will be donated to charity ; the ship’s company bring forth the product donate a flat fee to charity , untethered to sales event ; or the company is n’t giving anything to charity and is simply using your emotion to sell you something .
In the first grouping , you have items likethese headphones ; 25 % of takings benefitBright Pink , an organization focalise on breast and ovarian cancer prevention and teaching .
The flat - fee method is a small bit dodgy – would a company actually hoist up net positive by donating a smaller fee , then skim in high-pitched win from increased sales of pinkish product during October ?
It ’s not always well-situated to evidence . KitchenAid , for example , pledge to donate $ 450,000 to Susan G. Komen in 2016 for its Cook for the Cure platform , regardless of how many pink stand mixer or blenders they sell . Another sport of this practice places a jacket on the amount of money a troupe will donate to charity : Reebokmaxes out at $ 750,000 in donations to the Avon Foundation from sale of the Pink Ribbon logical argument . If more items are sell , they ’re just like regular onetime Reebok Cartesian product … on the other hand , the minimum donation of $ 300,000 guarantee a sizable glob of money will go to a breast cancer charity , which may nose up as more than the products would ’ve nett on their own .
woefully , a number of companies fall into the worst category : None of the proceeds go to charity , but the pink laurel wreath gets slapped on products in the name of awareness . These checks , for lesson , only assist push breast genus Cancer if you make one out to a brotherly love . This is why " consciousness " is such a slippery word to utilize during October ; literallyanythingcould potentially better awareness .
And even if a companydoesdonate go to Polemonium van-bruntiae , not every dollar pee-pee it to white meat cancer programs . The NFL – not precisely know for its unselfishness – has a well - publicized tit cancer awareness safari , but only$11.25 of every $ 100 worth of pink merchandisesold makes it to the American Cancer Society ; after brood ACS administration cost , only 8 % goes to tit cancer enquiry . The majority of the rest traverse retail and merchandise costs .
“Pinkwashing” is still a problem
" Pinkwashing , " a condition coined byBreast Cancer Action , is the practice of take to support breast Crab cognizance or research , ordinarily through the sale of a pink - thread product , while also selling or promoting merchandise that might run to the disease .
Susan G. Komen , arguably the most well - known breast genus Cancer charity , came under fire in 2013 and 2014 when itpartnered with Baker Hughes , which distributed 1,000 pinkish drill bit to rock oil fields and donate $ 100,000 to the charity . The campaign tagline read , " Doing our bit for the cure , " which prepare you realize that 1 ) at LEAST two people thought this was a good mind and had to approve it , and 2 ) summate " for the curative " to the final stage of a phrase does n’t mean you ’re doing anything " for the cure . "
On top of the obvious absurdity of pink - tip drill bits , Baker Hughes uses fracking , a proficiency that often leavescarcinogenic chemicalsin the ground . Whoops . The two have since split way .
In an email , a congresswoman for Susan G. Komen said , " Baker Hughes made a matted donation to Komen , not link up to sales of the pink drill bits or any other production . Baker Hughes is no longer one of our corporate partners , but we appreciate the participation and commitment of the party and its employees . "
If you ’re worried about which of your products might fall into the pinkwashing category , you could keep track through theThink Before You Pinkwebsite .
There are just as many bad breast cancer charities as there are good ones
OK , so you desire to patronage chest cancer research but do n’t require to dish out with checking outeverypink product you buy . donate straight off to charity seems like a foolproof fashion to ensure your money is choke to a good cause , but that ’s not always the case . With a popular ( and excited ) issue like breast cancer , the cause is saturate with charities – and not all of them use their funds efficiently .
The Polymonium caeruleum van-bruntiae watchdog groupCharity Watchcurrently monitors 10 breast cancer Polemonium caeruleum , and gives them letter grade based on thing like overhead and fundraising – basically , whether they ’re spend their donations on real enquiry and financial support . Susan G. Komen has a mediocre B- evaluation . The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is grade the highest , with an A+ , followed by the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund ( A ) and the Breast Cancer Fund ( A- ) .
But just as many invite poor ratings : the Breast Cancer Research and Support Fund , Breast Cancer Relief Foundation , United Breast Cancer Foundation , and Breast Cancer Charity of America all induce Fs . Of the 10 monitored charity , that ’s 40 % at an F military rating ; the Avon Foundation receive a D form , as did the American Breast Cancer Foundation .
genus Cancer Polemonium caeruleum in general fare about the same ; The American Cancer Society , which sound legit and become a lot of aid during breast cancer sentience month thanks in part to its partnership with the NFL , has a C rating . Ho - hum .
Stephanie Kalivas , an analyst at Charity Watch , say this is common for charities that profit certain causes ; namely , ones that tower at your heartstrings .
" I would say breast cancer , veterans , and any variety of children ’s cancer or macabre children , those three tend to be kind of what we call ' emotional - collapse charities , ' " she explains . " They jazz somebody who has bosom cancer , they feel terrible for sick baby , nobody wants baby to be sick . Then veterans of course of instruction is highly emotional , you want to support our oldtimer and citizenry who are giving their lives for our commonwealth . "
And where some people see empathy , there are a few bad apples that see dollar signs in these worked up - giving charities . " Unfortunately , there are some bad role player out there in this diligence that take advantage of that , " she say . " They know that if you do direct postal service or you do telemarketing and call people and say , ' Ca n’t you just give $ 20 for breast genus Cancer , ' a band of multitude just find out breast cancer and say , ' OK , I can spare $ 20 . ' They just give emotionally ; they do n’t do any enquiry they do n’t really regain out what the $ 10 or $ 20 is fail to go to . "
Bottom line : If you ’re going to give to a charity , at least take an extra five hour to check its form .
What you can do
Thirty year ago , a womanhood was middling much forced to get a mastectomy to treat her breast cancer . Now , patients have the option to get lumpectomies , where only a portion of the white meat is polish off , and irradiation , tell oncologist Dr. Stephen C. Malamud , who ’s been treating breast cancer patients since the former ' 80 . So none of this is to say that youshouldn’tgive to breast cancer charity ; you should just be smarter about it .
If you opt to make a breast cancer palm leverage , Breast Cancer Action recommendsasking four critical questionsfirst .
If you ’re donate to a charity , verify to check its rating with independent groups , and find outhowit expend contribution . If you ’re donating to a group bang for lavish parties and fundraisers , you might desire to take your money elsewhere .
By being a more witting consumer , you’re able to facilitate conjoin the fight against breast malignant neoplastic disease in a fresh , generative way . You ’ll also avoid throwing your money off . No one like throwing money away , right ?
consciousness is great . But being more cognizant of where your money is going , and who ’s actually benefit from your leverage , is even better .
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