Issue Exploration

Founded in 1982, the Susan G. Komen foundation has become a widely known nonprofit
organization, and just as widely funded. The organization was founded by Nancy Goodman Brinkers
promise to her sister, Susan Goodman Komen, to find an end to breast cancer. Within the past decade the
nonprofit organization has been amidst several controversies. Where is the line drawn between a nonprofit
organizations main goal to find a cure -for whatever disease they claim to be fighting for- and the
exploitation of those affected by the disease?
Amidst controversies, the organization has done much good and continues to do so. Along with
Komen events and races, which provide emotional support to its participants and act as a retreat for those
affected by the cancer, the organization provides emotional and financial support through the Komen
Breast Care Helpline; a hotline anyone affected or suffering from breast cancer can use. Not only do the
aforementioned events provide emotional support for participants, but they raise money as well, with 20%
of all proceeds donated to cancer research.
Aside from the Helpline, assistance through education, grants and finances can also be found in
their website. This source of endless information and resources breakdowns what is breast cancer,
provides insurance and coverage. It also lists resources that assist with treatment costs. When it comes to
grants, in 2012 alone Komen funded 1900 grants totaling more than 92 million to local community
organizations. In result, those local community organizations were able to provide 368,000
mammograms, 176,000 clinical breast exams and 90,000 diagnostic services.
The benefits from the 1900 grants did not just stop at medical services. The organization provided
education to 3.7 million people, through the community organizations funded by the grants. As well as

support for 36,000 people suffering from the psychological and social aspects of breast cancer. Lastly, the
organization also helped 16,000 people with assistance for basic needs and emergency financial support.
Nevertheless, within the same year the same foundation found itself in the middle of a grant
controversy regarding the CEO, Nancy Goodman Brinkers decision to pull grants and funding from
Planned Parenthood -one of the many community organizations funded by, Susan G. Komen Race for
The Cure. In a matter of days, the organization lost a lot of support and funding from regular donors.
Nancy quickly reversed her decision and announced her resignation as CEO of the nonprofit organization.
She remained as CEO for several months after the resignation was announced. Furthermore, tax
documents reported a 64 percent increase in her pay, making her annual salary $684,000. Where are the
checks and balances for a CEOs salary? According to the president and CEO of Charity Navigator (a
nonprofit organization evaluating and rating website that compares that salary to the salary of another
nonprofit organization), Nancy Brinker makes a quarter of a million dollars more than that of American
Red Cross CEO Gail McGovern. Put aside the outreach and the proceeds, "Susan G. Komen Race for the
Cure", generates for a given community, and you start uncovering disturbing truths. Yes, the Susan G.
Komens Race for the Cure financial statements clearly point that 20% of all proceeds go towards funding
cancer research, and finding a cure to end breast cancer. However, since the organization was founded in
1982, there have been more than 1.9 billion dollars invested in their fight against breast. What is the other
80% funding?
With so much funding, over such a prolonged time, why has the research only found expensive
methods that prolong life with breast cancer but not the cure the cancer itself? It may be coincidental but
the same pharmaceutical companies, funded by the, " Susan G. Komen foundation", that further cancer
treatments, have also been known to make products that cause cancer. One such example is AstraZeneca,
a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biological company. They make tamoxifen -an antiestrogen drug- used to treat breast cancer. They also own Syngenta a pesticide producing company that
makes Atrazine. Atrazine is a pesticide used in food crops all over North America. Atrazine has been

banned all over Europe, due to it being an estrogenic that attributes to cancer cells within our own bodies.
Despite health risks, the United States has refused to ban or even restrict the use of Atrazine. The
hypocrisy does not end there. Not only does a portion of the Susan G. Komen foundation go to
AstraZeneca, but to Zeneca as well. Both of which have worked hard to create breast cancer awareness
month since the early 80s, by promoting the message for early detection, thru mammography an idea
which sounds great- the pharmaceutical companys have benefited alongside General Electric -the largest
producer of mammography devices. A partner and affiliate with none other than the, " Susan G. Komen
Race for the Cure foundation".
Several other partners and affiliates of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure are filling their
pockets from breast cancer as well. Yoplait a yogurt, company owned by General Mills, is another such
example. Partnered with the Susan G. Komen foundation they have used cause marketing (a ploy used to
associate a cause with products in order to increase revenue) and started a campaign to help end breast
cancer. For every yogurt lid a consumer sends back to Yoplait, ten cents gets donated to the Susan G.
Komen Race for the Cure. Consider the implications, if one person ate three yogurts a day for four
months and sent in every lid, they would have only donated thirty-four dollars to the cause, Yet Yoplait
just increased their sales and revenue. Yoplait yogurt also contained artificial growth hormones linked to
breast cancer. It wasnt until 2008 when the, Breast Cancer Action SF, organization, launched a
campaign asking the general public to write to General Mills asking them to stop using artificial growth
hormones, if they were going to be involved in the Pink campaign. With all the pressure and public press,
General Mills stopped making Yoplait yogurt with artificial growth hormones.
I began my research with some knowledge of the discrepancys regarding the Susan G. Komen Race for
The Cure foundation; never did I think my findings would lead me through a trail of hypocrisy and deceit.
At first glance we all naively think of how much good this organization, the partners and affiliates
involved must be doing. We do so not expecting that those running the show do it so with their own
hidden agendas in mind. Why then, is no one doing anything regarding all these issues? Why is our

government refusing to restrict cancer-causing chemicals? Who is keeping everyone quiet and why do
they remain so? If nothing is done, who can we actually trust? If the same companies that happen to be
for the cure for cancer cause are the ones exposing us to cancer causing agents.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Work cited
Mercola, MD. I will not be pink washed: Komens Race is for Money Not the Cure. Mercola. Mercola,
22 February 2012. Web

Myers, Lisa, and Talesha Reynolds. "Susan Komen CEO's Salary Draws Fire as Donations Drop, Races
Are Canceled." NBC News. NBC News, 10 June 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.

Pink Ribbons Inc. Dir. Lea Pool. National Film Board of Canada, 2012. DVD.
"Susan G. Komen's Work on Ending Breast Cancer Disparities." Ending Breast Cancer Disparities.
Ww5.komen.org, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.