I cannot believe their figures.
Posted by vSanders  |  November 19, 2009 5:56:15 AM

Well, perhaps if this persons post is true:

"Komen raises funds to support research and local programs to those who are the experts in what they do. "

That makes sense. Doctors are raking i charity.

I really find these figures questionable. I can't buy ANYTHING I'm not asked to donate to this "charity". This concern is HIGHLY marketed, from gum, to shoes to ice-chests, sunglasses, its pretty ridiculous.

If you aren't giving this money to the people in need, I think perhaps you should not be called a "charity".

There is just no way you are not making more money than you are reporting. Not a chance with the marketing blitz and product sponsorship you've got. Its probably more likely in the billions.

If this was her sisters goals, where is she now?

Wrong Message from Komen
Posted by Christine  |  October 26, 2009 5:52:47 AM

A world without breast cancer ? ending breast cancer forever ? what is this organization thinking? There are over 2.5 million survivors and were "all" breast cancer patients. So if you have a world without breast cancer where does that leave us? and ending breast cancer forever, what kind of message is that ? we are not going to end this disease and this is the wrong message to be sending. Women need to be proactive in this disease and get their yearly mammograms, do their monthly self breast exams, have their yearly clinical exams and educate themselves and others about this most devastating disease. Cure, yes we have a cure and it is early detection in most cases, I'm a 13 year survivor, early detected and I am cured! but not because we have a world without breast cancer because we have a world of drugs and treatments to help us survive. What is this organization thinking by sendin a message like this to make anyone believe that we'd ever have a world without cancer.

The Cure has been found
Posted by baloney  |  July 2, 2009 8:46:44 AM

The Cure has been found in China--anyone think The Komen Industry has looked into this finding?? From Dec. 15, 2003 PubMed: Institute of Ultrasonic Engineering in Medicine, and Clinical Center for Tumor Therapy of 2nd Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Box 153, 1 Medical College Road, Chongqing 400016, China. mfengwu@yahoo.com

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a noninvasive treatment that induces complete coagulative necrosis of a tumour at depth through the intact skin. This study was to explore the possibility of using HIFU for the treatment of patients with localised breast cancer in a controlled clinical trial. A total of 48 women with biopsy-proven breast cancer (T(1-2), N(0-2), M0) were randomised to the control group in which modified radical mastectomy was performed, and the HIFU group in which an extracorporeal HIFU ablation of breast cancer was followed by modified radical mastectomy. Short-term follow-up, pathologic and immunohistochemical stains were performed to assess the therapeutic effects on tumour and complications of HIFU. The results showed that no severe side effect was observed in the HIFU-treated patients. Pathologic findings revealed that HIFU-treated tumour cells underwent complete coagulative necrosis, and tumour vascular vessels were severely damaged. Immunohistochemical staining showed that no expression of PCNA, MMP-9, and CD44v6 was detected within the treated tumour cells in the HIFU group, indicating that the treated tumour cells lost the abilities of proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. It is concluded that, as a noninvasive therapy, HIFU could be effective, safe, and feasible in the extracorporeal treatment of localised breast cancer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14676799?dopt=AbstractPlus

Expenses - response to post from "a survivor"
Posted by PMC  |  June 4, 2009 5:49:53 AM

You'll notice that the current CEO's salary is $208,000, NOT $500,000.

expenses
Posted by ssanta  |  April 15, 2009 6:01:03 AM

While I realize that it is a very small percentage of the dollars in the budget, I find it troubling that the COO of any charity needs to be paid $513,000 to head the operation. Kind of makes my $20 donation seem less significant in the whole scheme of things. Surely in this world, there is someone competent and willing who would take on the job for less money and donate the remainder to the cure.

a survivor

STOP WASTEFUL ANIMAL TESTING!
Posted by MJW  |  December 31, 2008 12:11:43 PM

Every 12 minutes, a woman in America succumbs to breast cancer, but the Susan G. Komen Foundation continues to waste funds on cruel, outdated, and unreliable animal tests as the clock ticks on cancer patients’ lives.

Please support humane breast cancer charities, such as the Avon Foundation, which channels its funds into prevention, community-based organizations, and cutting-edge clinical research.

Searching for a cure shouldn’t cost animals their lives. Please take a moment to urge Susan G. Komen Foundation officials to immediately end all support for animal tests!

Privacy Policy
Posted by PMC  |  December 5, 2008 11:13:06 AM

Komen DOES NOT share donor information. If you are receiving solicitations from other charities, it would not be because of Komen. Why would any charity share their donor list with another charity, especially when funds are so precious and difficult to raise.

I do hope that you know that your donation is valuable and is making a difference in the fight against breast cancer! As a person who has lost multiple family members to breast cancer, I know that my donations are making the greatest impact through the work of Komen.

I too, receive a number of phone solicitations from other causes. I am confident that it is NOT due to a Komen donation.

Keep giving! Because of people like you and the work of Komen and its volunteers, there will be cures in our lifetime!

Privacy Policy
Posted by TanD  |  December 4, 2008 1:10:16 PM

For Christmas last year, I sent a donation to Komen. Along with the donation I included a request that neither my information nor that of the honoree be released. Since then I have received many phone and mail solicitations from numerous of cancer charities. Since this was a "cold" donation, that is not solicited, I think Komen should have honored my request. I support cancer agencies and chose Komen because of the high rating of Charity Navigator. But I was disappointed in their response to me when I called attention to this.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Posted by AG  |  November 3, 2008 7:02:18 AM

It IS frustrating that more than half of bankruptcies in America are the result of serious illnessese in families. These diseases take a huge financial toll which is why it's important that organizations like Komen keep doing the work they are doing to help people with breast cancer and to keep looking for cures. Whether breast cancer is the "number one killer" of Americans is beside the point - it is the leading cancer killer of women and one in eight women will get a breast cancer diagnosis this year! That makes early detection and agressive research even more important for this disease and these are the kinds of programs Komen focuses on. Komen is funding $100 million in research grants in 2008 and has committed $2 billion to research. Komen Affiliates provide help for people locally, like paying for programs that buy groceries , helping pay for mammograms for underinsured women. Many women wouldn't get mammograms at all if not for the community proigrams that Komen helps pay for. These programs are all listed on Komen's website at www.komen.org. Education about early detection and mammograms is a big priority for Komen because the best chance for survival, and the route that causes the least financial strain on a family, is catching the disease early. There's a 98% survival rate for women whose cancers haven't spread from the breast. That's up from 74% 25 years ago and that improvement is largely the result of Komen and other breast cancer charities raising the money for research that the government isn't funding. What's more, they're raising money to help women in need. Is breast cancer cured? Not yet, but that shouldn't stop anyone from trying to figure out how to stop the suffering. I agree that people shouldn't give to just any breast cancer charity. They should do the research here and see what that organization is paying for. Komen gets a 4 star rating here because it works hard it does a great deal to fund the right things.

Making a BIG Difference -Response to "Wake Up"
Posted by PMC  |  October 30, 2008 7:43:23 AM

Komen is not a direct service provider. That is why you would not receive direct financial assistance from a Komen Affiliate. What Komen Affiliates do, and do very well, is to provide funding to non-profit organizations in communities to fill identified unmet needs and gaps in service.

Komen funded $100 million in breast cancer research in 2007 as compared to the American Cancer Society at $106 million for research ALL cancer types. NO other breast cancer charity can say that.

There are resources that provide limited financial support during treatment. Some are funded by Komen. Those agencies are available on the internet and by calling Komen or checking out Komen.org

In my community, Komen has funded a local program at the YMCA which provides an exercise program, emotional support and financial support. Again, Komen is not a direct service provider. Komen raises funds to support research and local programs to those who are the experts in what they do.

Charity Navigator is THE most credible source evaluating Charities today. What else can I say?

Making A Difference - In response to "Oh Wake Up"
Posted by JAM  |  October 28, 2008 5:52:51 AM

I was recently dianoised with Breast Cancer and had the unexpected medical bills. I called Susan G. Komen for help and I did receive help. There are organizations that actually provide the help you need. The problem is you have to lose everything (which I did)before you can get financial help. This should not happen! Let us not complain, instead do something that will make a difference. I plan to do so. JAM

Oh Wake Up . . .
Posted by DAL  |  October 22, 2008 9:02:53 AM

Please do your homework. Have you had breast cancer and have you tried to obtain assistance? Try it. Eye-opening. After calling dozens on Komen's list, I found that most provide workshops/pamphlets. None that I called provide financial assistance.

$9 million "miscellaneous" is not acceptable in for-profit corporations, where you better know where that money went. Non-profits need to be held accountable. One Komen executive makes $500,000/annually.

Breast Cancer is a Cash Cow. Breast cancer is NOT the world's leading cause of death. A few years back, AIDs was receiving this type of attention/funding. But it's no longer a media or fundraiser darling. Cancer has taken over. FYI, in middle and low-income countries, traffic accidents kill more people.

Yet another fundraiser for the "cure" started this week while people diagnosed receive minimal/no treatment. American Cancer Society estimates 40,000 diagnosed will die. Why? I suspect a percentage won?t go for treatment as they can't afford to miss work. Yet millions will be poured into a "cure."

"Cure" money easily exceeds $100 million pa; roughly 200,000 are diagnosed with breast cancer pa. That's an insane ratio given the state of the world. Hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for the "cure" could easily be used to help people financially.

The approach to the "cure" is fractured: dozens of fundraisers, federal $, state $ -- none working together -- while individuals receive minimal/no financial assistance to get through months of treatment.

I worked a 70-hour-week through surgery and chemo to make enough money to keep going, and still went through savings. People lose homes, jobs and/or end up with poor credit -- all because of lack of funding. Working people are not eligible for much of anything.

May I suggest that everyone do a bit more research before giving one more dime to the "cure,? especially to national organizations. What about giving to a neighbor in need!

concur with DAL
Posted by Russell Grant  |  October 13, 2008 5:32:49 AM

The cash cow comment is absolutely true. This charity spends a lot on overhead compared to Dana Farber, or American Italian. This is the case of the inefficient charity and an overfunded disease.

Doing the Right Thing (continued)
Posted by MAP  |  September 4, 2008 6:11:13 AM

(continued)

Lastly, Komen does not spend the majority of its funds on research. This is a misconception I have heard before, as well. The majority – 70 percent of funds – go to breast cancer education, screening and treatment to provide direct support of people in need globally. In 2007, research accounted for only 30 percent of Komen’s total program expenses – yet it was a tremendous investment. Last year alone, the investment in research was $100 million with the goal of dramatically decreasing breast cancer incidence and deaths in the next 10 years. Komen is the only breast cancer organization that funds all four elements of research, education, screening & treatment. This approach is directly helping people today while providing great hope for tomorrow.

Let’s keep a close eye on organizations out there who are not being responsible stewards and help them be better, and let’s applaud organizations that model exemplary mission and operational standards, like Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This large organization dedicated to saving lives and ending breast cancer forever sets the standard for doing the right thing.

Komen is Doing The Right Thing
Posted by MAP  |  September 4, 2008 6:11:10 AM

It’s easy to look at, and scrutinize, a wonderful organization that is doing groundbreaking work around the world -and we all should- but rest assured there are some key misconceptions about Susan G. Komen for the Cure previously posted here. I think it’s important to remember the size of the organization when making assumptions about irresponsible actions. There are about 125 Komen Affiliates around the world, over 120 Race for the Cure events, more than 170 corporate partners and annual revenues of $370 million. Keeping this in mind, when looking at numbers is very important.

I know this organization is always looking for ways to operate efficiently, deliver on its mission and keep its fixed costs down. They have a very low permanent staff ratio, they outsource many of its activities which I’m sure show up as "professional fees," and nearly all of the vendors who support Komen in these ways provide non-profit discounts of their fees and/or donate time to the organization. As far as miscellaneous expenses, again, we must think about Komen’s size. Miscellaneous expenses of $9 million make up only 3 percent of their total expenses. 3 percent. And yes, Komen does print quite a bit, but Komen makes it a priority to serve the neediest around the globe – often in places where people do not have access to computers or the Internet. They print materials in several languages, to hand out at events, health conferences, etc. These materials provide life saving information on breast cancer education, screening and treatment to those who may not get that information any other way. I imagine other printing costs are related to the Race for the Cure series, which raises nearly $150 million annually as well as its direct mail campaigns which raise close to $30 million. Being a supporter of Komen, and having received their mail for several years now, I know I am receiving more and more email communication. A step in the right direction. (continued)

Distribution of Funds by Komen Foundation???
Posted by DAL  |  September 2, 2008 5:43:13 AM

PLEASE check Komen's 2007 annual report. It's shocking. I've asked about the following, but no response has been received yet: 1) $22,989,969 for professional fees! What's that? 2) $9 million "miscellaneous." I have worked with professional for-profit and non-profit corporations for 45+ years and am positive that NO ethical company would allow $9 million "miscellaneous." 3) $8 million for printing in this internet age and at a time when we are concerned about Global warming and "green," and do NOT need to be cutting down more trees for information that is already on line and redundant with all other cancer organizations. 4) Only 50% of their total distribution goes to programs. Also, very little of Komen's money actually helps patients with expenses. It goes to research, yet more is NOT needed for research; funds are needed to actually help people cover unexpected medical expenses. Even with the best insurance, cancer treatment will eat up any savings you may have.

Please find more efficient, effective organizations to support.

What are "Program Expenses" anyway?
Posted by JMac  |  June 6, 2008 6:00:20 AM

I think Susan G. Komen does a phenomenal job of raising awareness for breast cancer concerns, and they do sponsor research. However, I urge supporters to dig a little deeper and consider what Susan G. Komen considers "program expenses". I can guarantee that their extensive magazine ads, television advertising, and radio spots are not all free.