Susan G. Komen has decided to no longer provide financial support to Planned Parenthood. This means, Planned Parenthood is losing thousands of dollars in grants to support breast exams. Planned Parenthood’s funding is currently under federal investigation; Komen has created new policies that do not allow the organization to provide grants to those groups that are currently under government investigation. How convenient.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the federal funding Planned Parenthood receives is being investigated by pro-life legislators in Congress who are anti-abortion. They, like so many others, fail to realize that Planned Parenthood is not just a place for a woman to go for an abortion. Planned Parenthood is located in thousands of low income neighborhoods serving as a health center for uninsured women and their families. Women are able to receive free mammograms, pelvic exams and other services that they otherwise could not afford.
Susan G. Komen is the first and only organization that has cut off funding since the investigation started last year. Komen claims it isn’t political, but it’s hard to believe when this decision took place shortly after electing Karen Handel as the new Susan G. Komen Vice President; a woman who ran on an anti-abortion and anti-Planned Parenthood platform while running for Governor of Georgia. During that time she was also endorsed by Sarah Palin for her opposition to pro-choice.
In the midst of the backlash, here’s what Komen had to say:
At Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the women we serve are our highest priority in everything we do. Last year, we invested $93 million in community health programs, which included 700,000 mammograms. Additionally, we began an initiative to further strengthen our grants program to be even more outcomes-driven and to allow for even greater investments in programs that directly serve women. We also implemented more stringent eligibility and performance criteria to support these strategies. While it is regrettable when changes in priorities and policies affect any of our grantees, such as a longstanding partner like Planned Parenthood, we must continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the women we serve and most fully advance our mission.
It is critical to underscore that the women we serve in communities remain our priority. We are working directly with Komen Affiliates to ensure there is no interruption or gaps in services for women who need breast health screening and services.
Grant making decisions are not about politics—our priority is and always will be the women we serve. Making this issue political or leveraging it for fundraising purposes would be a disservice to women.
This is such a contradiction. The goal is to provide grants to programs that directly serve women but you have decided to defund a major organization that directly serves women! Do the new policies now say that Komen will only provide grants to organization that are not affiliated with abortion? I wonder if Planned Parenthood is the only organization Susan G. Komen supported that was also pro-choice.
Vice President Karen Handel's reaction
People are outraged at this decision and have vowed to no longer support the organization. On the positive side of all of this, Planned Parenthood has received an outpouring of donations to support their breast cancer services. It is believed, that in the past 48 hours, Planned Parenthood has raised the same amount of money they would’ve received as a grant from Susan G. Komen this year.
It saddens me that a large organization like Susan G. Komen cannot look past the political agenda of some in order to support the greater good, providing resources so organizations like Planned Parenthood can continue to support local communities. I was a supporter of Susan G. Komen and participated in the walk on the National Mall for a few years, however this year, I won’t be participating. The reason I loved supporting the organization was because I knew the money raised was going to organization in local communities that provided breast cancer screening and treatment. My charitable contributions will go to Planned Parenthood and local organizations that are making a direct impact in my local community; organizations that need the funding the most.
If you’d like to donate directly to Planned Parenthood, please click HERE.
What do you think about Susan G. Komen For The Cure’s decision to stop providing funding to Planned Parenthood?
Sources: The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Jezebel
February 2nd, 2012 on 3:10 pm
I too have been a supporter of the Koman Foundation and have participated in the Walk for the Cure year after year. BUT, I am also a supporter of Planned Parenthood and the work they do for not only low income women but, for any woman without health insurance coverage. I have decided to no longer support Koman and this is only one reason why. I have noticed a few things that have made me question my support.
I know this was political move and it is a shame that Koman has lost sight that all that matters is a women’s health and well-being.
February 6th, 2012 on 2:43 pm
This is a great post. Komen has now reversed their decision to defined PP after the massive backlash. I have no doubt that the initial decision was politically motivated. There are many with anterior agendas that paint PP as just an abortion clinic, but that is not the case. It provides many vital services that are needed for low income women. At least PP picked up additional donations.