Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a multimillion-dollar company. Their assets total over $390 million. But only 20.9% of these funds -- scarcely more than a fifth -- are used to research “the cure.” The rest goes to health screening (13%), treatment (5.6%), fundraising (10.0%), public health education (39.1%), and “administrative costs” (11.3%).
Thanks to those “administrative costs”, the directors of this charitable “non-profit” organization make more than most doctors, lawyers, or politicians. Their CEO and president, Hala G. Moddelmog, makes over $550,000 each year -- more than President Obama makes.
Writing for AlterNet, Emily Michele says:
“The area in which Komen spends the highest percentage of funds is in ‘public health education’ ... It admits to about 10% of funds used for ‘fundraising,’ but let’s be honest, the pink-ribbon-plastered ‘awareness’ and ‘education’ campaigns are often little more than a highly effective form of advertising -- which in turn, brings in Komen’s millions. In other words, a way to raise funds for itself, while getting a pat on the back for its efforts to ‘save lives.’”