With Susan G. Komen Under Fire Will Ford Stick By The Foundation?

Ford and Susan G. Komen have a long history together, promoting breast cancer awareness through Ford’s Warriors In Pink cause, which has contributed a staggering $110 million to the foundation. Recently though, Susan G. Komen for the Cure has come under heavy fire for pulling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Planned Parenthood, a move that many see as a result of pressure from right wing anti-abortion politicians.

In a statement, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure stated the reasoning for pulling the funding was the result of a current investigation by the House oversight and investigations subcommittee over its funding. Komen has a clause which prohibits Komen from giving money to organizations that are under local, state or federal investigations.

They have stated that their reasons are not politically motivated, however, the reason that Planned Parenthood is being investigated surely has everything to do with politics and the fight for and against abortion in this country.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif points out that $600,000 a year will no longer be provided to Planned Parenthood and brings up the fact that the Komen organization recently announced in a statement that the dismal rate of breast cancer screening with women who do not have insurance is 38.2 percent. This is something that Planned Parenthood offers for free to patients that meet a certain criteria, such as low-income and uninsured.

Furthermore, of all the services that Planned Parenthood offers to patients, abortions only make up 3.0 percent of those. (Source: PP Services). Countless lives are at being put at stake right now due to the actions of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Will Ford continue to stick with them? Cries for action on their part are already being expressed on the Warriors In Pink Facebook page.

Feedback Pouring Into Warrior In Pink Facebook Page

Maybe Ford can pick up the tab for Planned Parenthood, considering their concern for the health of women and their understanding of the hurdles that women still face to make sure that everyone has access to affordable screening and care so that the battle against breast cancer can progress? I, for one, would like to see Ford step up for the cause, when faced with an obstacle, rather than hide behind politics. The Henry Ford foundation already contributes directly to Planned Parenthood and in 2010, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America was elected to Ford Foundation’s board of trustees.

Via CBS News

Update: Ford has released the following statement:

Good Morning Warriors! We understand that many are expressing concern about the decision Susan G. Komen Foundation has made regarding their granting strategy. For the past 18 years, Ford has supported the good work of the Susan G Komen Foundation as we believe in the power of education, early detection and know that raising awareness of breast cancer has the potential to save lives. We will continue our mission to encourage people to be informed and spread the word about the importance of breast health.

Update 2: The Foundation has reversed their statement, releasing this statement:

We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives. The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.

Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.

Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.

It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women. We urge everyone who has participated in this conversation across the country over the last few days to help us move past this issue. We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics – anyone’s politics.

Starting this afternoon, we will have calls with our network and key supporters to refocus our attention on our mission and get back to doing our work. We ask for the public’s understanding and patience as we gather our Komen affiliates from around the country to determine how to move forward in the best interests of the women and people we serve.

We extend our deepest thanks for the outpouring of support we have received from so many in the past few days and we sincerely hope that these changes will be welcomed by those who have expressed their concern.