Hello Dear Sheila
Here is an article that you might be interested in as it is on the same subject you mentioned.
Since its first appearance in the early 1990s, the pink ribbon has
become an iconic symbol of the search for a cure for breast cancer.
Companies from Ford to KitchenAid to TicTac have pledged to donate part
of the proceeds from certain products—known as “pink-ribbon”
products—for research on a disease that strikes 200,000 American women
a year.
But the San Francisco-based advocacy organization Breast Cancer
Action (BCA) is concerned that some companies with pink-ribbon
promotions in fact donate very little—or nothing. “It’s rare that we
stumble on a complete scam,” says Executive Director Barbara
Brenner—but it does happen. For instance, she says, “you see
pink-ribbon magnets on the back of cars, and often those magnets are
sold for private profit, and the money doesn’t go to breast cancer at
all.”
Some pink promotions are simply misleading, Brenner says. Companies
may use them to boost their images and sales, but they’re deliberately
vague about where the money goes or how much they’ll donate to the
cause.
“We often come across companies that just say, ‘A percentage of this
product is going to breast cancer research,’ ” without specifying the
amount or which organization will benefit, says Robbie Finke, director
of marketing for the nonprofit Breast Cancer Research Foundation
(BCRF), which raised roughly $15 million through pink partnerships
last year. “If you don’t know where the money’s going to, don’t buy the
product.”
Breast Cancer Action, which developed the Think Before You Pink campaign
to push companies to be more transparent and accountable in selling
pink-ribbon products, suggests that consumers ask the following
questions before buying:
Where does the money go and how will it be used? If
a program or charity isn’t listed on the product, contact the
manufacturer and find out where the money is going. Charity-rating
organizations, such as the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, can tell you more about the recipient group and how it uses donations.
What percentage of the sale price is donated? If
the pink product doesn’t clearly state how much, check with the breast
cancer organization that will benefit. BCRF, for instance, lists the
pink products—from candles to shoes to vitamins—that its corporate
partners offer and what percentage of each sale they’ll donate. You can
get similar information from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website, or by calling 1-877-465-6636.
You may also want to find if the company caps the donation it will
make. If it does, there’s a chance the green from your pink purchase
won’t go toward breast cancer at all.
Is the company really committed to the cause? Look
out for “pinkwashers”—companies that purport to care about breast
cancer by using pink-ribbon promotions but sell products that may be
linked to breast cancer, such as foods containing growth hormones.
BCA’s Brenner encourages people to state their objections. “Consumers
drive a lot of what companies do,” she says.