Susan G. Komen denies political motivation in Planned Parenthood decision
Prominent breast cancer charity The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation is defending its recent decision to pull funding from Planned Parenthood, arguing the move was "not about politics" in a statement it says is designed to "set the record straight."
"We are dismayed and extremely disappointed that actions we have taken to strengthen our granting process have been widely mischaracterized," the organization said Wednesday afternoon.
Its statement continued: "Throughout our 30 year history, our priority has always been and will continue to be the women we serve. As we move forward, we are working to ensure that there is no interruption or gaps in services for the women who need our support most in the fight against breast cancer."
According to Komen, the decision was born not out of political pressure but rather as part of an ongoing effort to exact "stronger performance criteria for our grantees."
"Starting in 2010, Komen began an initiative to help us do a better job of measuring the impact of community grants," the statement said. "This is important because we invest significant dollars in our local community programs--$93 million in 2011, which provided for 700,000 breast health screenings and diagnostic procedures." (According to Planned Parenthood, it received roughly $680,000 worth of Komen grants in 2011 and $580,000 in 2010.)
"Some might argue that our standards are too exacting, but over the past three decades people have given us more than just their money," the statement said. "They have given us their trust and we take that responsibility very seriously."
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_...al-motivation-in-planned-parenthood-decision/