Personal Gains Beating a Noble Cause

Breast Cancer: Personal Gains Beating a Noble Cause

Apparently there is no cause better than a personal gain, ooops! I meant a noble humanitarian cause, or did I? October is round the corner and soon it will be time when pink ribbons will be fluttering around the globe as campaign against breast cancer.  What started out as noble life saving cause has transformed into a money minting machine.

Come October, and the Pink Parade will be at its full pomp and show. The Pink fever will spread like a disease. Once you get the fever it gets hard not to participate in the pink drive. Form big bad boys of wwe and nfl to movie stars and film celebrities, you will find everyone hoisting a shade of pink, apparently struggling against breast cancer.  Every ad that you see and every product that you pick will be pink one way or the other.

It all seems for a good cause but then there are breast cancer charities that during this time of accelerated awareness campaigns, will pry upon your generosity and kind heartedness. These organizations will not only lure you into their fold of buying their merchandise but will also convince you to donate big bucks. Some sell the bait of a cure. Claiming to be a research group, working extensively on finding a cure for breast cancer, these organizations will pester you or their benefactor of more donations.

When questioned about expenditures and progress, they will do everything to divert attention.  Others go for a more subtle approach, in which they present themselves as an organization or charity actively contributing to a breast cancer society, recovery centre, or hospital. No one doubts their participation, and they may be participating regularly. The question is about the effectiveness and extent of their involvement and how the donations are utilized. Some organizations are well intentioned but not well organized they are spending more on staff and director salaries then their actual contributions.

There are some tax exempt organizations which are in fact a money making front. How do they accomplish this feat? Well they not only advertise their product indirectly but also sell their merchandize, in the name of the pink parade. Some companies directors and C.E.O’s draw extensive salaries from such charities.

Now there is no need to get upset and hold back the helping hand.  However you can do a bit better and research about the people or organization you want to give your money too. First and foremost you must avoid the email scams. Validate the legitimacy of the organization you’re donating to. You can find a comprehensive list of well reputed charities online. 

Refer to watch dogs or institutions and reviews to verify the existence of the charity and to validate the authenticity of the organization. Make sure that the money you donate is being utilized effectively. Contribute directly rather than relying on others to make the contribution on your behalf. Cross check with the hospitals and care centres they are claiming to corroborate with. Avoid dolling out cash to people claiming to be representatives of an alleged organization.