Think Before You Pink!

Today's cancer organization, is a bit of a shift from yesterday's. However I think it is a very important one because it forces us to really think critically when we buy something in which the proceeds go to a charity. Think Before You Pink is an action group focused on raising awareness and stopping the "pink-washing" of products.

"Think Before You Pink, a project of Breast Cancer Action, launched in 2002 in response to the growing concern about the number of pink ribbon products on the market. The campaign calls for more transparency and accountability by companies that take part in breast cancer fundraising, and encourages consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions." ~Think Before You Pink

Similar to many companies putting on a green front, without changing their core philosophies, this group works against unethical pink ribbon products. For example, KFC was doing a Bucket for the Cure, in which they claimed that 50 cents of each bucket purchased was going to the Susan G. Komen foundation, but in actuality their donation amount was already fixed. They were basically using the pink ribbon and the idea that it was for charity in order to increase their profit. In addition, a byproduct of their grilling process is PhIP, which is actually listed as a carcinogen by the state of California and they are currently involved in a lawsuit over it.

It comes down to ethics for me. Is it ethical for a movement to accept money from KFC while that company is producing food which actually increases the chance of cancer in their customers?

I think not.

And that is what the Think Before You Pink movement is about. In fact, they managed to stop KFC from using the pink ribbon to profit while having carcinogens in their food. It is a project of the Breast Cancer Action, who consider themselves the "watchdog of the breast cancer movement. We are able to tell the truth about the epidemic because we are the only national breast cancer organization that does not accept funding from entities that profit from or contribute to cancer, including the pharmaceutical industry." ~Think Before You Pink

Here is their Charity Navigator rating.