Caution advised with picking 'pink' charities

Amid the sea of Breast Cancer Awareness Month fundraisers, experts warn some opportunists may seek to convert pink ribbons to greenbacks.

"Whenever there's any major fundraising thing going on, there's always scammers," said Cpl. Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Scammers may solicit donations door-to-door or by telephone, pretending they are collecting money for a cause or charity, Hickey said.

"Don't take somebody's word for it just because they call you and tell you that's what they're doing," he said.

Hickey advises donating directly to an organization rather than giving money or financial information to a middleman.

"If you generate the phone call, or you generate the contact, you know who you've called," he said. "You know who you've made contact with."

For instance, Hickey said, someone wishing to support breast cancer patients could call a hospital or cancer center to find out where and how to donate.

Both of Cape Girardeau's hospitals are marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month with fundraising campaigns for local organizations.

Cape Girardeau police and firefighters are helping SoutheastHEALTH sell its "Bravest Wear Pink" T-shirts to raise funds for the Southeast Cancer Center Patient Experience Fund, while Saint Francis Medical Center's "Pink Up" campaign is raising money for the local charity Dig for Life, which provides free mammograms and other breast cancer support services.

Keeping contributions local increases the likelihood of helping someone the donor knows, said Jimmy Wilferth, executive director of the Saint Francis Foundation.

"Organizations like the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen are instrumental in providing funding for research and assistance in metropolitan areas -- great causes for sure -- but all the research in the world doesn't help if you don't have the means to pay for a mammogram or the gas to get to the hospital for your treatment," Wilferth said Thursday in an email to the Southeast Missourian. "One of the biggest advantages of supporting a local organization is knowing that your financial contribution could help someone you know."

Hickey advised anyone with questions or concerns about a fundraising solicitation to call police or check out the organization through the Better Business Bureau or the Missouri attorney general's office before giving.

"If somebody calls you or somebody comes to your door, we're a society where we want to say, 'Yes,' and we want to help people, and that's great, but you don't want to be a victim," he said.

Social media

Some campaigns aren't scams, but they aren't necessarily helping the cause, either.

For instance, social media campaigns, such as changing a Twitter avatar to a pink ribbon or participating in a Facebook game, may raise awareness, but they seldom bring tangible support to organizations, Wilferth said.

"Most social media activism is about awareness more than financial gains," he said. "Sometimes, like with the recent 'ice bucket challenge,' that awareness directly ties to financial results, but more often than not, it doesn't go any further than individuals' social circles being informed of their chosen causes."

Marketing

A pink ribbon on a product doesn't always mean it's helping, either.

According to charitynavigator.org, for-profit businesses have jumped on the breast cancer awareness bandwagon as a means of boosting their bottom lines.

The site suggests consumers confirm the business has a partnership with the charity it claims to support, find out how much of the purchase price goes to charity and consider the charity's effectiveness and transparency before making a purchase.

Local businesses participating in the Pink Up campaign donate or raise funds for Dig for Life, a local charity that provides free mammograms and other breast cancer support services, Wilferth said.

At a Pink Up kickoff event last week, Emily Blattel, a spokeswoman for Saint Francis Medical Center, said 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of Pink Up products goes to Dig for Life.

In an email Tuesday to the Southeast Missourian, Mark Bliss, publications coordinator for SoutheastHEALTH, said 100 percent of the net profit from the sale of Bravest Wear Pink T-shirts goes to the Southeast Cancer Center Patient Experience Fund.

Bliss declined to comment for this story, instead referring questions to law enforcement and consumer advocates, but the hospital issued a written statement outlining the services provided by the fund.

In addition to mammograms for underserved women, the Southeast Cancer Center Patient Experience Fund offers practical support for cancer patients, including assistance with rent, utility bills, travel and other expenses; garments for mastectomy or lumpectomy patients; nutrition training and support; and drinks and snacks for patients and their families, according to the statement.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Tips for giving

To avoid being scammed, Cpl. Darin Hickey of the Cape Girardeau Police Department advises:

* Donate directly to organizations rather than handing money or information to a person soliciting contributions.

* Contact a hospital or cancer center to find out where to make donations to support breast cancer patients.

* If someone asks for a donation, don't give money on the spot; instead, ask for a business card or contact number and verify it before contacting the organization to donate.

* Check with police if something seems amiss.

* Check with the Better Business Bureau or the attorney general's office to find out whether a charity has had any complaints before donating.

Before buying a pink-ribbon product, Charitynavigator.org recommends consumers ask:

* Does the business have a real partnership with the charity it claims to support?

* Does the packaging clearly state what charity is involved, how much of the purchase benefits the charity, whether there is a cap on the contribution and when the offer ends?

* Is the charitable connection the only reason to buy the product?

* How effective and transparent is the charity?

Local campaigns

* Bravest Wear Pink: SEhealth.org/BRAVE

* Pink Up: Digforlife.com