FAQs

With all of the money being raised by multiple charity organizations, do you feel as if they are making any progress with finding the cure? Do you think they could be using the money being raised differently? If so, how?

Different charities have different goals for money raised.  Only some of these charities raise money for research.  The major source of research funding is the US government, and it is our legislators in the US Congress who decide each year how much money will be allocated to medical research.  The current research budget is inadequate, as it has not kept up with inflation and the real cost of research.  Research has contributed to progress in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, however, much remains to be done to end the disease.  For example, there is an urgent need for research that focuses on breast cancer prevention and metastasis prevention.  Michigan Breast Cancer Coalition is an advocacy organization, and we work to persuade Michigan Congressional Representatives to vote for breast cancer research funding that focuses on knowing how to end breast cancer.

Since you see the people dealing with this awful disease every day, are there any people you know being helped first hand by any of these organizations?

A number of different charitable organizations provide support (educational, financial, or psychological) to individuals.

Do you think researchers/doctors will ever find a cure?

Yes, a cure is possible, if adequate funding is available for research that focuses on knowing how to end breast cancer.  However, we cannot just hope and wait for it to happen, we must get involved and advocate for it to happen.  Join Michigan Breast Cancer Coalition and help us persuade Congress to pass the Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act, or make a donation to support our efforts.

Do you think raising awareness (simply wearing pink ribbons) is helping at all with fundraising?

Breast cancer awareness campaigns may raise money, but many fundraising efforts do not reveal what proportion of the money raised will actually fund the programs that support individuals or research.  We need greater awareness of the role of our legislators in setting the national research budget.

What would you recommend to people who are donating money to charity organizations? How do you spot faulty organizations?

Ask the organization where the money goes and what percentage goes directly to fund the programs.  The website www.charitynavigator.org rates many charitable organizations.