Komen Atlanta Local Statement Regarding Planned Parenthood

Komen Atlanta Applauds National Organization for Revising Policy

The Board of Directors of Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate understands and supports the need to have strict policies pertaining to the grant of Komen funds, but sometimes policies have unintended consequences. We called on the national organization to revise the new guideline providing that an applicant, or its affiliates, that is under a formal investigation for financial or administrative improprieties by local, state or federal authorities would be ineligible to receive a Komen grant. We disagreed with the premise that an organization cannot apply for funding while under investigation. We believed this to be a nebulous and open-ended criteria for funding that would require Komen to make judgment calls about organizations before any finding of wrongdoing. This type of prejudgment would have made the Komen organization vulnerable to criticism that it was making funding decisions based on political factors, which simply cannot be allowed.

Komen National has agreed to amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair. Komen will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and will preserve Planned Parenthood's eligibility to apply for future grants. This modification will maintain the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.

The Atlanta area Planned Parenthood organization has never requested funding from Komen Atlanta so this policy had no immediate effect on our local funding of breast cancer services. Komen Atlanta remains committed to ensuring that all women, especially the underserved, in our community have access to lifesaving breast cancer screening and support services.

Komen Atlanta currently provides $2.2 million in funding to 22 Atlanta area breast cancer screening and support service programs. Last year alone, Komen Atlanta and our grantees were able to provide services to 151,759 people in our community.