The head of Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio said a flood of donations has more than made up for the loss of funding from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.
Tara Broderick said phones at local offices have received numerous calls of support since Komen’s announcement Tuesday that it was cutting more than $700,000 in grants to provide breast screenings at 19 Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country.
“It hit a nerve,” said Broderick, president and CEO of the local group. Her affiliate, which is headquartered in Akron and serves 20 Ohio counties, including Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne, does not receive funding from Komen.
Supporters of Planned Parenthood have charged Komen buckled to pressure from abortion opponents.
Broderick said only 4 percent of Planned Parenthood’s budget involves abortion; 96 percent goes to other services.
Planned Parenthood, which describes itself as the nation’s leading reproductive and health-care provider, said that the Komen grants over the last five years have provided 170,000 breast exams and 6,400 referrals for mammograms.
“We know this is not about Komen not liking Planned Parenthood,” she said. “It is about them succumbing to political pressure.”
Officials at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Northeast Ohio, declined to comment, referring questions to its national office. Komen’s national office released a statement saying, “we want to be absolutely clear that our grant-making decisions are not about politics.”
The decision to stop providing grants to Planned Parenthood resulted from “stronger performance criteria for our grantees to minimize duplication and free up dollars for direct services to help vulnerable women,” according to the statement.
Komen officials said the foundation has “invested more than $1.9 billion” and is the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.
The Komen foundation will host its first Akron event — the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure — July 29 at Firestone Country Club, in conjunction with this year’s Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament. The race will go from Firestone Stadium to the golf course.
The Cleveland Race for the Cure is scheduled for Sept. 15, but a Cleveland city councilman has suggested the city refuse to issue a permit this year for the race.
WKYC (Channel 3) reported Thursday that Councilman Zack Reed plans to introduce a resolution Monday asking Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson to refuse the permit in response to Komen’s cutoff of grants to Planned Parenthood.
“If they’re going to play politics, we’re going to play politics,” he said.
Last year, Komen Northeast Ohio’s fundraising efforts raised nearly $1.2 million for educational outreach, screenings and support services, foundation officials said.
For more on Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio, go to www.plannedparenthood.org/ppneo and for Planned Parenthood go to www.plannedparenthood.org.
For more on Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation go to ww5.komen.org and for the Northeast Ohio group, go to www.komenneohio.org.
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or at jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
