Ethical Issues in Susan G. Komen

Ethical Issues in Non-Profits, Highlighting the Susan G. Komen Organization

Organizational Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility

Ethical Issues in Non-Profits, Highlighting the Susan G. Komen Organization

"To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful."

— Edward R. Murrow

The Susan G. Komen Foundation has been frequently in the news lately due to a decision to stop funding annual grants to Planned Parenthood clinics for breast-cancer screening and referrals for low-income women. The ethical issue explored in this paper is whether non-profits, and specifically Susan G. Komen, have a higher duty when it comes to disclosing the decision-making process that leads to a change in policy. I believe that Susan G. Komen (SGK) damaged their “brand” by insisting the change in funding for Planned Parenthood was solely a result of a new policy regarding organizations being investigated by Congress. There must be a greater level of integrity displayed which surpasses what is required in the corporate world if only to retain funding and remain in business. Truthfulness and honesty are paramount for non-profits to operate effectively in today’s media-savvy world.

On the Susan G. Komen’s website, there is a very short paragraph that references the motivation for starting the Foundation, which states: “Moved by Susan’s compassion for others and committed to making a difference, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever.” ("About Us," n.d., p. 1) Nancy Brinker is the founder and CEO of the foundation. Are Komen and Nancy Brinker still doing everything in their power to end breast cancer or are they bowing the will of the political right?

In June of 2011, a letter written and posted on their website, affirmed their commitment to funding organizations that met the need for low-income women to receive cancer screenings. Komen...