To Whom am I Really Giving?
October 9, 2007 by Sarah
Filed under Read These!
I was grocery shopping yesterday, where I paid less than half price for my groceries, and I saw some adorable pink travel coffee mugs for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. How much, you ask? $15.oo… for a coffee mug. You know I am a cheapskate when it comes to retail.
Well, if they give to breast cancer research, maybe I’ll splurge. Let me look and see how much goes to the cause.
50%? no.
25%? no.
10%? no.
5%?…of this inflated price? Wow! I think I’ll just give my $15, or maybe a little more, directly to breast cancer research. It seems to me that large companies that really want to give to the cause would dig a little deeper. Could it be that their primary purpose is not really to help cancer charities, but to sell more stuff?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a capitalist. I’m all for making as much money as you want, so you can hire my husband’s company to landscape your massive yard, and maybe even add a huge waterfall! But not on the backs of cancer patients!
I also think it’s a great thing for corporations and small businesses to give to causes. Just give. Don’t use October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to boost your profits, then give a pittance of your profit to the cause.
Apparently, I’m not the only one with these thoughts. I came across this post on BlogHer: Pink Ribbon Madness:Say No to Breast Cancer Exploitation for Corporate Profit, while I was looking for a pink ribbon picture for this post. She has some great information in the article.
I agree, I love when a company will donate proceeds to charity, but when the amount seems meager, I am more apt to give directly to the charity.
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I was asking this awhile back in a poll on my page. I don’t think it started this way, and the one really great thing about October and the pluthera of pink ribbon merchandise is that it does raise awareness among women and remind them to take care of something that is less than pleasant to remember on your own…
however, it has become a merchandising craze. (as everything eventually does.) So that is when we, as individuals, are responsible for determining how we spend out money. The reality is, a lot of people who pay $15 for a regular travel mug. So when a chunk of it goes to charity, even better…
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You’re right, Misty, if you were going to buy a $15 mug, buy one that donates to charity. And I agree that the awareness is important.
The important thing is that we are aware of exactly where our money is going, and how much.
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Excellent point!
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I have been thinking about this recently too. Everywhere you look right now you see things in pink packages. If it something you would normally buy then yes, grab the pink package. I just bought Campbell’s chicken noodle soup in pink cans. I always keep a ton of that stuff on hand anyway. If it’s not something I was planning to purchase then i would check the amount being given. 5% is really not much at all. I wouldn’t spend my $15 that way, but give it directly to the charity as you suggested.
Kim @ TheBitterBall
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Agreed. And then, some of the big charities give their money to other "charities" that I will NOT support. Don't know who to give my money to!
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Exactly, Amy! I had to search to find a Breast Cancer Charity that did not give any money to PP. It's important to know where the charity dollars are actually going.
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