Komen controversy hurts local affiliate

(08-21) 13:47 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Donations to the Bay Area affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and participation in the breast cancer group's major local fundraising events next month are down about 30 percent in the wake of the organization's controversial decision earlier this year to stop funding Planned Parenthood.

Komen, the world's largest breast cancer charity, came under harsh criticism in late January when news emerged that it had ended about $680,000 in grants to Planned Parenthood for breast-screening services based on a new internal rule that barred the group from giving money to organizations under government investigation.

At the time, Planned Parenthood was the focus of a congressional investigation into whether it illegally used government money to pay for abortions, but many observers saw the move as a thinly veiled effort by Komen's conservative leadership to distance itself from Planned Parenthood.

In response to the backlash, Komen quickly revised its new rule and restored the funds, but by then much of the damage to the Dallas organization's reputation had been done. Now, just weeks before Komen's biggest San Francisco events - the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk and the Race for the Cure - the effects of that debacle are still being felt.

Only about 650 people have signed up for this year's Race for the Cure fundraiser on Sept. 9, compared with about 1,000 people at this time last year. The 2011 event accounted for about half of the $1.6 million raised by Komen's local affiliate.

"We are seeing a drop in support, and it is worrying and concerning us," said Maria Sousa, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area Komen affiliate, adding that people tend to sign up for the 5K race at the last minute.

Misguided anger?

Before Komen reversed its decision, the San Francisco group, along with the six other California Komen affiliates, publicly opposed the national organization's position on the rule that defunded Planned Parenthood.

Sousa said it's not fair for the local community to pull back support from the Bay Area Komen. "The people who are going to be harmed are the women who get the free services we help fund," she said.

Local Komen officials stress that, while they rely on the organization's name and clout, 75 percent of the funds they raise remain local and are disbursed to health service organizations largely serving underprivileged women. This year, the Bay Area affiliate donated $1.1 million to 19 local organizations.

The groups included Lyon Martin Health Services in San Francisco, which serves women and transgender people; Ravenswood Family Health Center in East Palo Alto; and the Latina Breast Cancer Outreach and Early Detection Program in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

Local benefits

The Bay Area affiliate is also the largest financial benefactor to the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, which provides financial assistance for low-income people with breast cancer in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The group gets $275,000, or about a quarter of its budget, from the Bay Area Komen affiliate.

"We understand the connection people make between the national and the local affiliate, but I don't think people understand what's raised here stays here," said Susannah Dunlap, development director for the group.

The group, which hopes to serve as many as 500 patients, will be forced to serve fewer people next year if funding is cut. "If they take a hit, we take a hit," she said.

Ironically, none of the Bay Area Planned Parenthood organizations has ever asked for money from her group, Sousa said.

"We're in the most politically liberal market, so I think the dismay and even feelings of betrayal may be stronger," she said, comparing the Bay Area with other parts of the country where abortion is more controversial. "They're angry, they're upset and disappointed."

A participant's view

Steve Reed of Berkeley, who is preparing for his third Komen 3-Day walk, said he has almost met his fundraising goals despite the controversy.

Reed started participating in the 60-mile walk in honor of his brother, who died of a heart attack but had been passionate about the Komen cause. He said it would be a shame for Komen to suffer because of backlash over this one incident.

"Komen made a mistake," he said. "They corrected it. Let's move on."

This story has been corrected since it appeared in print to fix the location of Ravenswood Family Health Center.

Victoria Colliver is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vcolliver@sfchronicle.com