Is Sick.
A Report out this week indicates that the CCS spends but little more than 20% of its donation receipts on Research. A Prominent Research Doctor is quoted as saying he spends more time trying to raise money for his Research than he actually spends on Research itself.
Just as shocking, CCS spends nearly 50% of its donor receipts on Administration and Funding Drives !!
I have always used, as a rule of thumb, that well organized charities spend no more than 10% on such budgetary items. Fifty % is simply beyond the pale.
I have also assumed - perhaps naively - that when donating to medical charities - the bulk of my donation will go to funding Research since it is only through Research that the scourge of the particular disease - in this case Cancer - can be beaten.
That said, I am not particularly shocked by this week's revelation.
I have thought for some time that the Canadian Cancer Society has become a business within itself and have feared that its main concern is for itself and not the defeat of the dreaded disease after which it is named. These recent statistics seem to bear out my concern.
Simply stated, the Society, in my opinion, has also become Elitist.
A few years ago, my daughter tried to sign up for one of their ubiquitous Cancer Walks but was told that she did not qualify since she did not have sponsors totaling donations in the thousands of dollars. She took it in stride - I though was livid at their arrogance.
In the meantime, I will not be donating any money to the Canadian Cancer Society until I have received assurances that it has returned to its roots.
And I suggest that we both - you and I, check out more closely those organizations which vie for our charitable dollars to make sure the bulk of those dollars go to their intended purposes.
As I see it....
'K.D. Galagher'
