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BBB Urges Donors to Do Research Before Donating to Breast Cancer Charities or Buying Pink Ribbon Products

ST. LOUIS –– Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings with it a wave of appeals to donate to breast cancer charities. Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises consumers to research charities and cause-related products carefully before making a donation or buying a pink-ribbon product.

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year, and an estimated 40,920 people will die from the disease. Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and it is second to lung cancer as a leading cause of cancer death for women.

“Breast cancer is a serious threat to the health of women as well as men,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “But some fraudulent charities try to cash in on the pink ribbon frenzy, so donors should do their homework before they make a donation or buy a pink-ribbon product.”

BBB offers BBB Charity Profiles of more than 11,000 charities nationwide, including several BBB Accredited Charities that support research on cancer or that provide support to cancer survivors. Some charities have names that resemble well-known breast cancer charities, so it’s a good idea to check charities out on BBB’s website before making a donation.

In addition, a number of companies produce products that claim to support cancer charities. BBB advises consumers to check products carefully to determine how much support goes to charity and whether the charity meets BBB standards.

If you want to support breast cancer charities by purchasing products, BBB advises that you look into how that purchase will benefit a charity and which charity will get the money. More tips:

Inspect the product for information. Many companies clearly report on labels how much of their sales go to charity and specifically where the money goes.

Check the company’s website. If the information isn’t on the product itself, it often can be found at a website address printed on the product packaging.

If you still can’t find the information, call the company and ask for it. Firms that use charity tie-ins to market their products should be transparent to consumers.

Contact the charity directly if you have doubts they are receiving proceeds.

Check out the charity to decide whether you believe it is worthy of your support. One way to do this is by contacting BBB to determine whether the charity meets BBB’s 20 Standards for Accountability. You may reach BBB by going to bbb.org or by calling 888-996-3887.

Consumers can find reports on charities at BBB’s website. BBB’s Charity Information Service examines the percentage of its money a charity spends on programs, its governance, fundraising, informational materials and effectiveness. Charities who meet all 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability can become BBB Accredited Charities. 

Some tips for avoiding charity scams include:

Be wary of appeals that are long on emotion, but short on describing what the charity will do.

If you contribute, do not give cash. Make a check or money order out to the name of the charitable organization, not to the individual collecting the donation.

Watch out for excessive pressure for on-the-spot donations. Be wary of any requests to send a “runner” to pick up your donation.

Be wary of charities that are reluctant to answer reasonable questions about their operations, finances and programs. Ask how much of your gift will be used for the activity mentioned in the appeal and how much will go toward other programs and administrative and fundraising costs.

Before you do business with a charity or company, check its BBB Business Profile or BBB Charity Profile at bbb.org or by calling 888-996-3887.

BBB encourages individuals to give, but give wisely.

About BBB

BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. BBB services to consumers are free of charge. BBB provides objective advice, BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.3 million companies, 11,000 charity reviews, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Visit bbb.org for more information.