Komen Changes Grant Rules; Funding to Planned Parenthood to Continue

Planned Parenthood would qualify for grants under amended rules

Dallas-based Susan G. Komen for the Cure has clarified rules regarding disqualifying grants and says Planned Parenthood will receive all the funding promised them.

In a blog Friday, founder Nancy Brinker wrote the following:

"We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political."

"Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer.  Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities."

Komen faced an escalating backlash this week over its decision to cut nearly $700,000 in breast-screening grants to Planned Parenthood due to an ongoing congressional inquiry by a Republican congressman over the use of taxpayer funds.

A Komen representative told NBC 5 that under the amended rules, Planned Parenthood would now qualify for grants because the inquiry is not conclusive. The amendment to clarifies the rules of qualifying grants based on what the charity believes is "what is right and fair."

The amendment was made after Komen was deluged with negative emails and social media postings, accusing it of caving to pressure from anti-abortion groups after they announced they'd pull Planned Parenthood's funding.

Supporters of Planned Parenthood gathered at the group's annual luncheon Friday morning, thrilled to share the news of Komen's amendment.

"Thank you to all of you who have spoken out on behalf of the women we serve. We are thrilled to continue standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Komen in serving some of the most vulnerable women in our community," said Lisa Kraus, chair of Planned Parenthood of North Texas.

With 21 location in eight North Texas counties, Planned Parenthood serves 84,000 North Texans a year and receives $92,000 in grants from Komen's Dallas affiliate -- money that would have been lost had the amendment not been put in place.

Prior to Friday's announcement, Planned Parenthood was heartened by an outpouring of support in response to the cutoff. In addition to $400,000 in smaller donations from 6,000 people, it is receiving $250,000 from a family foundation in Dallas and a $250,000 pledge announced Thursday by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to match future donations.

On Friday morning, Komen added via Twitter that "We want to apologize for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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