There’s Less To The NFL’s Pink Program Than You Think

breast cancer research pie chart“Did you hear about the NFL and pink,” Stef asked?

If you’re a football fan you’ve seen pink all over the field in every October football game. The NFL is raising awareness and money for breast cancer research.

That’s not what Stef was asking about.

According to Business Insider, a shamefully small percentage of the pink proceeds go toward breast cancer research, the stated purpose.

In the end, after everybody has taken their cut, only 8.01% of money spent on pink NFL merchandise is actually going towards cancer research

And since the NFL is often the retailer, receiving 50% of the take, they may actually be making more money than the stated charitable purpose.

I’m a believer in doing good work through charitable donations. For two decades I helped JDRF raise money for diabetes research and a cure. Not only was 100% of my time volunteered, Helaine and I always gave an additional cash donation.

When I asked my blog readers to vote on an organization to receive a free website, Beacon Falls Congregational Church got it gratis. The same goes for the site I’m currently building for Hospice.

My father taught me you don’t make money on friends or charity. He was right.

The NFL makes more money than God. They squeeze cities to build their stadiums. I applaud their program to raise money for breast cancer awareness, but question whether their contribution is equal to the fans’ expectations.

8 thoughts on “There’s Less To The NFL’s Pink Program Than You Think”

  1. It’s called “pinkwashing” and it’s rampant. I have had a problem for a long time with it, but since I am not personally affected by cancer, I have not said anything for fear of offending. I recently read a blog by a breast cancer survivor that said everything I have been thinking for a long time. Companies that splatter pink all over their products in October make a lot of money on increased sales and little if any goes to breast cancer charities. Most of the products are already top selling brands, those companies just need to write a check… or even just donate a percentage of their sales this month with no limit on how much that would be. The worst is the yogurt tops. You not only have to purchase the yogurt, you have to clean and store all the tops and then mail them in. Another thing about donating to charity, beware of phone calls from fund raisers. Very little of your dollar goes to the charity. I got a call the other day from one raising money for breast cancer. I asked how much of my donation actually goes to the charity. 15%. 85 percent goes to “administrative costs”. I said I prefer to write a check directly to the charities that I donate too and hung up. Makes me so mad! Okay… rant over… sorry…

  2. I was invited to a dinner celebrating Pink for Cancer month. It was priced as usual at $18.00 a head. Chai… For those in the know! When I asked how much was being donated in the name of the organization the answer was shocking! Nothing. nada. Gornisht. They then put up a note that said you could make your donation on a personal level. That’s one dinner I will NOT attend! Nerve under cover of Doing Good!!

  3. Besides the unspeakably small percentage of money actually going to support breast cancer research, the NFL gets to position itself to women as a sensitive and caring member of the community. Anyone who reads the sports pages knows that’s far from the truth.

  4. Also had jaw drop when I learned NFL is tax exempt!!! Then they Bribe/coerce/threaten communities to refurbish/build them stadiums so they can play in “your” city…..and just whom can afford to buy those pricey tickets if they are even available? I NEVER go to a Pro game, nor will I buy anything having an association with them. I also prefer to donate directly to any charity. I also wonder if Big Pharma will ever let there be a cancer cure….they would lose too much $$$$$….thanks for the “Soap Box”…… I can wear my own pink in support of my sister and sister-in-law
    ….

  5. Thank you so much, Geoff, for putting this information out on you blog. It seems that gradually, the public is becoming more aware that the pink campaigns in October are often, probably usually, not what they seem. Much more needs to be donated for research about metastatic (Stage 4) breast cancer, which is not curable. Currently, very little of the “pie” goes toward this. It’s past time to move away from “awareness” and toward prevention and cure.

  6. We’re doing a ‘wear pink’ campaign at work. I think that all this ‘pink’ merchandise has become just jingoistic and most of the money goes to manufacturers, taken from people who THINK they’re helping a worthy cause. That and the Komen Foundation’s venture into the anti-abortion arena has really soured me on the whole thing. You can get pink EVERYTHING these days….even pink firearms (what criminal is going to be intimidated by a woman carrying a pink pistol?….I ask you! He’d probably think it was a toy.)
    Besides I can’t stand the color pink.

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