Pouring cold water on unethical funding

FR. TAD PACHOLCZYK writes that Catholics need to do their due diligence before donating to causes . . .

Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk

Many private foundations and non-profits rely almost exclusively on charitable donations for their work. Potential donors are challenged to exercise due diligence, so their funds are used properly.

An example of the need for such diligence is found with the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Race for a Cure, which seeks to promote breast cancer research and awareness. Regrettably, some of the money Komen raises is shuttled to Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion provider. This despite the fact that abortion of a woman’s first pregnancy correlates with an elevated incidence of breast cancer. In fiscal year 2009, Komen affiliates contributed around $730,000 to programs sponsored by Planned Parenthood, and in fiscal year 2010, they contributed about $569,000.

Potential donors need to be vigilant about supporting foundations and organizations without such connections to intrinsically immoral actions. They might want to support alternative groups such as the National Breast Cancer Foundation, an organization that funds mammograms — or the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, which offers information on avoidable risks, including abortion.

Some smaller, local organizations may also have suitable profiles so that we can support their work unreservedly. Redirecting our giving can also have a powerful practical impact, serving to evangelize and provide witness as organizations become aware of the reasons why such efforts are being channeled away from them.

The recent “Ice Bucket Challenge” phenomenon, seeking to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, raises similar concerns. In this challenge, people are asked to either drench themselves with a bucket of ice water or donate to the ALS Association (ALSA), or both, and then challenge others to do the same. Since the challenge started trending in late July, it has successfully raised awareness of the disease and reportedly generated more than $114 million.

Yet the moral concern raised by the challenge is that ALSA has strongly advocated for human embryonic stem cell research. As noted on the Advocacy Archive section of ALSA’s website, it has over many years been encouraging expanded human embryonic stem cell research funding. For example, it notes that when President Obama first took office, “the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, of which The ALS Association is an active member, sent a letter to President Obama urging him quickly to lift the restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.”

When asked recently about the ALSA position on embryonic stem cell research, association spokeswoman Carrie Munk seemed ready to backpedal, noting to Religion News Service that they primarily fund adult stem cell research. “Currently, the association is funding one study using embryonic stem cells (ESC), and the stem cell line was established many years ago under ethical guidelines set by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); this research is funded by one specific donor, who is committed to this area of research,” she said.

When foundations have a generally sound list of activities, but promote an intrinsically immoral activity as well (like abortion, human embryonic stem cell research, etc.), donors must consider the serious matter of the fungibility of donated funds. Whenever we help fundraise for such organizations, even if they assure us that specified funds will only be used for activities with an ethical profile, it can easily end up being little more than a shell game.

Donors concerned about the misuse of funds by groups like ALSA can support alternative ALS research and advocacy groups that don’t promote human embryonic stem cell research. Examples include:

• The Cell Therapy Foundation specifically promotes adult stem cell research. On its website, donations can be directed to specific areas of biomedical research, such as ALS or Parkinson’s.

• Compassionate Care ALS offers much-needed care and treatment for people living with ALS (instead of focusing on scientific research and the development of therapies).

• Massachusetts Citizens for Life recently reported that a representative of the ALS Therapy Development Institute, when asked, said they do not support research with embryonic stem cells. They also note that “they do not have a principled objection to using embryonic stem cells but said they understand the gravity of the issue and would be very public if they change their position so donors and potential donors would be aware.”

REV. TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK, PH.D., earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Mass., and serves as the director of education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center.