http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/cancer.html
Many hundreds of breast cancer organizations have sprung up over the last few decades. With all of the soliciting and cause-oriented marketing being done to cure or assist victims of breast cancer, one might assume that it is the form of cancer that women are most likely to be diagnosed with, yet this is not the case. According to government statistics, more women have non-melanoma skin cancer than breast cancer and more women die of lung and bronchus cancer (68,084 in 2003, the latest figures available) than those that die of breast cancer (41,619 in 2003). Two-thirds as many women died of colorectal cancer as those that died of breast cancer in 2003. Yet based on a search of Guidestar’s database of charity tax forms, 1,326 charities mention being involved with breast cancer and only 56 charities mention work in colon cancer and 11 in rectal cancer. Why are there only 5% as many groups addressing colorectal cancer as breast cancer victims? A likely reason is that colorectal cancer, also called bowel cancer, is not as attractive from a fundraising or marketing perspective as a disease that affects what is considered one of the most beautiful parts of a woman’s body.
Look-a-like charities abound in the cancer area, some with opposite grades. National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund receives an A rating from AIP, yet the similarly named National Cancer Coalition and Coalition Against Breast Cancer receive F’s. In fiscal 2006, the A rated Breast Cancer Research Foundation granted nearly $25 million or 87% of its budget to medical research, whereas the closely named F rated American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF) spent nearly 87% of its budget on solicitations that included an educational message and only $357,500 or 2.4% on research grants. According to ABCF’s fiscal 2006 tax form $5,175,000 of the $12,726,000 that this charity pays to professional fundraisers goes to Non Profit Promotions, which is owned by ABCF co-founder Joe Wolf, who is also the son of ABCF’s president and co-founder, Phyllis Wolf. ABCF was created in 1998 and Non Profit Promotions was started a year later. Ms. Wolf told AIP that her son “decided that he wanted to move on and raise funds for us.”
Since potentially anyone could contract cancer it is very easy under current AICPA nonprofit accounting rules for a charity to claim that its solicitations are conducted for public education purposes. Nearly two-thirds of the cancer charities that AIP rates make such a claim in their financial statements. Charities can disguise the true cost of fundraising by throwing into a solicitation an action message such as “stop smoking,” “don’t stay in the sun too long,” or “check your breasts for lumps.” Adding educational messages to solicitations, even if nearly everyone not living under a rock is already familiar with them, allow charities to allocate a portion of the cost of their direct mail and telemarketing solicitation costs to program service expense.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Summer No. 39
Looking back, I can't believe the fantastic year I've had. Even though I've been somewhat moody and discontent at times, its been such a blessed year.
January - started the year renting out my rental property after having it empty for 6 months, and went for a hike on South Mountain with my boy J. Also got to go to the Cardinals NFC Championship game!
February - Annual girls ski trip to Telluride. I finally got the hang of snowboarding.
If I begged and if I cried, would it change the sky tonight? Would it give me some light?
March - took the kids snowboarding at Sunrise and schooled them both at snowboarding. Gained a new respect in their eyes. Took the kids to see Cavalia, except K was g rounded for the mini-moto incident. What a month.
April - went to Vegas for K's cheer tournament and hit the strip with J. Got hit on by married dude. One of many in 2009.
May - Completed a marathon, my lifelong goal before I turn 40, with my beautiful sisters in tow. What an awesome trip.
June - Did the Camp Pendleton mud run with girlfriends and had a fantastic girls weekend in Newport Beach.
July - Spent a week on Cape Cod with kids. Also checked out Boston and witch trials - great trip!
August - Went to Keith Urban concert and went to a golf tournament in Pinetop, had a great weekend.
September - traveled to Spain and England - saw Dover Castle and played The Grove.
October - Went to Denver with the kiddos for a week to visit my sister and her family!! Had a great week with our cousins. Was there during Balloon Boy Hoax!
November - Completed Catalina triathlon - yay!!! Had a fantastic weekend. Dated first real guy since my bad break-up last year. It didn't last but so what, I'm still a rock star.
December - Closed the year with a fabulous trip to Hawaii with the kiddos. We went surfing, ziplining, luau, sightseeing and good old fashioned beach time. Had a fantastic Christmas Eve dinner at a fine restaurant on the beach in Kauai.
See what I mean? What a great year! I've so enjoyed being 39.
And tonight I'm getting dressed up all fancy and going to a masquerade ball at a fancy hotel with some friends. What a great way to end the year!
January - started the year renting out my rental property after having it empty for 6 months, and went for a hike on South Mountain with my boy J. Also got to go to the Cardinals NFC Championship game!
February - Annual girls ski trip to Telluride. I finally got the hang of snowboarding.
If I begged and if I cried, would it change the sky tonight? Would it give me some light?
March - took the kids snowboarding at Sunrise and schooled them both at snowboarding. Gained a new respect in their eyes. Took the kids to see Cavalia, except K was g rounded for the mini-moto incident. What a month.
April - went to Vegas for K's cheer tournament and hit the strip with J. Got hit on by married dude. One of many in 2009.
May - Completed a marathon, my lifelong goal before I turn 40, with my beautiful sisters in tow. What an awesome trip.
June - Did the Camp Pendleton mud run with girlfriends and had a fantastic girls weekend in Newport Beach.
July - Spent a week on Cape Cod with kids. Also checked out Boston and witch trials - great trip!
August - Went to Keith Urban concert and went to a golf tournament in Pinetop, had a great weekend.
September - traveled to Spain and England - saw Dover Castle and played The Grove.
October - Went to Denver with the kiddos for a week to visit my sister and her family!! Had a great week with our cousins. Was there during Balloon Boy Hoax!
November - Completed Catalina triathlon - yay!!! Had a fantastic weekend. Dated first real guy since my bad break-up last year. It didn't last but so what, I'm still a rock star.
December - Closed the year with a fabulous trip to Hawaii with the kiddos. We went surfing, ziplining, luau, sightseeing and good old fashioned beach time. Had a fantastic Christmas Eve dinner at a fine restaurant on the beach in Kauai.
See what I mean? What a great year! I've so enjoyed being 39.
And tonight I'm getting dressed up all fancy and going to a masquerade ball at a fancy hotel with some friends. What a great way to end the year!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
How I Am Blessed
1. My beautiful compassionate daughter K
2. My loving, funny, affectionate little man
3. My job that I love
4. My company that I adore
5. The people I work with, most of whom I have genuine affection for
6. A rewarding career that I love
7. I love to laugh and have the ability to make others laugh
8. My beautiful house that I bought and decorated all by myself
9. The decor items throughout my house that I have purchased on my world travels
10. The opportunities I've had to travel the world and experience different cultures and see many wonders, like the Great Wall of China, the Prague castle, the Berlin Wall, the Coliseum, the clear turquoise waters of Fiji, the wonders of Dubai, the Sydney Opera house, Temple Bar in Dublin.
11. My education
12. Financial success and independence
13. My excellent health
14. The ability to pursue physical challenges like a marathon, half marathons, triathalons, adventure races and Camp Pendleton mud run
15. My wonderful and supportive sistahood
16. Great long lasting friendships and new friends
17. I can golf for free whenever I want (which frankly isn't often)
18. My awesome athletic club that I love (particularly steam room and spa)
19. My upcoming trip to Catalina Island for a triathalon with a fun group of people
20. I'm a 4th generation Arizona native
21. I live in one of the most beautiful and geographically diverse states
22. My awesome new car
23. I grew up in Pinetop, AZ
24. I have found an honest spiritual path that enriches me
25. The Offfice and 30-rock will be back on the air in a couple weeks
26. The awesome thunder and lightening storm outside right now
27. I live 10 minutes from my job
28. I have a very happy life
29. I am loved by many
30. I was raised to value integrity, honesty, and not to take myself too seriously
31. My neurotic dog Sophie and my affectionate if highly allergenic cat Buddy
32. I'm generally an emotionally healthy person
33. I'm intelligent and have a knack for making wise career and financial choices
34. My bed is awesome
35. I'm a good mom
I have not been lucky in love, but really, who am I to complain? I won't. I'm so very blessed and happy with my life.
2. My loving, funny, affectionate little man
3. My job that I love
4. My company that I adore
5. The people I work with, most of whom I have genuine affection for
6. A rewarding career that I love
7. I love to laugh and have the ability to make others laugh
8. My beautiful house that I bought and decorated all by myself
9. The decor items throughout my house that I have purchased on my world travels
10. The opportunities I've had to travel the world and experience different cultures and see many wonders, like the Great Wall of China, the Prague castle, the Berlin Wall, the Coliseum, the clear turquoise waters of Fiji, the wonders of Dubai, the Sydney Opera house, Temple Bar in Dublin.
11. My education
12. Financial success and independence
13. My excellent health
14. The ability to pursue physical challenges like a marathon, half marathons, triathalons, adventure races and Camp Pendleton mud run
15. My wonderful and supportive sistahood
16. Great long lasting friendships and new friends
17. I can golf for free whenever I want (which frankly isn't often)
18. My awesome athletic club that I love (particularly steam room and spa)
19. My upcoming trip to Catalina Island for a triathalon with a fun group of people
20. I'm a 4th generation Arizona native
21. I live in one of the most beautiful and geographically diverse states
22. My awesome new car
23. I grew up in Pinetop, AZ
24. I have found an honest spiritual path that enriches me
25. The Offfice and 30-rock will be back on the air in a couple weeks
26. The awesome thunder and lightening storm outside right now
27. I live 10 minutes from my job
28. I have a very happy life
29. I am loved by many
30. I was raised to value integrity, honesty, and not to take myself too seriously
31. My neurotic dog Sophie and my affectionate if highly allergenic cat Buddy
32. I'm generally an emotionally healthy person
33. I'm intelligent and have a knack for making wise career and financial choices
34. My bed is awesome
35. I'm a good mom
I have not been lucky in love, but really, who am I to complain? I won't. I'm so very blessed and happy with my life.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The thing about vacationing with kids . . .
is that they expect you to know everything. When will we be there? Will we be able to see the ocean from our room? Will the whales get close to the boat? How deep is the ocean? And, they get mighty irritated if you don't have the answer. And, they repeat the questions as if you might have discovered the answer in the last 5 minutes.
But, all in all, we had a fabulous vacation. Our rental car was a tiny two-door piece of crap (a Yaris) with manual doors, locks, etc, so it was a hoot to drive around the cape in and have the kids experience that side of life. Hilarious actually, watching K trying to figure out the window (how does this thing work??) Haha!! It had a tight turning radius though, which was great for all the u-turns!
So after a VERY long flight to Boston on Sunday we picked up our little ride and made the 2 hour trek to the Cape and our hotel in Brewster. On Monday we drove out to Provincetown at the tip of the cape and went whale watching and it was incredible. We saw about 20 whales including a mom and baby, and they'd come up right next to the boat! Provincetown was a real cute little town. We also went to a museum for a downed pirate ship called the Wydah, which is the only real verified pirate ship that's been recovered, so that was cool. We had dinner at a place called Moby Dick's on the way home which I guess is kindof famous in the area. J got a whole lobster and it was fun to watch him eat it. I have no idea where that boy got his expensive taste in food. Lobster, crab legs, salmon, etc.
On Tuesday we went golfing and then spent the afternoon at the beach. J found this GIANT crab in the water, it was like 18 inches across with this giant tail. We thought it was a sting ray as it was making its way across the ocean floor and we were freaking out and yelling, but then this 8-yr old kid picked it up by the tail and told us it was a horseshoe crab. It had these ginormous claws and legs under that huge shell!
On Weds we took a ferry out to Nantucket Island, which was very quaint and cool. It was settled back in the 1600's and was a huge whaling capital and a rich history. It poured rain on us for awhile.
On Thurs it REALLY rained hard so we were pretty much trapped in the hotel until the afternoon, which was sort of ok since we didn't get out of bed until 11. We then went down to the beach for awhile and had dinner at a cute restaurant in Orleans called the Land Ho, then went to Nausset beach on the ocean side, which was a much wilder beach than the bay - giant waves.
On Friday we went to Salem for the day to check out the witch trial history. We saw a reinactment which was a great experience for the kids, and a replica of the dungeon. Unfortunately they uncovered the original dungeon in the 1950's and were embarassed by the history so they bulldozed it!! So there really isn't much to see there from the witch trials as its all been destroyed. It was a great way for the kids to learn an infamous part of American history though. Then we ran to the airport and were homeward bound.
It was a great trip. A LOT of togetherness. The kids are camping with their dad all week so I'm enjoying some alone time this week.
But, all in all, we had a fabulous vacation. Our rental car was a tiny two-door piece of crap (a Yaris) with manual doors, locks, etc, so it was a hoot to drive around the cape in and have the kids experience that side of life. Hilarious actually, watching K trying to figure out the window (how does this thing work??) Haha!! It had a tight turning radius though, which was great for all the u-turns!
So after a VERY long flight to Boston on Sunday we picked up our little ride and made the 2 hour trek to the Cape and our hotel in Brewster. On Monday we drove out to Provincetown at the tip of the cape and went whale watching and it was incredible. We saw about 20 whales including a mom and baby, and they'd come up right next to the boat! Provincetown was a real cute little town. We also went to a museum for a downed pirate ship called the Wydah, which is the only real verified pirate ship that's been recovered, so that was cool. We had dinner at a place called Moby Dick's on the way home which I guess is kindof famous in the area. J got a whole lobster and it was fun to watch him eat it. I have no idea where that boy got his expensive taste in food. Lobster, crab legs, salmon, etc.
On Tuesday we went golfing and then spent the afternoon at the beach. J found this GIANT crab in the water, it was like 18 inches across with this giant tail. We thought it was a sting ray as it was making its way across the ocean floor and we were freaking out and yelling, but then this 8-yr old kid picked it up by the tail and told us it was a horseshoe crab. It had these ginormous claws and legs under that huge shell!
On Weds we took a ferry out to Nantucket Island, which was very quaint and cool. It was settled back in the 1600's and was a huge whaling capital and a rich history. It poured rain on us for awhile.
On Thurs it REALLY rained hard so we were pretty much trapped in the hotel until the afternoon, which was sort of ok since we didn't get out of bed until 11. We then went down to the beach for awhile and had dinner at a cute restaurant in Orleans called the Land Ho, then went to Nausset beach on the ocean side, which was a much wilder beach than the bay - giant waves.
On Friday we went to Salem for the day to check out the witch trial history. We saw a reinactment which was a great experience for the kids, and a replica of the dungeon. Unfortunately they uncovered the original dungeon in the 1950's and were embarassed by the history so they bulldozed it!! So there really isn't much to see there from the witch trials as its all been destroyed. It was a great way for the kids to learn an infamous part of American history though. Then we ran to the airport and were homeward bound.
It was a great trip. A LOT of togetherness. The kids are camping with their dad all week so I'm enjoying some alone time this week.
Friday, June 12, 2009
When my time is up . . .
"Without getting into specifics, my exit involves a McFlurry machine and a videotape of risque commercials from overseas." - Jack Donoghue, 30-Rock
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Thirteen
My darling daughter has turned 13. My little one. My baby girl. Its hard to imagine where the time has gone. And it will continue to fly by. She's been taller than me for awhile. Her shoe size passed mine in 6th grade. And she met me eye to eye by the beginning of 7th. Somewhere in the last 8 mos she's gotten an inch or so on me. But she still weighs 15 pounds less than me!
Its feels odd now to hug her, or have her throw HER arm around MY shoulders. I want to be the protector, the lioness, mama bear. But she's quickly outgrowing the need for my protection and guidance. It makes a big part of me sad, while the rest of me beams with pride at the young lady she's becoming.
Twelve was a tough year. She faced difficult choices with friendships, boys, and activities. Sometimes she made bad choices. Often she rebelled, just for the sake of rebelling, and pulling on that fabric that binds us together. Often she made good choices though. And, most importantly, she does learn from her bad choices. She kept her grades up and did a great job in cheer, which required a lot of dedication and hard work.
We're in a really good place right now. She is open about her love and admiration for me, as I am for her. Trust me, we have our moments. But I'm hopeful that 13 will be easier than 12. Perhaps I'm just kidding myself. But one can hope. Mostly I just feel blessed by her presence in my life, and I often marvel that such a bright, funny, socially gifted child came from my own body. And I will enjoy the time I have left with her greatly before she spreads her wings and takes flight.
Its feels odd now to hug her, or have her throw HER arm around MY shoulders. I want to be the protector, the lioness, mama bear. But she's quickly outgrowing the need for my protection and guidance. It makes a big part of me sad, while the rest of me beams with pride at the young lady she's becoming.
Twelve was a tough year. She faced difficult choices with friendships, boys, and activities. Sometimes she made bad choices. Often she rebelled, just for the sake of rebelling, and pulling on that fabric that binds us together. Often she made good choices though. And, most importantly, she does learn from her bad choices. She kept her grades up and did a great job in cheer, which required a lot of dedication and hard work.
We're in a really good place right now. She is open about her love and admiration for me, as I am for her. Trust me, we have our moments. But I'm hopeful that 13 will be easier than 12. Perhaps I'm just kidding myself. But one can hope. Mostly I just feel blessed by her presence in my life, and I often marvel that such a bright, funny, socially gifted child came from my own body. And I will enjoy the time I have left with her greatly before she spreads her wings and takes flight.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
OC Marathon
Well I did it! I met my goal of running a marathon before I turned 40, beat it by almost a year in fact. I'm so relieved that I don't have that hanging over my head anymore. But I also don't think I'll have the need to do it ever again.
The first half went beautifully. My and my sis bonded at the start line and offered up a prayer to goddess for strength, power, and endurance. Then we took off.
I felt really good for the first few miles. There were lots of downhills and it wound through beautiful neighborhoods, along the coast and through a natural wetlands area. I was frustrated because I had to stop and poo around mile 6 even though I'd taken an immodium. I think I wasted about 10-15 min in line, it seemed like forever.
I started getting real tired around mile 10 but kept going although I walked through all the water stops. At mile 12 the marathon split from the half marathon and I was really envious of those folks turning left towards their finish line. I was tired. I thought of my sister who would be done soon, and my other two sisters who were already done with their 5k. And I thought about how long they would be waiting for me to finish, and whether or not they'd be drunk by the time I got there. My path took me up a giant hill over a freeway (which I walked) and then wound through streets. At mile 13 I asked a cop what time it was and he said 9:25 so I knew I had done well on the half despite the bathroom break.
After the first half my agreement with myself was that I would walk/run the rest as I felt I could. We passed our hotel and I thought briefly that I could just go on up and lay down, it was tempting. Then we wound through a mall and a guy cheered for me and said "only 10 more miles" and I said "Really? Only 10 more?" and he laughed but I was serious because I hadn't seen a mile marker in awhile and I wasn't sure. I knew I could pull off 10 more.
But then the sun came out. Miles 17 and 18 dragged on and on. When I saw mile marker 19 I was furious because I thought for sure it would be mile 20, so I gave a mental "f-u" to mile marker 19. When I hit 20 I started to feel some desperation with the heat and knowing I had 6 miles left. But I knew I could do 6. I ran the downhills and some flat parts until my body was just screaming at me to stop. My hamstrings were aching and my feet were burning.
Until mile 23 we were running along this moldy wash with desert on the other side and not a body in sight aside from the desperate marathoners around me. I was pissed that they couldn't come up with some better scenery for this part. I was quite tempted to hitch a ride on the ambulance parked there for runners in trouble. I was repeating over and over in my head "never ever never ever never ever again".
In mile 24 we went through this sort of bad neighborhood and I was staring longingly at the grass along the sidewalk just imagining how nice it would be to lay down for just a minute. But I knew that if I did that I wouldn't get up again, and someone would call the paramedics and I'd get carted off.
Mile 25 I started running again, thinking I have at least another mile in me. But, I didn't. As I approached the fairgrounds I could see the finish line and I started running again only to be fooled by such trickery as a detour to take us all the way around before we got to the finish line. Mean spirited marathon planners! As I passed the 26 mile marker I was listening to "Dick in a Box" and I had to chuckle at that, as I know I'll always remember what I was listening to as I brought this challenge to a close.
So, I started running again because I had to be running when the sistahood saw me. I heard them before I saw them and broke into this wide goofy grin, and temporarily forgot about my bodily pain. They were screaming at the top of their lungs, and one of them jogged alongside me outside the barriers. It was so awesome to have them there. When I crossed the finish line I didn't feel that joy and elation and emotion that some marathoners report, but I did feel a huge sense of relief and I did get a little teary hugging my sisters. When I finally was able to lay down in the grass, they stripped off my shoes and started rubbing my feet!! Then one snagged a massage table for me and I was able to get my legs and feet stretched and massaged, it was incredible.
I love my sistas and am so grateful that they accompanied me along this journey.
The first half went beautifully. My and my sis bonded at the start line and offered up a prayer to goddess for strength, power, and endurance. Then we took off.
I felt really good for the first few miles. There were lots of downhills and it wound through beautiful neighborhoods, along the coast and through a natural wetlands area. I was frustrated because I had to stop and poo around mile 6 even though I'd taken an immodium. I think I wasted about 10-15 min in line, it seemed like forever.
I started getting real tired around mile 10 but kept going although I walked through all the water stops. At mile 12 the marathon split from the half marathon and I was really envious of those folks turning left towards their finish line. I was tired. I thought of my sister who would be done soon, and my other two sisters who were already done with their 5k. And I thought about how long they would be waiting for me to finish, and whether or not they'd be drunk by the time I got there. My path took me up a giant hill over a freeway (which I walked) and then wound through streets. At mile 13 I asked a cop what time it was and he said 9:25 so I knew I had done well on the half despite the bathroom break.
After the first half my agreement with myself was that I would walk/run the rest as I felt I could. We passed our hotel and I thought briefly that I could just go on up and lay down, it was tempting. Then we wound through a mall and a guy cheered for me and said "only 10 more miles" and I said "Really? Only 10 more?" and he laughed but I was serious because I hadn't seen a mile marker in awhile and I wasn't sure. I knew I could pull off 10 more.
But then the sun came out. Miles 17 and 18 dragged on and on. When I saw mile marker 19 I was furious because I thought for sure it would be mile 20, so I gave a mental "f-u" to mile marker 19. When I hit 20 I started to feel some desperation with the heat and knowing I had 6 miles left. But I knew I could do 6. I ran the downhills and some flat parts until my body was just screaming at me to stop. My hamstrings were aching and my feet were burning.
Until mile 23 we were running along this moldy wash with desert on the other side and not a body in sight aside from the desperate marathoners around me. I was pissed that they couldn't come up with some better scenery for this part. I was quite tempted to hitch a ride on the ambulance parked there for runners in trouble. I was repeating over and over in my head "never ever never ever never ever again".
In mile 24 we went through this sort of bad neighborhood and I was staring longingly at the grass along the sidewalk just imagining how nice it would be to lay down for just a minute. But I knew that if I did that I wouldn't get up again, and someone would call the paramedics and I'd get carted off.
Mile 25 I started running again, thinking I have at least another mile in me. But, I didn't. As I approached the fairgrounds I could see the finish line and I started running again only to be fooled by such trickery as a detour to take us all the way around before we got to the finish line. Mean spirited marathon planners! As I passed the 26 mile marker I was listening to "Dick in a Box" and I had to chuckle at that, as I know I'll always remember what I was listening to as I brought this challenge to a close.
So, I started running again because I had to be running when the sistahood saw me. I heard them before I saw them and broke into this wide goofy grin, and temporarily forgot about my bodily pain. They were screaming at the top of their lungs, and one of them jogged alongside me outside the barriers. It was so awesome to have them there. When I crossed the finish line I didn't feel that joy and elation and emotion that some marathoners report, but I did feel a huge sense of relief and I did get a little teary hugging my sisters. When I finally was able to lay down in the grass, they stripped off my shoes and started rubbing my feet!! Then one snagged a massage table for me and I was able to get my legs and feet stretched and massaged, it was incredible.
I love my sistas and am so grateful that they accompanied me along this journey.
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