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After three days of intense pressure over its decision to end funding to Planned Parenthood, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has changed its mind. But as WNPR’s Neena Satija reports, the reversal won’t affect Connecticut all that much in the short term.
Last fall, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England did not apply to renew the yearly grants it had been receiving from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which supports breast cancer research, prevention and treatment. So the national decision by Komen on Wednesday to defund Planned Parenthood wouldn’t have affected the local chapter once its current $38,000 grant ended this June. Still, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England President Judy Tabar was thrilled to hear that the Komen Foundation reversed course
TABAR: “Oh, we were enormously grateful. There was some confusion this year and we did not apply for a grant, we do not have a pending application, but we look forward to applying in the future.”
In the three days of controversy surrounding Komen’s original decision, Planned Parenthood raised millions of dollars in an outpouring of support from donors. Komen’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood also raised the ire of its own local affiliates, including the one here in Connecticut. Ann Hogan is President of the Board of Susan G. Komen Connecticut.
HOGAN: “We were surprised by the policy in the beginning. We’re frustrated by the attention it’s taken here.”
Hogan said there were never any plans to defund Planned Parenthood in Connecticut since its grant was up in June and it hadn’t applied for another one anyway.
HOGAN: “So that decision that was made in Dallas without the affiliates’ participation or input really never had an impact on Connecticut. Today? The fact that they’ve amended that policy to clear the way for organizations outside of Connecticut? I’m thrilled.”
Susan G. Komen Connecticut gives out about a million dollars in grants a year to local organizations, and it’s given $160,000 total to Planned Parenthood of Southern New England in the past six years.
For WNPR, I’m Neena Satija.
