Dear all:

Let me put this in a different perspective.  

Who would you rather donate to? 

A) An organization that maintains a reasonable overhead rate of 25% that has enough administration to make sure the organization functions but ensures that 75% of what is donated actually reaches the intended recipients?  
B) An organization that keeps 75% to 90% of the donations which it uses for profit and sends 10-25% of the donations to the intended recipients?

A) An organization that avoids conflicts of interest by ensuring that they do not pair up with companies that compete with breastfeeding?
B) An organization that pairs up with the formula industry?

A) An organization that provides technical assistance such as training, marketing, logistics development along with short term donations?
B) An organization that merely provides the short term donations.

A) An organization that actually provides a certain percentage of their product sales to those who they are assisting according to their promises?
B) An organization that appears to have provided only 5% of what they claim to have provided from their for profit product collection.

Yes, if you are starving you are not going to question someone providing you food. And of course everyone should have the right to have enough food to survive.

That doesn't mean that people who are paying for that food should not be upset if 75% to 90% of the food they paid for is syhponed off to sell at 10 times the price to those well enough to afford it.  Those who donate that food have a right to investigate and find ways to make sure MORE of what they donate goes to the intended recipients in ways that are sustainable.  

And what is wrong -- as a potential donor -- or as someone who can direct potential donors --- to suggest that those donations be given in such a way that MORE of what is donated get to the actual recipients?  Be it a product or actual funds? Doesn't that make good common sense to ensure that a more effective approach is adopted? 

Sincerely, 
Susan E Burger

PS. This has pushed me to put more info on the New York Lactation Consultant Association about how to donate in ways that have more impact.  

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