Breast Cancer Prevention Fund
January 9, 2012
I worked for Legacy Telemarketing and was one of those people calling people asking them if they could afford to donate $190 for 2 women to get mammorgrams. I read from a script that said " It appears the women in your area have lost their local funding for mammograms. Breast Cancer Prevention FUnd provides these women with free mammograms. One mammogram cost $95 can you donate $190 to help 2 women get mammograms?"...I only lasted a few days doing this mind numbing kind of work but I am so glad i quit now that I heard that the BCPF is owned by the man who owns LEgacy Telemarketing...he was hiring us to get money FOR HIS profit. Only 3 million went to women and mammograms...he made $17 million...WHERE DID THE OTHER 14 MILLION DOLLARS GO MR. STAFFORD? He has a million dollar home on Lopez Island...what a horrible person to do this.
More feedback...
Will you volunteer or donate to this organization?
No
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
None
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
November 15, 2011
Scam alert. 17 mil raised. 3 mil went to mammograms. Rest went to telemarketer who claims remaining as services rendered claiming 90% of pitch relates to breast cancer education.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
disappointment
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
dissolve it
November 13, 2011
Don't give money until you've watched the KOMO TV investigative report on BCPF at http://www.komonews.com/news/local/133675028.html?tab=video&c=y#idc-cover. Most of the money given goes directly to the telemarketing company owned by the charity's founder. SHAME on Jim Paton for for taking millions in mammogram donation money for his own private gain (nice waterfront mansion and 4 car RV garage). Don't be fooled into making this man richer!!
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Received a phone call but did not donate after learning truth about BCPF
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Have IRS audit Jim Paton and shut down his gravy train.
November 12, 2011
Thanks for calling!
Your call motivated me to schedule a mammogram. I was called back "due something on the film...". Talk about scared! Fortunately, all was OK.
Thanks for everything.
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How would you describe the help you got from this organization?
A lot
How likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend?
Definitely
How do you feel you were treated by this organization?
Quite well
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
1 person found this review helpful
October 5, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
Speaking as a breast cancer survivor, if you really want to help I urge you to not donate to BCPF and instead donate to your local American Cancer Society chapter. As shocking as it mahy sound, 80% of donations received by BCPF goes directly to pay Legacy Telemarketing which is owned by BCPF's own director, James Paton. Less than 20 cents from each dollar donated goes towards providing life saving mammograms while Paton has personally profited to the tune of millions of dollars - money that should have instead paid for hundreds of thousands of mammograms.
Would you give money to a charity has no employees of its own and instead relies solely on a telemarketing to perform its services? Well that's what BCPF is. It's a rather clever scam when you think about it - create your own charity for a cause that everyone supports and then award a lucrative exclusive service contract to your own telemarketing company. All you have to do is make 2 million phone calls a year and conveniently not tell people that almost all of the money they donate goes to the telemarketing company making the call the charity's president who owns it.
I honestly don't understand how anyone can get past this fact and think that this is a legitimate charity that is worth of a 5 star rating. I do find it amusing that all the reviews here are either 1 star or 5 star and Dr Bob is right about Guidestar. However, I do find them less than credible when they can accuse others of being ignorant while they fail to mention the conflict of interest and how callers are being mislead and lied to about where their donation actually goes. The fact that none of these 5 star reviews dicuss or defend BCPF's dirty secrets would lead me to suspect that they they are not genuine and probably written by BCPF in the hopes of fooling potential donors who check this web site or Guidestar before giving.
Please don't be fooled and save your precious donation money for genuine charities like Susan G. Komen or American Cancer Society. You will have the peace of mine knowing your donation will save many lives rather than just make one richer.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I have not other than receiving a phone solicitation call like millions of others have
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Close shop and give donation money directly to state health agencies to fund mammograms for the poor and uninsured
More feedback...
Will you volunteer or donate to this organization?
No
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
A little
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
How did you learn about this organization?
phone solicitation
October 5, 2011
This organziation called me and I spoke to the woman for quite a while asking questions. After the call I went on-line and did some research. I was astounded at the bad reviews on this site and almost decided to forget it, but I then went on a few other sites and the organization's web site. It appears to me that this group is doing a lot of very valuable work besides what is listed on this web site. I realized that most of these (negative) posts are written by some very ignorant people. I like what I have read, and the answers I got from some very intelligent people in the non-profit industry that I know personally. Then I realized that if I can post anything I want to on this site, then anyone else can do the same thing. Good idea Guidestar, bad execution! I suggest that if you are reading this, you should educate yourself beyond these biased posts on this web site. www.breastcancerpreventionfund.org outlines exactly what they do, and it is a lot more than what is posted here. Just my 2-cents worth.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Have not
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Do a better job telling my story.
September 27, 2011
Here's all that you need to know about BCPF - according to public records 80% of all donation revenue goes directly to Legacy Telemarketing which is owned by BCPF director Jim Paton. He has shamelessly made millions of dollars through this lucrative contract. Donors are asked to donate $90 to pay for a mammogram while never being told of this gross conflict of interest that results in only $16 going towards that cause. Although it's true that some women are receiving mammograms, many more are not because of the donation money that is being converted into owner profit retained by Jim Paton. This is truly appalling and shameful.
If you received a solicitation call, don't be fooled and instead give your money to a worthy cancer organization like Susan Komen or American Cancer Society.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I've experienced first hand how they mislead and lie to potential donors.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Let IRS investigate and revoke 501c status and make Paton pay back every dime he kept that should have instead paid for mammograms
September 21, 2011
I'd like to thank Debora Wright for her time, patience and compassion. I'd also like to thank Mr. Jim Paton for his generosity in providing this service to women like me, who are at risk, have jobs with no insurance and would otherwise go without such important tests. Thank you, thank you. Sincerely, irma
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Getting medical help
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Nothing
6 people found this review helpful
August 31, 2011
6 people found this review helpful
As a physician who provides medical care and advice to women diagnosed with breast cancer, I feel I must speak out against this supposed charity. Several of patients asked whether i would recommend donating to BCPFafter they had received phone solicitations. I told them I'd look into it. What I learned greatly angered me - although BCPF does spend a small amount of donations on funding mammograms, 80% of the money goes directly to the telemarketing making the call which also happens to be owned by BCPF's president. The telemarketers hired have no medical degree or training and are paid near minimum wage to read from a script and solicit money.
From numerous postings I've read on the internet, this is clearly a very lucrative business for BCPF's president since his telemarketing company benefits from an exclusive contract that pays it around $2 million a year. This means he is keeping millions of dollars for himself that BCPF had promised to be used for providing free mammograms to uninsured women. This shameless self-dealing has deprived tens of thousands of women of receiving this life saving diagnosis.
I can honestly say that I have never seen a more blatant charity scam in my life. I fully expect that his day of reckoning lies ahead when the IRS finally takes notice and strips BCPF of its tax exempt status and forces the return of millions of dollars that was wrongly converted from public donations into private profits.
Until then, take my advice and donate your money instead to the American Cancer Society where it will truly help a cancer patient. Given the polar reviews that appear here, I would have to agree that the positive ones are likely either posted or solicited by BCPF and are not to be believed. Note that not a single one mentions the enormous conflict of interest that exists with BCPF's president ownership of the telemarketing company.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I've dealt with many worthy charities in my career and this is clearly not one of them - in fact the worst charity scam I've ever seen. Shame on them!
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Have IRS remove its tax-exempt status
August 30, 2011
I too received a call from this group; and I am always leery of charities that do fundraising via telephone. My first stop was this web site, and I was surprised by the number of great reports and the few poor ones; so I did my own research. I found that this group does much more than just grants for breast cancer screenings. Their outreach programs educate women on the importance of regular mammograms, refers and schedules these women for these exams, and educates on breast self exams. My own cancer was first found by me when I was doing a breast self exam. I then went to the clinic concerned about the lumps I found, met with a DR and had a mammogram. Lucky for me the lumps were not cancer. The reviews I read here criticizing this charity because they granted only 25% of the money they raised for mammography services totally overlooks the other work they do. Shame on you idiots for not doing your homework. It's a huge sacrifice to do charitable work, and people who do well do not need to be criticized by others who are not doing anything.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
My research and personal experiences
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Nothing
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