I may get stick for this but this is just my view. So...I was nominated for the ice bucket challenge, which is all good but Im always sceptical which charities I donate to as some are raising money for causes which I believe they already have cures and answers to. But the money isnt in the cure, theres no money in offering a cure to an industry worth billions. Now, I am NOT throwing a bucket of ice cold water over my head for nothing so I did a bit of research into the ALS Association and heres what I found: The ALS Association describes their “mission”: Established in 1985, The ALS Association is the only national non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure. As the preeminent ALS organization, The Association leads the way in research, care services, public education, and public policy — giving help and hope to those facing the disease. The Association’s nationwide network of chapters provides comprehensive patient services and support to the ALS community. (Source.) ALS is the acronym for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” Media portrayals of the Ice Bucket Challenge generally state that ALS “is always fatal and has no known cure,” and therefore urge people to contribute to the ALS Association to fund research to find a cure. You may be surprised to find out that the Association itself claims that only 27% of its funds go towards research. According to their tax returns here are the salaries for the leadership of the group: Jane H. Gilbert – President and CEO – $339,475.00 Daniel M. Reznikov – Chief Financial Officer – $201,260.00 Steve Gibson – Chief Public Policy Officer – $182,862.00 Kimberly Maginnis - Chief of Care Services Officer – $160,646.00 Lance Slaughter - Chief Chapter Relations and Development Officer – $152,692.00 Michelle Keegan – Chief Development Officer – $178,744.00 John Applegate – Association Finance Officer – $118.726.00 David Moses – Director of Planned Giving – $112,509.00 Carrie Munk – Chief Communications and Marketing Officer – $142,875.00 Patrick Wildman – Director of Public Policy – $112,358.00 Kathi Kromer – Director of State Advocacy – $110,661.00 Total administration costs, were just under $2 million. “Other salaries and wages” were $3.6 million, with another half million dollars in “pension plans” and “employee benefits.” Expenses for non-employee labor were about $4 million, and “travel expenses” exceeded $1.3 million. So total costs for labour to run the association was around $12.5 million, from revenues received totaling $24 million. The ALS Association was started in 1985, and they still have not invested in any new cures for ALS. One of the latest failures was Biogen’s drug dexpramipexole, which halted research in early 2013. The drug was in research for more than 10 years at an estimated cost of between $75 million and $100 million, but was abandoned in last stage development due to poor results.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 18:45:48 +0000
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