A Point of Clarification: BCA VS. BCRF
Do you know the difference between The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign (BCA) and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF)?
To many it may seem as though they are one and the same. However, The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) Campaign and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) are two separate entities. The common thread, of course, is Evelyn H. Lauder, who is the Senior Corporate Vice President of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and the Founder and Chairman of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. The Estée Lauder Companies’ BCA Campaign is a corporate campaign focused on raising awareness for breast health and funds, which exclusively go towards BCRF. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is the largest corporate donor and proud sponsor of BCRF.
The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign was established in 1992 and is an initiative of The Estée Lauder Companies. The Campaign began when Evelyn Lauder and Alexandra Penney, then Editor-in-Chief of SELF magazine, co-created the Pink Ribbon, which today has become the ubiquitous symbol for breast health. The mission of the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign is to spread awareness about breast health and the message that early detection saves lives, as well as to raise funds to directly benefit breast cancer research.
During the month of October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month) many of the Company’s brands offer special products to support BCRF. Every year, Mrs. Evelyn Lauder and Elizabeth Hurley, Estée Lauder and The Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Spokesmodel, travel around the world raising awareness and funds for BCRF at Personal Appearance events. The Company hosts bake sales, golf tournaments and other special employee-driven fundraising events. The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign is the largest corporate sponsor of BCRF.
An additional element of The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign is the highly successful Global Landmarks Illumination Initiative, where major landmarks are bathed in pink light to serve as symbols of hope and awareness. Since the initiative began in 2000, hundreds of famous buildings, monuments and landmarks around the world have been illuminated, inspiring and motivating people year after year to get a mammogram or seek information about breast cancer.
The Global Landmark Illumination Initiative is celebrating its 10th Anniversary in October, 2009.
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. The Foundation supports scientists at top universities and academic medical centers worldwide conducting the most advanced and promising breast cancer research that will lead to prevention and a cure in our lifetime. A minimum of 85 cents of each dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs. In October 2008, $34.5 million was awarded to 166 scientists across the United States and in Australia, Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, and throughout Europe. And for the eighth consecutive year, BCRF received Charity Navigator’s highest rating, four stars, thus outperforming over 99% of the evaluated charities, while the American Institute of Philanthropy has awarded BCRF its highest possible rating of A+. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization in the U.S. to receive these accolades. For more information, visit www.bcrfcure.org or call 1.866.FIND.A.CURE.
