Concerns About Ending a Giving Program

To the Editor:

Two points must be made about the article “Boycott Dooms Novel Giving Program” (July 24).

First, it is sad news that Berkshire Hathaway has terminated its charitable-giving program, which allowed shareholders to designate the charities that benefit from it.

The decision is a blow not only because a giving program that was more democratic than others has ended, but principally because it appears to have been shut down because of pressure from opponents of family planning and reproductive rights.

Second, it is unfortunate and inappropriate that in its article The Chronicle employed the inaccurate verbiage of detractors to describe programs that work to advance reproductive health.

The term “population control” discredits the aims of initiatives that empower women and men in their decisions about when and whether to bring children into the world.

These programs save women’s lives and preserve their health and help both women and men to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, to name just some of their most critical and proven outcomes.

Family planning and reproductive-health and -rights programs have worthy and honorable goals and practices. Those organizations and individuals who wish to destroy them have only the power awarded them by those they criticize. It is a good thing, particularly for poor women everywhere, that most of their supporters have the wisdom and strength to refuse to give them any.

Though Berkshire Hathaway unfortunately felt it needed to bow to baseless pressure, the corporation should be congratulated for declining to simply scrub controversial organizations from its corporate-giving program.

Sarah C. Clark
Lani Shaw
Co-Chairs
Funders Network on Population, Reproductive Health & Rights
Washington