This was a story that broke in Forbes Magazine in May regarding Locks of Love. Many of us know someone or may have been personally been affected by cancer, alopecia, side effects of chemotherapy, or other forms of medical hair loss. Many of us may have also cut your hair or supported someone who cut their hair specifically for Locks of Love, Pantene Beautiful Lengths, St. Baldrick’s, or a similar charity whose purpose is to create hair prosthetics (wigs) for these patients. While I personally choose not to wear a hairpiece, I fully and passionately support others in a similar situation who choose to do so.

Please read the article, and pass it along to anyone you know that participates in these activities. I personally try to do a thorough investigation on all of the not-for profit groups I choose to support, and support the ones who use all – or at least 90% - of the proceeds they raise for the cause they support. As someone who has lived with alopecia for 30 years, seeing how one NFP uses my specific condition as the catalyst for soliciting donations and then failing to account for 97% of the donations it receives is not only infuriating, it is upsetting and stressful to say the least.

I hope you find the article useful. I believe that knowledge is power – and if we all do our due diligence, we can truly effect change – and waste, abuse, and betrayal of the public’s trust for such a sensitive issue can be minimized, if not eliminated.

The article can be found here:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/05/13/locks-of-love-6-millio...