Charity Does an About-Face605 comments

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Signs held aloft after a news conference by Sen. Patty Murray at a Planned Parenthood clinic Friday in Seattle.

The breast-cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure, faced with harsh criticism from some supporters, has backtracked on a policy that would have cut off future funding to most Planned Parenthood affiliates. But the effects of the public spat, which has divided women's-health supporters, will continue to be felt for a long time.

The two iconic organizations have been on the opposite ends of a social-media and political firestorm that erupted after Komen's original decision became public Tuesday. Planned Parenthood blamed the move on pressure from antiabortion groups that have long targeted it as a prominent provider of the procedure. Swiftly, opponents in the abortion debate seized on the split—slamming Komen's decision and funneling donations to Planned Parenthood, or lauding the move and pledging new support to the breast-cancer charity.

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Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, in a 2009 file photo

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Komen struggled to quell a rebellion among some of its own affiliates—some of which had applied for an exemption to the policy that cut off funding—as well as boycotts targeting the corporate donors who have helped make its pink ribbon and road races ubiquitous.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America said it has almost $3 million in new donations, far more than the amount that Komen had been giving to its affiliates, which amounted to about $680,000 last year, mostly for breast exams and education programs. Planned Parenthood, with 79 local affiliates, operates clinics that offer reproductive and some other health services.

Komen has contended that the public debate was distorting its policy, which banned funding for organizations that were under government investigation. That category included Planned Parenthood, because of a probe by a Republican congressman involving management of federal funds.

On Friday, Komen said that in the future, organizations would be disqualified only if they are the subjects of "criminal and conclusive" investigations, not "political" ones.

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The charity denied that it had made its original policy change for political reasons or to target Planned Parenthood. It said the reversal ensured that Planned Parenthood would be eligible to apply for future funding.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America's president, Cecile Richards, said she would "take them at their word." The new donations generated by the first Komen decision—which included a $250,000 matching grant from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg—will enable Planned Parenthood to "expand our breast-care work beyond our wildest dreams," she said. The group has had more than 10,000 people contribute in recent days, she said. A spokeswoman said it has also gained almost 20,000 new Facebook supporters.

The reversal generated praise from Planned Parenthood supporters, but also doubts.

"I'm concerned that there's no guarantee that they will continue funding in the future.…Until I see them actually sending money to Planned Parenthood, I'm going to be skeptical," said Susan Messina, a professional fund-raiser and childbirth educator in Washington, D.C., who said she had previously sponsored participants in Komen's Race for the Cure. "I think the true colors of the organization have been revealed in some disturbing ways."

Planned Parenthood critics, many of whom had pledged new support for Komen in the wake of the promised cuts, expressed disappointment.