{"id":87109,"date":"2017-12-03T15:42:57","date_gmt":"2017-12-03T20:42:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=87109"},"modified":"2017-12-03T13:46:14","modified_gmt":"2017-12-03T18:46:14","slug":"schneiderman-report-finds-professional-fundraisers-overall-retain-more-than-one-third-of-charitable-campaign-donations-some-retain-more-than-half","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=87109","title":{"rendered":"Schneiderman report finds professional fundraisers overall retain more than one-third of charitable campaign donations; some retain more than half"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"This Year\u2019s “Pennies for Charity” Report \u2013 Released On Giving Tuesday\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Details Costs Of Fundraising Campaigns Conducted By Professional Fundraisers;\u00a0<\/em><\/span>A.G. Also Offers Key Tips For Donors<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Schneiderman: Be Careful With Your Charitable Giving; Not All Fundraisers Are Created Equal<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today released his annual\u00a0\u201cPennies for Charity: Where Your Money Goes; Fundraising by Professional Fundraisers<\/a>\u201d report, which found that more than one-third of charitable donations ended up in the pockets of the professional fundraisers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s report looks at trends in fundraising as well as the percentage of funds raised that went to charities. The report found that online methods are rising, while traditional methods like direct mail are gradually declining.<\/span><\/p>\n

New York has a robust charitable sector, supported by generous giving by New Yorkers. In 2016, more tha<\/span>n $1.2 billion was raised in New York State through 987 fundraising campaigns conducted by professional fundraisers on behalf of charities that used a\u00a0 range of methods including special events, direct mail and telemarketing.\u00a0These campaigns are the focus of this report. The report and the searchable Pennies for Charity database containing the data underlying it is posted atwww.CharitiesNYS.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of the more than $1.2 billion raised through campaigns conducted by professional fundraisers, charities netted over $822 million, or 67% of the proceeds, while professional fundraisers\u2019 fees and expenses totaled $403 million, or 33%.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Yorkers, who always give generously to charity, should know how their charitable dollars are being spent,\u201d\u00a0Attorney General Schneiderman\u00a0said. \u201cToday\u2019s report shines a light on the high percentage of charitable dollars that too often get pocketed by outside fundraisers. Our Charities Bureau will continue to hold unscrupulous or fraudulent fundraisers accountable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s report also looked at recent trends and changes to fundraising methods deployed by NY charities. According to the report, traditional methods such as direct mail and telemarketing have begun gradual declines. The number of campaigns using direct mail dropped from 635 in 2014 to 511 in 2016. The number of campaigns using telemarketing declined from 734 in 2014 to 628 in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

Telemarketing remained among the costliest fundraising mechanisms, with fundraisers retaining on average 82 % of funds raised for charities via telemarketing.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Pennies for Charity” aggregates information from fundraising reports filed with the Attorney General\u2019s Charities Bureau for campaigns conducted by professional fundraisers on behalf of charities in the previous year. Professional fundraisers must register with the Office of the Attorney General and provide financial reports that break down the revenue raised and the expenses generated by the campaign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other significant findings from analyzing the 987 fundraising campaigns covered by this report include:<\/span><\/p>\n