Senator Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. announced last week that a report highlighting the costs incurred by nonprofit organizations that engage telemarketers to solicit charitable contributions from New Yorkers has been released by the NYS Office of the Attorney General. It shows that less than a third of the money raised by telemarketing campaigns goes to charity while the balance is used to pay expenses associated with the fundraising.

According to Fuschillo, chairman of the NYS Senate Consumer Protection Committee and author of the NYS "Do Not Call" law, the report entitled Pennies for Charity, Where Your Money Goes: Telemarketing by Professional Fund Raisers provides a summary of the information filed with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau by professional telemarketers who conducted fund-raising campaigns in New York State last year.

A total of $184.7 million was raised by 588 fund-raising campaigns conducted in 2001. However, only $58.9 million, of 31.9 percent of the funds, actually went to charitable organizations. The remainder was retained by the telemarketers as fees and other costs.

According to the Better Business Bureau, for many years, they have recommended that on an annual basis, total fund-raising costs should be no more than 35 percent of contributions. In BBB experience, the vast majority of charities are able to conform to these standards.

"Before donating to a telemarketers charity, find out what portion is going to the charity," Fuschillo said. "If you give your money to make the difference in the lives of others, you want as much of your donation to go to your cause as possible."

Those interested in obtaining a copy of the Pennies for Charity report may contact Fuschillo's office at 546-4100 or e-mail him at fuschill@senate.state.ny.us.