A small percentage of nonprofit fundraising firms are creating the largest percentage of unjustified fees for their services.

The greatest offenders of bilking donors are telemarketing firms that call on behalf of sham nonprofits in states across the nation. Their actions harm the nonprofit industry as a whole and bring suspicion to those of us who provide fundraising strategy, planning, and direct resource generation on behalf of legitimate, hardworking charities.

If you want to give to a nonprofit but have concerns about whether the person soliciting is fully authorized, what can you do?

1. Ask for their license information.

2. Ask to receive a call from a full-time staff member whose name and information you can confirm on the organization's website.

3. Ask for a letter or an email that will contain confirmatory information about how your funds will be spent.

4. Explain that today is not the day for you to give and reach out on your own to the organization directly.

The Attorney General of New York State announces the results of her office’s findings the second year in a row.