There is so much money involved in fraudulent and unethical scams, that thousands of individuals and companies are in hot pursuit of their piece of the pie. It would be virtually impossible to investi- gate and prosecute all the complaints, so only the most fragrant are even considered for legal action. More than 1.5 million active non- profit organizations exist in this country. Professional fund raisers know asking for a gift is the easiest way to raise money. But many of the smaller organizations that are being victimized can't afford to pay high annual dues or send a person to an expensive conference or training program.
Economic realities perpetuate ignorance.
The lack of manpower is another reason non-profit organizations turns to promoters. In some cases, membership in the local lodge or civic club might be small or the organization might not have a large pool of volunteers to help it raise funds. The show company comes in and sets everything up. All we need is a chairman or two handling the event. Les Weatherly, a criminal law attorney at Phoenix, has dealt with a number of show promoters and describes their approach.