In most cases, charity officials view Storm's fees as fund-raising expenses and send donors receipts for the full amount contributed. Others are mainstream, such as a Florida Easter Seals regional chapter and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Where money goes It's sometimes hard to tell what happens to Internet contributions. Some Internet services whose donations are a percentage of sales don't make payments to designated charities until contributions reach a minimum threshold. This can take months, lead to reassignment of the donations or even leave a donor's money in an idle account indefinitely.
Fees also vary.
Storm charges 15 percent to process Internet donations made by credit card. It's often unclear whether donations are tax-deductible. Some say they are. The notice simply asks donors to give charities six to eight weeks to follow up with an acknowledgment. Many charities don't.