As Attorney General, it's my job to make sure that charitable fund-raising campaigns are in line with state laws to ensure that potential donors don't get taken. Contributing money to charities is a noble, important gesture. They serve a number of vital roles in our communities, and need money to survive. But to give generously, you must be confident your donation actually reaches the people the charity helps. To professional solicitors who operate large telemarketing businesses.
Most charities do their own fund raising.
However, some charities hire telemarketers because they don't have the staff or time to launch their own fund-raising campaigns. Unfortunately, due to three U.S. Supreme Court decisions, no state can specify how much or how little money these professional solicitors can charge charities to raise money for them. The Attorney General's Office doesn't rate charities or make recommendations as to which charities Ohioans should or should not support. According to this standard, it's unreasonable for a charity to receive less than 65 cents from every donated dollar that is raised from the public. My office has joined forces with the BBB to make sure that charities receive the most out of every donated dollar.