Before you give, check out the charity

This editorial appears in the Dec. 27, 2009, Yakima Herald-Republic.

The phone rings. Someone pleads for you to send in a donation. The mail arrives, with another request for financial support.

You want to help. You don't want people to go hungry or animals to suffer. You know people with cancer or heart problems, and finding a cure would be great, wouldn't it? Shouldn't you give?

Yes, but you should give a closer look at who is asking for your donation in order to make sure your dollar goes as far as it can.

To that end, check out the Commercial Fundraiser Activity Report, compiled by the office of Secretary of State Sam Reed. The report, which is available online, tracks third-party, paid fundraisers who operate in the state. There are some 8,800 charities registered in Washington, of which nearly 600 use paid fundraisers.

The 2009 report found that an average of 58 percent of contributions were returned to charity clients. However, while the top 10 fundraisers gave back an average of 89 percent to charities, about a third of the paid fundraisers returned less than 20 percent to their clients.

In fact, professional fundraisers with the 10 lowest percentages gave back only 10 percent on average. One fundraising group, which raised funds for disabled police officers, collected $319,723 in donations and returned just $15,160 or a measly 5 percent of what was donated. That means 95 cents out of every dollar contributed by some kind-hearted soul was siphoned off to pay for overhead, with only a nickel going to the charity. That's reprehensible.

But there's also good news in the Secretary of State's listings.

The Russ Reid Company Inc., collecting funds for the Union Gospel Mission in Yakima, returned 98 percent of what it collected.

If we want to make a difference, we need to pay attention to that kind of information. This means we need to do our homework. If a solicitor calls, ask detailed questions. Don't be shy about requesting written information from the charity detailing its programs and finances.

It's also the law that the solicitor must tell you how much of your donation would go to the charity. The Better Business Bureau recommends no more than 35 percent should be spent on fundraising expenses.

If the solicitor refuses this request, hang up.

And don't ever send cash. Donate by check.

One more point to consider. Senior citizens are often targeted by solicitors. Talk it over with parents, elderly neighbors or relatives and make sure they know how to avoid scams. If they aren't computer savvy, help them look up the report at www.sos.wa.gov/charities. Also encourage them to contact the Attorney General's Consumer Resource Center to file complaints about charity fraud (1-800-551-4636 or online at www.atg.wa.gov).

Of course, you could skip the solicitations completely and give directly to the organization you want to support. That way the charity gets the whole donation, not just a fraction.

So go ahead, give until it hurts, but just be smart about it.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Bob Crider, Spencer Hatton and Karen Troianello.