By Ashley Hupfl | The Daily Gazette, Schenectady
Albany, N.Y. — An annual report was released Monday by the state Attorney General’s office examining how charities in New York spend the donations they receive.
New York is one of the leading locations for charitable nonprofits in the country. As of October, there were 95,513 charities registered with the state. The report aims to inform would-be donors of how charity dollars are spent, whether that be toward a certain cause or program for those in need, or toward an organization’s campaigns or costs.
Of the $1.1 billion in overall donations to charities in the state, more than $347 million — or 12% — were retained by the charities to cover the costs of their charitable campaigns. The percentage varies by organization.
“New Yorkers who generously donate to charities should do so without any fear of their money being misappropriated or mishandled,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a release. “With the holiday season and Giving Tuesday soon approaching, I encourage anyone looking to donate this winter to consult our tips for charitable giving and ensure that their gifts are put to good use. My office will continue to work throughout the season to protect New Yorkers from fraud and ensure transparency in the operation of charitable organizations.”
The attorney general’s office has its own website for tracking charitable donations in New York, but does not have any data on several major charities, such as the Food Bank of Northeastern New York, the Salvation Army, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and only has results for the American Red Cross in 2017. The report notes there are several national databases for tracking campaign donations, including one by ProPublica and another by CharityWatch.
On the CharityWatch website, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Ronald McDonald House Charities, American Civil Liberties Foundation, American Diabetes Association and Food Bank for New York…
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