There are telemarketers out there who read a script when calling. They will be asking you to donate to your favorite charity.

One professional fund-raiser from Seattle, Washington collected almost $1 million in 2003 for the American Veterans Coalition and three others, according to a report from a daily newspaper, the Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT.

For example, for the year ending March 31, 2005, the American Veterans Relief Foundation in Santa Ana, Calif. raised and spent nearly $1.5 million in contributions from a care-giving public. But, the Courant reports that more than 99 percent of the money went inside the pockets of professional fundraisers and the for-profit management company that shared office space with the charity.

Under the first company in Seattle, fundraisers pocketed 85 cents of every dollar raised. Of the money left over, half was spent on printing and administrative costs, including a rental mailbox that served as the charities' official address, the Courant report said.

The other half the owner paid in salaries to himself and his wife.

Money spent on food, shelter or clothing for veterans? Zilch!

Americans open their wallets to support homeless vets, paralyzed vets and jobless vets. That is a good thing! But they are not getting it. Americans donate more than $1 million a day to veterans' groups. The veterans should be getting these donations!

Americans are a giving group. My granddaughter said in California some of her friends sat down on a sidewalk with a can and said they were homeless and pregnant. They were not. They were too lazy to work. They went home with a pretty good bundle.

The Courant conducted a computer analysis of hundreds of veterans' charities across the country. It showed as a group that they lag far behind other nonprofits in the efficiency of their fundraising and the amount of money donated to charitable services.

The Courant reported that at the Foundation for American Veterans in Michigan, just six cents of every dollar raised goes to services for veterans.

The report also revealed that at the American Ex-Prisoners of War Service Foundation in Tennessee, it is only two cents. At the American Veterans Relief Foundation in California, not even a penny!

The Courant's review showed that veterans' charities large and small still rely on expensive fundraising tactics, fueling their reputations for inefficiency.

Among the findings of the report: Veterans' groups are more than twice as likely as other charities t use professional solicitors, which keep 70 to 90 cents of every dollar they raise.

What is the culprit? Excessive fundraising costs.

The report also revealed that at the American Veterans Coalition in Washington state, where veterans did not see a single penny in 2003, the charity made a slight improvement. In 2004, the group raised about $1.1 million from the public and gave $14,500 to established veterans' groups. A check for $500 went to one veterans' family. The fundraisers usually say that their salaries are justified.

It is interesting to note in the report that the IRS has acknowledged to Congress that its resources for investigating charities have declined steadily. Between 1996 and 2001, for example, the number of tax forms filed by nonprofits jumped 25 percent while the IRS staff charged with examining those forms dropped 15 percent.

Federal officials have raised concerns about the accuracy of tax forms filed by charities and are considering tightening rules on how nonprofits report their costs.

Another question brought up was that whether nonprofit organizations are still delivering a valued mission warranting their tax-exempt status. It's food for thought.

Two years ago, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal brought suit against Connecticut Vietnam Veterans Inc. and its fundraiser which kept as much as 87 cents of every dollar raised.

Tips for Making Wise Decisions on Donations

Americans donated nearly $250 billion to charity last year. Here are tips from the Courant and consumer advocates to ensure contributions are used the way you want. When solicited by phone, ask how much of your donation will go to the charity of your choice.

Although paid solicitors are not required to volunteer the information, it is illegal for fundraisers to deceive donors if they ask.

• If you are responding to a phone solicitation, ask for written information, rather than giving your credit card information over the phone, and read the material carefully when it arrives.
• Beware of sound-alike names. Some unscrupulous charities choose names that donors may confuse with respectable groups as the American Red Cross.
• Ask if your donation is tax-deductible. Because an organization is tax exempt does not automatically mean a donor's contributions are deductible.
• Don't give cash if you are responding to a face-to-face solicitation. And if you are paying by check, make the check payable to the organization, not the solicitor.
• Give directly to charities to bypass fundraisers that may take most of your contribution.

Resources for donors:

• GuideStar - www.guidestar.org

Offers free access to images of recent IRS tax forms for thousands of charities, and sells subscription services that provide more in-depth financial information on more than one million nonprofit groups.

• Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance - www.give.org

Evaluates charities against 20 "standards for charitable accountability" and, for a fee, licenses its seal of approval to nonprofits that meet the standards. Website includes detailed reports on charities that have been evaluated.

• Charity Navigator - www.charitynavigator.org

Rates charities, from zero stars to four stars, based on a variety of measurements that gauge each group's organizational efficiency." Website offers financial figures and charts for graded charities.

• American Institute of Philanthropy - www.charitywatch.org

Grades 500 charities from "A+" to "F," based primarily on percentage of spending devoted to charitable purposes and the cost of raising funds. Website lists top-rated charities, but details are available only through the Institute's Charity Rating Guide. A sample copy of the guide is available for $3.

Internal Revenue Service: - apps.irs.gov/app/pub78

Searchable online version of IRS Publication 78,the government's official list of nonprofit organizations, includes locations of nonprofits, and section of IRS code under which each group was created.

State Regulations

Most states regulate charities from divisions within the office of the attorney general or secretary of the state. Some states publish annual reports online detailing fundraising campaigns conducted by charities, or offer online access to regulatory filings by charities. To view the website for Connecticut's Public Charities Unit, go to www.ct.gov/ag and click on "charities. " The telephone number for the unit is: 860 808-5030.

Sources for this list are the Better Business and various charity divisions. Check with your attorney general's office to find out detailed information about your state. For further information on national charities, my book, "Don't Get Ripped Off" has additional listings.

No Cap for professional fundraisers

The U.S. Supreme Court has killed state laws that attempted to put a cap on how much professional fundraisers can cap.

The report said that the Disabled American Veterans' main operation in Cincinnati spent $118 million in 2003, including $54 million originally listed as fundraising costs. But the group shifted $21 million into program services, counting it as a "public awareness outreach" program to donors, dropping its fundraising costs from 48 percent of spending to 28 percent.

Recently, one of my friends asked where she could send a donation for hurricane relief from Wilma.. She wanted it to go directly to New Orleans. I told her that her donation to the Connecticut Lions International Foundation would earmark her donation exactly where she wanted it to go. She likes the American Red Cross but was told that they did not know where her donation would go.

Many veterans' groups will have to brace for the influx of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is sad to say that veterans make up at least a quarter of the nation's homeless population, and counselors at the center often refer vets to local shelters and other agencies that rely on donations.

There is a Soldiers, Sailors and Marine Fund here for veterans who are destitute. There is a great deal of paperwork. Several years ago I wrote an article for a Connecticut newspaper on how much of the funds reach the veteran. When I spoke to veterans, they told me that it was difficult to get assistance and some gave up.