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NY report shows telemarketers get the money

The New York Attorney General's Charities Bureau reports telemarketers kept on average 61.5 cents of every dollar they raised last year, providing 38.5 cents for the charities themselves. WAMC’s Dave Lucas has more.

The report, issued Friday,  shows 602 campaigns brought in almost $240.6 million, with $92.7 million going to the charities, which actually lost money in 76 telemarketing campaigns.

Many campaigns also list large amounts of uncollected pledges.

The report, titled "Pennies for Charity," is based on information from fundraising reports filed with the bureau.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says New Yorkers expect their money to make a difference and not pay for-profit fundraisers.

His office has issued more than a dozen subpoenas in an investigation the agency says is focused on campaigns that repeatedly result in little charity money.

(c) 2012 AP

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.