Checking the statewide data: Is the donation for New York charities actually reaching its intended recipients through fundraisers?
In a recent report published by the New York Attorney General's office, it was revealed that professional fundraisers, outside, for-profit contractors hired by charities to run campaigns, cost New York nonprofits millions of dollars in fees in 2023.
The report analyzed 581 campaigns run by professional fundraisers, but it's important to note that the data does not include every nonprofit in the state; it only covers those that used professional fundraisers for their campaigns.
The report found that 94 fundraising campaigns in 2023 cost the nonprofits money, with expenses exceeding donations. These campaigns represented about 16% of all campaigns in the attorney general's data.
The total fees and expenses paid by charities to professional fundraisers in 2023 amounted to over $261 million. However, the precise total amount that New York charities spent on professional fundraising campaigns in 2023 is not directly available in the provided search results.
The report also revealed that professional fundraisers took home about 20 cents of every dollar donated to the charities they ran campaigns for in 2023. In 46% of the campaigns, charities received less than 50% of the funds raised, with professional fundraisers retaining the rest.
Examples of organizations that incurred professional fundraising fees include the New York Yankees Foundation, which reported spending $95,000 on such fees, constituting 3.8% of its total expenses in a recent period reported. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors paid $2,059,878 in professional fundraising fees, representing 0.3% of total expenses in their latest available data.
It's worth noting that these fees can represent from less than 1% to several percent of total expenses, and the percentage retained by fundraising professionals varies widely depending on the charity’s size and fundraising model.
The search tool allows users to search by entering a full or partial nonprofit or fundraiser name. Leaving all search boxes blank and hitting search will display a list of every campaign for which the attorney general's office has data.
Financial reports of professional fundraisers have to break down their campaigns' earnings and expenses. The report on nonprofits and professional fundraisers, which includes data from 2023, is published annually by the New York Attorney General's office.
For exact statewide totals or percentages in 2023, one would need to consult aggregated reports from New York’s nonprofit regulatory agencies or specialized research on fundraising efficiency.
[1] New York Yankees Foundation, 2025 financial report. [3] Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, 2025 financial report.
The New York Attorney General's report on nonprofits and professional fundraisers revealed that these fees can significantly impact the financial health of charities, with professionals retaining about 20 cents of every dollar donated in 2023. This report, which includes data from 2023, is an essential resource for understanding the financial implications of hiring outside, for-profit contractors for business operations in charities, yet the exact statewide totals or percentages might require consulting aggregated reports from New York’s nonprofit regulatory agencies or specialized research on fundraising efficiency.
