Bill Schuette

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette speaks about the arraignment of Michael McIntyre, charged in connection with the 1991 homicide of Diane Ross on Friday, March 4, 2016 in Midland.

(Katy Kildee | MLive.com)

About 33 cents of every dollar on average reached the charity when a professional fundraiser was involved with raising money in Michigan in 2015, Attorney General Bill Schuette reports.

That means 67 cents of every dollar went to pay for the professional fundraising services instead of going to the charity, Schuette said, urging people to do some research before donating.

"Donors deserve to know precisely where their charitable donation is going and it is very concerning to me that a large portion of donations go directly to a professional fundraiser instead of the charity itself," Schuette said. "The more information a donor has, the better."

Search a database of the latest report from the AG's office:

There are 198 charities on the list that received 15 percent or less of the money raised by a professional fundraiser including 102 that gave no money or left the entry blank, according to the AG report.

Some professional fundraisers and charities are listed as giving much higher percentages to the charities they work for, with five entries at 100 percent.

Advice to 'give wisely'

The 2015 stats are similar to 2014 numbers, Schuette said, when 30 cents of every dollar raised by professional fundraisers made it to the charity for which funds were being raised.

The report is meant to help Michigan residents "give wisely" and also to encourage fundraisers to direct more funds to charity.

A professional fundraiser is a person or organization that solicits contributions on behalf of a charity in exchange for compensation. If a charity hires its own telemarketers or other fundraising staff in house, they are not considered "professional fundraisers."

Professional fundraising is primarily done through telemarketing, but can also include mail campaigns, door to door solicitation and special events, Schuette said.

The report shows some telemarketers pocketing 85 to 90 percent of the donated funds, Schuette said.

Schuette advises people to ask if the caller works directly for the charity or is a professional fundraiser hired, and to ask how much of the donation goes to the charity. Schuette advises residents to beware of vague or unresponsive answers to specific questions about the topic.

Don't feel pressured to make an immediate donation, the AG's office advises, and remember "you can always hang up, research your own charities, and give directly to the charity."

Some of the financial information provided to the AG's office show a negative percentage, indicating the charity incurred a loss on the campaign, AG spokeswoman Andrea Bitely said. While some fundraising contracts are structured to prevent against a loss or to guarantee a minimum percentage, others are not, she said.

Michigan law requires professional fundraisers licensed in Michigan to submit the results of their campaigns to the Attorney General. The AG's annual report is based on the submitted reports.

-- Brad Devereaux is a reporter for MLive.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.