Experts warn people to do their homework when it comes to charitable giving. In some cases the charity is suspect, in others it’s the fundraising that raises concerns. This is a serious issue, given the fact some charities get only pennies of every dollar donated, with the dubious fund raiser keeping the rest.

The fund raising issue came home to Butler last week in a lawsuit filed by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office over fund raising efforts tied to the city firefighters union, Butler Local 114.

The charge against the union, hiring a fund raising company that is not registered to solicit funds, is more technical than serious, carrying only a $1,000 fine.

The larger part of the lawsuit and the more serious charge concerns fundraising.

It’s increasingly common for charities to hire companies to help them with fundraising. Some are good and ethical; they keep a small percentage of the funds raised. Some are not, and keep most of the money raised for themselves.

One important issue is how much of the money raised goes to the charity and how much does the fundraising company keep. Efficient and ethical fundraisers will see most of the money they raise go to the charity.

According to one published report, the 50 worst charities in the U.S. have paid their solicitors about $1 billion that could have gone to charitable works instead of telemarketing fund raisers.

If most donors knew that, they would not contribute, or would find a way to contribute directly and not through the fund raiser.

In the case of Encore Music Productions of Boardman, Ohio, the fire department’s fund raiser, the state investigators say that only 10 percent to 33 percent of the money raised went to the charity, in this case the firefighter’s union.

Firefighter’s union officials said they didn’t know how much of every dollar raised they were getting. But they should have known. They should have checked references of the telemarketing company. They should care about the telemarketing company raising money for them.

State investigators report from 2008 to 2012, Encore raised $286,000 in donations for Butler and three other firefighter unions in New Castle, Sharon and McKeesport. How much of that went to the unions is not known.

This case should be a warning and a lesson for any nonprofit hiring a telemarketer to raise money. The state lawsuit sends a message that charities cannot simply hire a fundraising company and take whatever money they get. The state’s action is a reminder that charities have some responsibilities when it comes to the conduct and ethics of the company raising money for them. It’s about protecting consumers from unethical operators.

The state’s lawsuit charges that Encore telemarketers falsely said that 100 percent of the donation went to the local firefighters. The state case also alleges that Encore telemarketers falsely claimed to be firefighters themselves.

These are reminders that doing business over the phone, responding to a solicitation from an unknown party, is risky.

Butler’s firefighters union said it has worked with Encore since 2008, has had good relations with the company and was unaware of the fraudulent tactics.

It’s important to do research and check references before giving. Making that difficult, as the allegations against Encore suggest, answers from the telemarketers cannot always be trusted.

It’s sad to say, but a healthy dose of skepticism is necessary when considering a telemarketer’s fundraising pitch. Some experts even suggest asking for a copy of the telemarketing contract to determine how much of the money raised goes to the charity.

Americans are charitable people, and dishonest fund raisers seem to be increasingly brazen in taking advantage of that inclination to give.

The bottom line is to do research, check references, and instead of “buyer beware” it’s “giver beware.”