Dear Editor,

One of Ronald Reagan's most memorable aphorisms was the phrase "trust but verify." He quoted this Russian proverb frequently during arms reduction talks with the Soviet Union during the late 1980s. We would do well to remember President Reagan's sage advice especially in light of the recent and disturbing news that four cancer-related charities controlled by a Tennessee-based family have been accused of collecting $187 million in donations, while providing almost no services to the people they claimed to help.In case you missed the story:Leaders of these four alleged sham-charities promised to spend 100 percent of the proceeds on services like hospice care, transporting patients to and from chemotherapy sessions and buying pain medication for children. Yet it was reported that about 99 percent of the donated funds were used to pay telemarketing firms and the salaries of unethical charity executives who contracted with them. What little money these disreputable charities spent on services was used to mail so called "cancer boxes" filled with sample-sized portions of snacks and random personal care products to individuals.If these allegations prove to be true, the actions of a few people could undermine public confidence and make it harder for legitimate cancer-related charities to provide the helpful services cancer patients and their families so desperately need.During my 30-year career as a nonprofit executive and fundraiser for health-related causes, I have developed my own version of Reagan's "trust but verify." This litmus test guides both my personal giving and my professional associations. Following it has helped ensure the hard-earned money and time I choose to give actually benefits people in need:Keep donations local: Ask people who have had cancer about the organizations that have had the most impact on their care and support those organizations, either directly or indirectly. While national charities may have slick fundraising materials, most of the contributions they receive will not be used to benefit people from our community. If you do choose to support a national charity or its local branch, ask them to document the percentage of the gifts that are used to benefit local people.Be suspicious of telemarketers: While it's true you must spend money to make money, a fundraising cost of 50 cents or more to raise a charitable dollar should invite you to pause and ask questions. Many professional telemarketing firms will use 90 percent or more of all charitable donations collected to pay for telemarketers. Be especially suspicious of charities you have never heard of or charities that do not provide documented services in your area.Ask questions: Any legitimate charity will proudly document the services they provide. Resist the urge to make a gift no matter how worthy-sounding the pitch until you understand how your gift will make an impact. Visit the charity's website and consult independent charity watchdog groups like Guidestar and Charity Navigator.In the Lehigh Valley, we are fortunate to have a number of highly effective cancer charities that do a great job of meeting the needs of local patients and their families:The Women's 5K Classic has become one of the largest races of its kind in the country. Held each October, the dedicated volunteers who organize this event have successfully raised and distributed $2.5 million to local organizations engaged in the fight against breast cancer and other cancers impacting women.The Boutique at the Rink has a 40-year tradition of collecting and reselling gently used treasures in what is arguably the region's largest rummage sale. Proceeds from this 100 percent volunteer-led, post-Memorial Day sale are used to advance cancer and hospice care in our local community and help make life better for patients and their families.The Cancer Support Community, a relative newcomer on the scene, now provides more than 700 programs each year all free of charge to support cancer patients and their families on the journey to wellness and recovery.Local nonprofit hospitals have established cancer compassion funds to help patients with medications costs, transportation to chemotherapy and other life-enhancing services.Patrick J. Bower, Vice President forDevelopmentSt. Luke's University Health Network