PLANNING BEGINS FOR CANCER SOCIETY FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

Volunteer training for the American Cancer Society's upcoming residential fundraising campaign began this week with a meeting of residential campaign captains Wednesday night. The door-to-door campaign March 24 throughout Cape Girardeau County.

Carolyn Little of Cape Girardeau will serve as the overall Cape Girardeau County chairman for the 1992 residential campaign.

Linda Estes will chair the campaign for the city of Cape Girardeau, while Beverly Nelson is heading the drive in Jackson. Anita Sievers is chairing the campaign in rural Cape Girardeau County.

Funds raised through the residential campaign help the American Cancer Society underwrite the various programs related to cancer, including public and professional education, patient and community services and cancer research.

In addition to announcing plans for the residential fund drive, local cancer society officials say that a number of "look-alike" organizations can make fundraising difficult for them.

"When you contribute to a charity, it makes good sense to find out exactly where your money is going and how it will be spent," said Viney Mosley, senior field representative for the American Cancer Society's Districts 10 and 11 in Southeast Missouri. "Contributors have the right to know if their donations are being spent in an efficient way."

Many of these organizations spend an overwhelming proportion of the donations they receive on fundraising and administration, she said. In comparison, the Missouri Division of the American Cancer Society spends about 19 percent of its budget on fundraising.