A newly released report by Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams shows that more than 6,700 Colorado-based charities received $4.3 billion in contributions in 2016. 

The report, made public this week, summarizes information reported by charitable organizations, paid solicitors and professional fundraising consultants registered to solicit contributions in Colorado. 

“We encourage Coloradans to conduct due diligence when contributing to charities," Secretary Williams said. "Our charities program is dedicated to providing comprehensive information to prospective donors to help them make the best decisions when supporting charities. This year’s report is a critical component of this process and summarizes the 2016 data filed with our office. ”

Overall, 6,736 charities raised $4,285,426, 955. That nearly mirrors the 2015 annual charities report.

The Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act requires charities and paid solicitors that ask for contributions in Colorado to file registration documents with the Secretary of State’s Office. It also requires that the Secretary of State to compile and publish an annual report. The registry and annual report help potential donors decide which charitable organizations are worthy of their support and help charitable organizations make informed decisions when contracting with paid solicitors. It also defines charitable organization, paid solicitor and professional fundraising consultant and provides figures for each category.

The entire registry of charities and fundraiser filings is available on the Secretary of State’s web site through a searchable database at www.checkthecharity.com.