Nalda Wheeler says her fundraisers are having more people hang up on them. (CBC)

Raising money is a lot more difficult for a P.E.I. charity since a CBC News investigative report into how much some charities are paying to private fundraising companies.

Parasport and Recreation PEI does its own fundraising, but it says donations are down 30 per cent since the report. The investigation looked at more than 200 cases across Canada, including some on Prince Edward Island, and found many for-profit fundraisers kept more than 50 per cent of the money they raised. Some passed on as little as 10 per cent.

While it was not mentioned in the report, Parasport and Recreation PEI has found people are making assumptions.

"Now when they're calling they're hanging up on them. They won't even give them the opportunity to say, we're not a telemarketing company," fundraising co-ordinator Nalda Wheeler told CBC News Friday.

"That's what's been happening, so therefore our sales have dropped considerably .… They're saying my $20 that I spent on a ticket, how much is really going to the programs of Parasport and Recreation?"

Parasport and Recreation PEI, which hires local people to do its own fundraising, said 63 per cent is left for its programs after administrative costs. That money goes to buy equipment for disabled athletes, and to fund wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey teams.

"We'll have less money to administer and provide programs and services for our programs, which we definitely don't want to have to do or to deal with, but that's the harsh reality of it," said organization president Richard Pettipas.

Pettipas is still confident it can make phone fundraising work, if it can clear up people's confusion about their fundraising. It's not currently considering any other plans to try to make up the fundraising shortfall.