[SaveFerris]

Numbers like these are why I virtually would never give to charities (if I had any money)

It’s 4% of your money that goes to the needy and the rest to the fundraising organization

Like the Clinton Foundation

[EnderWiggin1970]

This is the exception, not the rule. There are a lot of great grassroots charities out there working on a shoestring that do deserve support, and not excuses to be ungenerous. In general I recommend finding small operations that have little overhead that are working on a tight budget.

I also believe the more recent the the organization the more likely it is to be efficient and honest in its operations. Over time the trappings of bureaucracy, and rationalizations of expenses on comfort and convenience of the staff, build up. But honest charities tend to be established by someone with a passionate goal to address some problem, and they pour every penny (including what they can afford of their own earnings/savings in most cases) into it.

But this requires people to DYOR and not just throw money at whomever is advertising heavily - the heavy advertising is itself a warning sign. The best organizations "advertise" by word of mouth of anyone who finds out about them, volunteers with them, and knows they are worthy. But that means people need to be getting involved with volunteering and not just waiting for a charity to knock at their door. So get involved.