agreed--it's supposed to be a charity for Heaven's Sake!!! I like the idea of just giving to the local food bank, etc. At least you know where your money is going.
I think most people would be not only surprised, but shocked at the remuneration paid to the CEO's and to administer these non-profits in general. My point was most (not all--the Salvation Army was the exception, not the rule) non-profit 'charities' have what the 'common' person would view as excessive compensation. United Way is one of many and that, sadly, is more the rule than the exception.
You know folks, I think it is important to understand that these charity organizations are just as big and complicated as many businesses. They have lots of employees, have complicated missions, and huge budgets for their clients. Rather than concentrating on their CEO salaries, look at the bigger picture of overall administrative costs. What percent of the money collected goes to the clients?
Recently, complaints were made concerning the local UWay CEO making ~130K per year. Well, he has leadership responsibilities for a $30 million organization. He makes a LOT less than the people he deals with at local companies, including UPS. He's making less than a division manager, counting MIP and such.
I've worked with these people, and they do NOT live high on the hog.
Remember that these charities need to compete for talent with private businesses. I am always amazed at the level of talent and commitment that they can attract, for relatively little money.
If you have beefs, sign up to volunteer for the boards of these groups. Then you can have direct information on how they are run and what they are doing. United Way is always looking for more volunteer effort on their Community Investment Board. Step up and help make the funding decisions.
It's easy to snipe from the bushes, and make decisions based on anecdotes. Any organization made up of human beings will make mistakes. But, overall, most non-profits do a fine job of trying to make things better in this world.