That’s the halacha. Aser te’aser, and nothing over chomesh.
Showing off is not the Jewish way either, but when I see administrators of tzedoko funds driving cars I’d never waste money on and yes, they and their wives wearing watches I’d never waste money to wear, I’d rather reinvest every cent I don’t need after maaser into my business than into the organized tzedoko business. You don’t get back what you give to these crooks, because there is no brocho in keeping their shtick going from father to son to grandson. Far too many schnorrerlach (now called Directors of Development) keep 50%, and there are other expenses down the line before a moisad or a legitimate oni or choileh sees a penny.
I would much rather buy myself a 40,000$ watch, especially if it is an investment (which I doubt) than contribute one penny to buy a fundraiser a 60,000$ Lexus.
When I see third-generation welfare families in klal Yisroel, I don’t want to support them anymore than I want to support their non-Jewish counterparts (well, that’s why I am not in the US anymore, but that’s beside the point). When people think collecting from honest working people and businessmen to pay for defending convicted felons is tzedoko, I fully understand where, chalila, reform and their misinterpretations of the neviim came from. I also think of phrases like “parois Bashan” when I see how the wives and daughters of those who live on donated funds dress and conduct themselves.
When I have money to spare over maaser that I don’t need to expand my business, put away for retirement, or yes, enjoy an occasional bottle of $200 whisky or wine and a nice yearly vacation, it will go to support medical research and not professional schnorrers. I have seen too much, and I don’t even know sometimes why I bother staying frum with all the corruption I’ve seen. I know of only one tzedoko in all of EY – Ezra laMarpeh – that is 100% trustworthy, not paying administrators for nonsense, and leshem Shamayim. (A few others do a good job, but they have too many salaries to pay and/or are known to not be above laundering money.)
I have a feeling that some posters here don’t know what it is to start and run a business from scratch, and they, like many tzedoko administrators, have no problem demanding that those who do succeed share the wealth at disproportionate rates. I have always had problems with well-meaning bochurim who volunteer for tzedokos, but do not understand that I can’t give them $2 for every $1 I earn. I once volunteered alongside a group like this, and I quickly found out some of the problem was that they were falling for ludicrous and untrue sob stories from professional abusers and not checking with legitimate recipients to see what they really needed, so of course they ran out of funds fast.
Those who really succeed honestly tend to be the ones who are careful in giving as well as not showy. Those who are jealous of them call them kamtzanim and all kinds of other names. I will be proud when someone refers to me as a kamtzan and tells his fellow schnorrerlach not to waste their time with me.