DovidBT-You said “They also have the benefit of memorializing their names and their departed relatives’ names in a place where many other people will see them in conjunction with performing the mitzvos of prayer and Torah study.”
That is all fine and dandy but why would you pay someone for that privilege? Imagine a guy goes out and buys his own lulav and esrog and you stand there in front of him with a sign that says “Please remember my dearly departed loved one named….” It would be a whole different story if YOU bought him the lulav and esrog or better yet you buy a lulav and esrog for a guy who can’t afford it and then say “by the way, since I did you this favor please have in mind….”
My point is that you did not accomplish anything with giving money to put your name on a siddur. All you did was buy rights. I don’t blame the organizations that sell these rights since they are no different than someone who owns a billboard and rents out time to put on your ad. But I don’t think that anyone considers billboard owners tzedakah organizations. There is clearly a difference between donating money to enable someone to do a mitzvah vs. giving money to someone in the mitzvah business.
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