SJS: hope you don’t mind if I latch on to your thread with a few additional questions of my own, to wit:
What kind of Tzedakah qualifies as Maaser?
What about tuition for boys? For girls?
What happens when you “buy” an Aliya or a seat in Shul? Aren’t you technically paying for a service or a product?
Is buying coffee, for example, for a shul considered tzedoka? If yes, why? You may be performing the mitzva of Gemilas Chasodim, but is it “tzedoka”?