If you''re looking to give, you might want to give directly to the needs of the needy and not to some middle man, right? But let me tell you, finding and reaching out to the needy takes time and money. I have become familar with a dozens of non-profit organizations and ministries: as a member of a few organizations; as friends with hundreds of people operating under such auspices. In addition, I am acquainted with many independent missionaries as well as personnel under such humanitarian efforts like the UN.
Anyone that talks about a 10, even 25% overhead, from my experience, is only telling part of the story. I don't know a single organization that can run on something like this. The exceptions are organizations where folks working at a regular job and volunteer in their free-time. Sustaining such an organization long-term proves to be incredibly difficult. And if such volunteers become full-time employees, then of course, the overhead goes sky high.
Some ways of having a "low overhead":
1. Have your staff self-funded and then don't include their personal funding (which allows them to work for "free" for the organizaiton) in the organizational budget.
2. Have "gifts-in-kind" (sometimes exceeding your gross) which allows you to add gifts "given" by another organization or person to your operating expense that you would otherwise have had to purchase. But include these in the overall budget; bingo, the overhead percentage is dropped.
3. Have a seperate organization funding salaries.
In other words, I don't know a truly low overhead ministry, period. And that is okay. Why? Because people who donate are sustaining someone (and his/her family) who is reaching out. Becasue it simply takes a lot of money to be able to give/pass on loving kindness.
