“There is no chazal that considers your inability to cool off comparable to death.”
Chazal compare losing ones money to death as well. If someone who used to afford a swimming pool now can’t, we are mechuyav to give him tzedaka. That is “day machsoro”
“Not only do some executives of charities derive huge salaries, but so do some of the fund raisers themselves. The average meshulach can take 50% of the donation as his pay. That is why they work so hard to obtain larger donations. (Not a bad incentive.)”
If the incentive helps them raise more money why not? The meshulach needs a parnasa too.
“Some drivers that shuttle meshulachim around some frum neighborhoods are also greedy and take a percentage of the till.”
Greedy? They should do it for free? Again, being a driver is a parnasa as well. If his way of charging is by percentage so be it. Those drivers will try extra hard to get you a lot. incentives are part of business and completely muttar.
“It is true that not every dollar given to a fundraiser reaches its target; some goes to pay the collector and the expenses of the process.”
Expenses are part of life. If a Yeshivas Lilmod Ul’lamed sends out a meshulach to collect for them, what is he collecting for? For the yeshiva’s expenses! Fundraising expenses are part of a tzedakas expenses just like their electricity bill. Obviously it should be done with seichel and not be excessive as you said, but when done correctly, the more you spend the more you get back.
Side note, I know of some people who will davka not give to a meshulach/fundraiser but will take note of the organization and give separately so as not to cost them the percentage that goes to the fundraiser. I think this might actually be a chashash gezel from the fundraiser who put in the work to get you to donate and doesn’t get his cut because you are circumventing him.