Well.......I agree with Don for most donations, especially when it comes to food donations. I'd much rather take a little time and buy the food myself, then deliver it to a local food bank. By doing it that way, there is no cost involved by the charity, and all of the money went for food, not just part of it. In fact, at most local food banks, they are operated by volunteers that don't get paid because they are usually run by some local church.
About the only national charities I will donate to are like MD, Heart and Cancer charities. Even the stuff we give to Goodwill and the Salvation Army stays local.
But.........at the same time, there is nothing wrong with the national groups. Like Don mentioned, it's a personal preference. At least someone is going to benefit from it. So.......we should not criticize each other for our choice of which charity we give to. Nor, should we criticize those who feel they just cannot afford to donate to any charity at all.