F,
What The Watchtower actually said is:
When it comes to organized charity, though, we need to be cautious as we evaluate the many appeals we receive. Some charities have high administrative or fund-raising costs, leaving only a small portion of the collected money for the intended purpose. Proverbs 14:15 says: “Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps.” So it is the course of wisdom to examine the facts carefully. W June 1, 2003
The second step is to look at your ultimate objectives—not in terms of amounts, but in terms of what you want to accomplish for both yourself and your beneficiaries. Typically, a married person will want to provide security for his or her spouse. A parent may want to provide some measure of financial protection for his or her children. An adult child may want to arrange for the care of an elderly parent. Additionally, you may want to remember certain friends or charities in your estate plan. It is important to write down who is to be included in your estate plan and your objective with regard to each. Awake Dec. 8, 1998
Some charities are able to do much good for people in need. When affected by natural disasters or catastrophic illness, many times Christians themselves have received benefits from such charities. Other charities, though, have high administrative costs or high fund-raising costs, with the result that only a small portion of the money collected is actually used for the advertised purpose. For example, a recent survey of 117 of the United States’ largest nonprofit organizations, including charities, found that more than a quarter of them pay their top executives a yearly salary of $200,000 or more. Audits often reveal expenditures for luxury items and the financing of an opulent life-style. Regardless of the name of the charity, it would take a long stretch of the imagination to believe that contributing to such schemes would fulfill the Bible’s command to help those in need. Awake June 8, 1993.