I think charities they are not a good idea. I am explaining: they are the less bad idea. The source of problems have people of poor countries or underprivileged people is a structural deficiency economical system, so We have to attack this source to solve problems which drive from it.
I have never been an sponsor of charities, but, nowadays, I am an sponsor for a one ONG. However I think about ONG the same about charities.