First, no your statement is not true. You cannot hide expenses in third party companies and suddenly they are not overhead. Second imagine two companies: - (a)

First, no your statement is not true. You cannot hide expenses in third party companies and suddenly they are not overhead. Second imagine two companies: - (a) One uses all the extra money on providing nets and delivering them to users in a low cost way so perhaps 0 overhead with the extra contribution. - One uses all the extra money to give it to pay staff, so perhaps 100 overhead for the extra contribution. Both might be needed, but in general the reason overhead numbers exist is that people are more willing to give when their money goes directly to something they need. See for example https://www.givewell.org/charities/top-charities https://www.givewell.org/charities/top-charities