Is donating to large charities a waste of money?

At the height of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the dead and dying lined the streets, locals too scared to remove the bodies or aid the stricken for fear of contracting the virus.

Entire communities were wiped out as aid organisations came under fire for lacking a sense of urgency in the face of this humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, in the comfort and safety of London, the individual in charge of a leading international charity responding to the crisis was telling the readers of a luxury magazine about his ideal weekend in the capital.

This person revealed a fondness for Mediterranean food at fashionably authentic little eateries, exotic cocktails at Michelin-starred restaurants and trips to artisan bakers for fresh bread and pastries. How wonderful.

The juxtaposition between the devastating crisis unfolding in West Africa and the pampered lifestyle of gilded elites in London was unfortunate, at the very best, but indicative of the remove that often exists between large charities, the causes they are meant to service and the many ordinary people who continue to support them with donations.