If you want unvarnished information about how charities spend their money, look them up on guidestar.org Red Cross Example

You will need to register, for free, but it is important that you know how your money is being put to work (or not).

In the Red Cross Example, you can see they have:
total gross reciepts of 3.3 billion,
expenses of 3.1 billion,
2.8 billion of that is program services,
170 million in management expenses,
2.5 million in officers and directors salaries,
Lost 107 million from previous year in assets,
Paid out 118 million direct to individuals,
10 officers making between 148,000 and 450,000.

and much more if you care to dig in.

I am not saying you should not donate to the Red Cross, only that you should look up anyone you donate your money to and determine if you are satisfied before donating.