There's a smallish movement of people who are trying to figure out how to do the most good for the least cost in absolute terms, and the conclusion seems to be that what feels good isn't what actually works well. This is an essay that sort of explains why some people are moving in that direction:

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/3p3CYauiX8oLjmwRF/purchase-f...

--

Regarding your objection to leaders making an income on your donations (an objection I used to share), what if it could be proven that more people are helped more effectively that way? Would that change your mind?