What is Tzedaka?
In contrast with philanthropy, tzedaka specifically refers to financial support for the poor. Other kinds of giving -- to communal institutions such as synagogues, museums, schools, and cultural organizations--are important responsibilities, but are not necessarily considered tzedaka (Jill Jacobs, There Shall be No Needy)
While the needs of individuals have always occupied the central place in giving tzedaka, they are by no means the only kind of tzedaka. Funds given in support of synagouges and other worthwhile organizations (schools, clinics, arts organizations--the variety and number are endless) and activities also qualify, as long as the funds do not result in immediate personal benefit (as does paying tuition for religious school, for example) (David Teutsch, "Tzedaka" in A Guide to Jewish Practice)
והתניא שלשים יום לתמחוי שלשה חדשים לקופה ששה לכסות תשעה לקבורה שנים עשר לפסי העיר
It is taught in an earlier tannaitic source that [A person who resides in a city] thirty days becomes liable for contributing to the tamchui [soup kitchen], three months for the kuppah [tzedaka fund], six months for the clothing fund, nine months for the burial fund, and twelve months for contributing to the repair of the city walls.
איכא דמתני לה להא דרב הונא אהא דתני רב יוסף (שמות כב, כד) אם כסף תלוה את עמי את העני עמך עמי ונכרי עמי קודם עני ועשיר עני קודם ענייך ועניי עירך ענייך קודמין עניי עירך ועניי עיר אחרת עניי עירך קודמין
Others referred this statement of R. Huna to [the teaching] which R. Joseph learnt: (Exodus 22:24) "If you lend my people money, even the poor with you..." My people and strangers, my people have precedence, a poor person and a rich one, the poor have precedence. Your poor and the poor of your city, your poor have precedence, the poor of your city and the poor of another city, the poor of your city have precedence.
ת"ר מפרנסים עניי נכרים עם עניי ישראל ומבקרין חולי נכרים עם חולי ישראל וקוברין מתי נכרים עם מתי ישראל מפני דרכי שלום
Our rabbis taught: We provide for the gentiles' poor with Israel's poor, we visit gentiles' sick with Israel's sick, and we bury the gentiles' dead with Israel's dead, due to the ways of peace.
The obligation to meet the needs of one's elderly parents is superseded only by the obligation to care for ones children. Helping people in need within one's own family is thus a form of tzedaka. This order of priorities parallels most people's nature inclination to help family first, then friends, then others in the community, and then those beyond their own community [emphasis added]...The intensity of need must also be considered. If a family's tzedaka needs are minimal and across town people are going without adequate food, then clearly a significant portion of the family's tzedaka resources must go to those going hungry (David Teutsch, "Tzedakah" in A Guide to Jewish Practice)
Doing one's due diligence
When making a gift to a [non-profit] cause...the giver has an obligation that the gift will be used both effectively and efficiently. Effectively means that the purpose for which the gift is made is being adequately fulfilled. Efficiency means that the task is being accomplished with the smallest possible waste of resources (David Teutsch, "Tzedakah" in A Guide to Jewish Practice)