Problems for individual collectors

Question:

For some reason many people give vouchers to those collecting tzedaka so the question arises.

1. If they actually fulfill the mitzvah, since a voucher is inherently valueless and can only be redeemed through an extremely complicated process that requires a recognized tax-deductible organization, and many so-called businesses have sprung up that provide services for the various collectors out there for a percentage, and usually the collector has to open an account with one of them, which involves the humiliating ordeal of providing an official picture ID, such as a passport, which they make a copy of.
   Someone who is local and collects for himself will face discrimination, as it is possible that he will not be granted any same-day service for his account. Another question is why this system was set up in the first place without the approval of the Poskim.
   Checks were very hard to cash; now vouchers are almost impossible..
   Life just gets harder for the poor collector.
   So is someone yotze tzedaka if they give a voucher, and does a collector have the right to refuse to accept a voucher since it is so difficult to redeem?
2. Another great humiliation that some collectors face is when someone gives a single penny or sends over their child to give a penny.
   Besides the intense degradation, the penny was officially canceled by the government, so it can only be put into wrappers and brought to the bank.
   Further discrimination is seen day to day, as people give sometimes hundreds, if not thousands, to various collectors and their causes, but to the humble poor talmud chacham struggling to survive, they give small change or a dollar.

Answer:

Hello,

1. I don’t know why they give out vouchers instead of cash, but the fact is that if they are indeed worth money and can be redeemed as cash, it is considered giving tzedakah. It might not be the best form of tzedakah, because the poor person has a lot of hassle to get the money, but we can’t say that it isn’t tzedakah at all.
2. It is incorrect to give a poor person a penny, because, as you write, it is degrading, and degrading the poor person is a sin. The fact that people give more money to institutions, etc., might be because they have larger expenses and because the person knows the person running the institution.

Hashem should send you all your needs without having to be embarrassed..

Best wishes