I have a friend who is a fundraiser for a certain Jewish organization. He was talking about what a financial crisis his organization is suffering through.
Now it is none of my business [but being Jews I guess we often feel that everything is our business...] but I wonder. This fellows parents are super-rich. I don't know how many millions but A LOT [for what they sold their home for I could support my family for a FEW HUNDRED YEARS and not have to worry about money]. His siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins are also very, VERY wealthy. I can't imagine how many hundreds of millions [maybe billions] are flying around there. And he is publicly going around begging for money for his organization. Like - doesn't your family help??
I think I know the answer - yes. But very little. I have seen it a thousand times. In the same family you have people who are poor and others wealthy. I often wonder: Shouldn't the wealthy family members be helping their own flesh and blood before they give to other causes?? The Halachic answer is: OF COURSE. But in practice it doesn't always happen. So someone will donate a building to a Yeshiva but will barely help his son's family when they are struggling on a Kollel stipend.
I think that the psychology is that it is more glamorous to help someone you don't know so well and don't feel obligated towards. Helping a family member is not always such a good feeling. People don't have that fuzzy "tzedaka feeling" but more like the feeling of paying a bill.
It is always important to keep the din of the Shulchan Aruch in mind: Family comes first.
