I wouldn't give a penny to charity. Those thieving mugs will see you coming a mile away, and will have precooked the books before you even get there.
Nope, I'd get involved myself. Dedicate a couple of years of my life to a country in tatters (probably Somalia or Sudan) and work primarily on education systems and hygiene and take it from there.
No penny would go anywhere near a charity, unless it's maybe CRUK or similar.