Yep, they need a huge bureaucracy to handle all those logistics. That's the point.
As always, the best charity is one where the needy get the most direct benefit from your donation.
If you're going to give things (clothes, food, etc), make sure those things will get to the end user, not be SOLD to earn cash like Goodwill does.
If you're going to give money, don't give it to an organization like the United Way or Red Cross where is disappears into some "general fund" or goes to pay a bloated overhead or advertising budget.
One more thing: some of the charity rating web sites classify "program expenses" (which is supposed to be the benefits provided) to include paying salaries, travel, etc. So even a top rated charity with a high percentage of program expenses can be wasting a huge amount on what a normal person--and certainly a donor--would consider overhead.