It depends
It can depend on structure of the internal fundraising policies in the charity. So, how do charities manage their funds?
Charities basically operate with two kinds of funds - restricted funding and unrestricted funding.
The main difference between the two is that if you donate to an animal charity appeal for a specific animal it is likely that this money will be used and locked in or 'restricted' to, for example, helping orangutans only.
All charities need basic operating cost funding and this can come from unrestricted donations so with this the animal charity can spend the money where the need is greatest or use it responsibly to further the charity's strategy in other ways.
Some people worry about the money charities spend on fundraising - sending letters, face to face fundraisers, advertising, emails, websites etc... But really, the charities wouldn't spend this money unless they got a return on the investment.
Like any business you have to spend money to make money.
The same principles basically apply to charities these days so we need to trust the charities and their transparency through published financial statements and annual reports.
