Think about why humanitarian organizations only want money donations. Because they can't pay the high CEO salaries with donated items that poor people actually need. amirite?

It's not that simple. Cash is much more flexible and allows the non profit to deploy what is needed where it's needed to achieve its mission. If the need is for warm clothes but all I've got is canned soup, I'm not going to be very effective.

Even cash gifts can be made inflexible by donor restrictions. If a donor says "you can only spend my gift on panda conservation" you have to honor that by law, even if that's not your desired focus. BUT you can use this rule to your advantage as a donor by stipulating that you don't want your donation used to pay operating costs like CEO salaries. HOWEVER, if everyone did that then the non profit would not be able to operate. Instead, you can say "don't spend more than 25% (or whatever) of my gift on operating expenses"

If you have concerns, look up the charity on guidestar or charity navigator. As recipients of a public tax exemption, non profits have to be much more transparent than other entities and these groups grade them in a number of metrics

Source: work in non profit

Not true. Money is easier to transport where needed and they can but bulk direct from manufacturer or supplier and get more with it.

I can go to Costco and buy 100$ of peanut butter to donate to the food bank. They probably need it (it's great shelf stable protein) but maybe they already have lots in my town but same food bank but located 4 hours away needs it, Transport costs money and storage space.

They could just take my 100$ and buy it direct from Costco or who Costco got it from and get probably way more AND have it sent directly where it's needed most

It's really to do with shipping. If someone in Alaska donates a set of bunk beds to the Ukrainian refugee fund, then how do those bunkbeds get to Poland where they are desperately needed? The cash can be wired over and get help directly to those in need.

Of course there are lots of charity shops if you'd like to donate items, but it's less effective than the cash donation of equal value and take time and money to realise the sale of the item.

In regards to CEO salaries: the CEO's of charity organisations earn multiple times less than they would in the private sector for their level of qualifications and experience. You do need someone with that level of qualifications, you can't just make a bus driver the CEO and there aren't enough people with the correct qualifications and experience who can afford to earn nothing.

That being said, my aunty was the chief accountant of a charity, she took no wages for it at all and lived in a rundown council house on a shoestring budget.

Food pantries always need cash donations because popular staple foods are never donated in the quantities needed.