Taking the charity society's zakah and spending it on workers' salaries and housing

The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is it permissible for a charitable association that has taken on the responsibility of its employees' salaries and housing to take zakah from people and pay these salaries and housing from it? And if it has already paid them, is it liable to guarantee them?

The Shaykh:
By Allah, you want to take people's zakah and build palaces for the employees? This is not permissible. The zakah of the poor and the needy, and the workers in charge of it, is for their needs. There are people who want to eat, and they have debts and lawsuits. You say, "No, we want to build you palaces to live in for the employees who manage the society." This is not permissible.
You say, Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, "We employ the employees with it." First of all, who appointed the society? Did the one in authority delegate the collection of zakah to it? It is not permissible for anyone to collect zakah except by order of the one in authority and the tax collectors and workers in charge of it. Who appointed them to collect the zakah?

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh.

The Shaykh:
They do not take only donations. As for zakah, no. Except by delegation from the one in authority, or by delegation from the one who owes the zakah. You take it and distribute it, and you are appointed to distribute it on his behalf. But if someone comes and says, "I will take the zakahs, give them to me, and I will manage them," who appoints such a person?