It is better to give the zakah money to the poor and the needy themselves as the wisdom of zakah is not only to take from the rich but also to make the poor owners or to actually enrich them.
Dr. Monzer Kahf, a prominent economist and counsellor, states the following: The generally accepted opinion in the Hanafi school requires the condition of tamlik or ownership to the recipient of zakah. I personally go along with it although some contemporary scholars argued for the permissibility, under strict conditions, to keep ownership in hands of organizations. I happen to believe in the great wisdom of this condition because the wisdom of zakah is not only to take from the rich but also to make the poor owners or to actually enrich them.
The solution that was adopted by the Zakah Boards in Pakistan in the early 1980s is excellent: There are other sources of funds besides zakah; let us use such other sources for giving properties to organizations that help train and manage other forms of assistance to the poor and let us use the zakah money only for actually giving the poor and needy.
Hence, we must not use the zakah money for sewing machines and other equipment for centers that train the poor; rather the zakah money should be kept for stipends while students are being trained. This is what fulfils the agreed upon conditions of the distribution of zakah.