Firstly, it is good to give matanot la’evyonim both locally and from chutz la’aretz to Israel. Besides avoiding possible halachic quandaries like this one, it encourages increased tzedaka, which is very much in the spirit of Purim.[1]
There is much discussion concerning whether the main factor in mishlo’ach manot and matanot la’evyonim is the giving or the receiving. This discussion has several halachic ramifications. The consensus seems to be that the more important element is the receiving. In fact, the Magen Avraham[2] understands the Ba’al Hama’or as saying that the reason not to give matanot la’evyonim before Purim is for fear they will finish the food received before Purim. This implies that if we were confident that the recipient would still have the donation when Purim came, it would not bother us that it was given before Purim. Even if it must be given on Purim, it appears to be sufficient that it be Purim for the receiver.
Many, indeed, have the practice to give matanot la’evyonim before Purim to be distributed on Purim.[3] However, this practice can be justified in various ways, with significant differences between them. One justification is, as above, that it may be sufficient that the needy receive or possess the presents on Purim (implication of Magen Avraham[4]). However, it is also possible that the distributor of the matanot la’evyonim on Purim is acting as an agent for the senders. It is, thus, as if they themselves are giving the presents on Purim.[5] One difference between the above two approaches is whether matanot la’evyonim can be sent before Purim with a non-Jewish courier. According to the second approach, even if they arrive on Purim, in the absence of a halachic agent, they were given too early.[6]
Another difference could be the matter of time zones. If one needs to give (either himself or by an agent) on Purim, then the agent would need to make the delivery when it is the right time at the place of the senders. Regarding this point it is not clear whether b’di’eved one can fulfill the mitzva of matanot la’evyonim on the night of Purim in the US, when it would be morning in Israel.[7] When Purim day begins in California, it is near its end in Tel Aviv, making the system logistically challenging. (Many distributors give most of the matanot la’evyonim early, to help the recipients, and some late in the day, to remove halachic doubt for givers in the US.)
Another interesting issue involves money that is collected outside Yerushalayim to be given the next day, on the Holy City’s Purim. Logic dictates that if it was given on the donor’s Purim and distributed on the recipient’s Purim, one would fulfill the mitzva whether the emphasis is on giving or receiving.[8]