NEW YORK — The American public has donated more than $644 million for relief efforts in Haiti — yet already there’s concern that the generosity will fade even as dire needs persist.
“It could be that it’s just too hard for people to contemplate all the money that’s needed for Haiti and do all the things needed for the American economy at the same time,” said Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
The $644 million surpassed the pace for the 2004 Asian tsunami, ran slightly behind the pace after the 9/11 terror attacks and was well behind the flow of donations after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, said Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy.
Long-term, donations after those disasters kept growing for many months — reaching $1.9 billion for the tsunami, $2.8 billion for 9/11 and more than $5 billion for Katrina, according to the philanthropy center. The Associated Press
