Hurricane Relief

Marisa Frank/American Red Cross

WHERE SHOULD THE MONEY GO? As the Red Cross seeks $2-billion to provide relief to Hurricane Katrina victims, some charity leaders are questioning where dollars for the long-term recovery will come from. The Red Cross’s president, Marsha J. Evans, says the charity has already spent $500-million to provide shelter and take care of other needs.

MORE THAN $1.2-BILLION has been raised so far to help the victims of the storm, although many charities say the pace of donations is slowing.

THE SUFFERING of many poor blacks caught by the hurricane has prompted an unprecedented response by black philanthropies, and over the long run may cause them to rethink their giving.

CONGRESS last week passed several tax breaks designed to encourage giving to relief groups.

HAVING ESCAPED NEW ORLEANS with his family, hitchhiking by boat and car, the head of the local United Way struggles to put the organization back to work.

ONLINE SCAM ARTISTS, making fraudulent appeals for donations to Katrina relief efforts, have grown in number and sophistication since the terrorist-attack and tsunami fund-raising blitzes.

FEDERAL SPENDING in response to the storm could imperil government support for other charitable programs, according to a new report released by the Aspen Institute.

LESSER-KNOWN CHARITIES, without the resources of the Red Cross or the Salvation Army, are reaching out to help victims of the catastrophe in small but welcome ways: some of their stories.

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY has responded to Hurricane Katrina with a flurry of fund-raising concerts that is unprecedented.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, Marsha J. Evans, discusses the challenges of dealing with Hurricane Katrina.

RECENT GIFTS AND GRANTS for Katrina relief efforts: a sampling.

PRIVATE DONATIONS: How much has been raised and how it will be spent.

OPINION: Paul C. Light says Americans, lacking confidence in charities, will be watching how the billions donated to hurricane victims are spent; Pablo Eisenberg asks how philanthropic resources might have been used to prevent the ravages of Katrina; and Warren Goldstein argues that government, not private charity, should be responsible for disaster relief.

LETTER: on corporations’ response to Hurricane Katrina.