US donations totaling $305M for Haiti pouring in faster than response to Asian tsunami

US charity for Haiti outpaces giving after tsunami

WASHINGTON — Donations to U.S. charities for Haiti earthquake relief are outpacing donations from the days after the Asian tsunami in 2004 but haven’t kept up with the outpouring of gifts following Hurricane Katrina.

A tally by the Chronicle of Philanthropy shows $305 million was donated to 32 U.S. charities by Thursday. In the eight days after Katrina flooded New Orleans, Americans had given at least $580 million. By this time after the tsunami, U.S. charities had raised $163 million.

Editor Stacy Palmer says the speed of giving for Haiti has been astonishing.

In the first four days after the earthquake, U.S. charities had received $150 million for Haiti — outpacing the response to both Katrina and the tsunami.

Celebrities will help boost fundraising for Haiti with a telethon Friday.