I would think if she wants to do something beneficial for Katrina victims, she shouldn't be making the decision that the vendor is her son.

The Red Cross is a brand name, and people automatically pick it for donations. But there are a lot of local groups who could use assistance and reimbursement, and the Red Cross isn't willing to do that.

The Number 1 reason Americans give is because they're asked.

In the past three years there's been a decline in giving to human service-type organizations. People need to step up to the plate and give extra.

When a big disaster happens, it heightens the philanthropic impulse.

This storm involved the largest relocation of people since the Civil War, it's of historic proportions, so people want to do something about it. Americans do feel very connected to a wide scale disaster like this and they're inspired to do something.