Giving not showing fatigue that some analysts feared

Giving not showing fatigue that some analysts feared: "Giving not showing fatigue that some analysts feared
By Ken Camp

Published January 19, 2006



(ABP) -- News reports and televised images of suffering by South Asia tsunami victims or hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast residents prompted Americans to reach deep into their pocketbooks to give last year.

Americans gave more than $2.7 billion to aid Gulf Coast hurricane victims in 2005 -- an amount near the total charitable gifts that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reported. About two-thirds of those donations went to the American Red Cross.

International giving to Baptist World Aid -- the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance -- topped $2.49 million for tsunami aid and $364,000 for the Gulf Coast hurricanes, as well as $135,000 for an earthquake in Pakistan.

The Southern Baptist International Mission Board reported $16.8 million in contributions for tsunami relief, plus more than 182,600 for the Pakistan earthquake, and the North American Mission Board reported more than $21.9 million in disaster relief giving related to the Gulf Coast hurricanes."