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

The beauty of the nonprofit sector is its diversity. Americans need to figure out that they should use the Red Cross, but don't use the whole wad. Save it for some other groups.

Americans are stuck at giving 2 percent of their income to charity. What that means is that it's a fixed pie. ... Unless people change their behavior, a lot of giving will be taken away from other groups.

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.

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.

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.