In the ten days since earthquake-triggered tsunamis struck South Asia, many donors have insisted that their gifts go exclusively to aid victims of the disaster, charity officials say, building on a trend that gained momentum in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, the New York Times reports.

"People are very emotional, and they want their money to help the people that they see in pictures and on TV," said Thomas Tighe, president of Santa Barbara-based Direct Relief International. "They make it clear that this is not about tragedies that exist elsewhere in the world, and they're very skeptical about how charities use their money."

Charities have long prized "unrestricted" gifts, which allow them to spend the donated funds as they see fit. But since 9/11, donors have increasingly insisted on earmarking their gifts for specific causes and/or activities. Devorah Goldburg, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross, said that since December 26, the day the tsunamis struck, resulting in a huge surge in donations to the organization's International Response Fund, the Red Cross has dedicated all gifts to the fund to tsunami relief. "So much money poured in that we knew it had to be intended for these victims," Goldburg told the Times. "Also, when a lot of people donate, they write 'tsunami relief' or something like that on their checks."

To date, the Red Cross has received pledges for $92 million and has allocated $25 million to buy food and $5 million to buy hygiene kits, tents, and other supplies. Goldburg said the remainder would also go to the relief effort, but that some of it might be reserved for longer-term needs such as mental health counseling. She said no decision had been made as to when the Red Cross would begin to re-allocate donations to the fund to other international crises.

In related news, the Senate Finance Committee has proposed that Congress allow taxpayers to claim a deduction on their 2004 tax returns for cash gifts to tsunami relief efforts made through January 31, 2005, in part to help support the efforts of former Presidents Bush and Clinton to stimulate private giving.