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  Despite the outpouring, the amount pales in comparison to the donations in the days following the Sept. 11 attacks. But much more is expected. Twenty-nine percent say they have given for tsunami aid; an additional 37 percent say they plan to.

"It's heartbreaking," said Charla Mear, a 52-year-old mother of two from Manitou Springs, Colo., who said she had contributed $150. "People should give money if they have it. We're all humans, we should all treat each other as humans. Those children who have no parents, have nothing -- the devastation on their faces is just terrible."

About 15 percent of Americans said they had donated less than $100, according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos-Public Affairs. About 5 percent said they had given $100 or more.

About 9 percent said they could not specify how much they had given, perhaps raising some doubt about their answer.

"People might feel pressure to give the socially correct answer when being interviewed," said Robert Shapiro, a public opinion specialist at Columbia University. "We know that a lot of people are giving money. People might feel it puts them in an awkward situation to say they haven't."

The total in private donations is about 40 percent of what had been given to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks almost two weeks after the hijackings, said Gene Tempel, executive director of the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University. The difference is understandable, he said.

"On Sept. 11 our country was attacked. It was almost un-American not to respond," he said. "Three-fourths of the public eventually contributed something."

Tempel said the level of donations is likely to increase as independent groups are formed to raise money. Two former presidents renowned for their fund-raising prowess -- Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush -- have been recruited to spur giving.

The tsunami donations will be among the largest ever for an overseas disaster, Tempel said, but exact information on donation totals for past crises is sketchy. Continuing media coverage will be a key to the total raised, he said.

"We've seen tsunami waves from one angle or another endlessly, people clinging to trees, it touches us," he said.

Sara Mehaffey, a 29-year-old lawyer from Burleson, Texas, said she was thinking about making a donation but worried about charity scams. "I haven't done enough research to know exactly what they're going to do with the money," she said.

The FBI, several states and consumer watchdog agencies have issued warnings, noting that an outpouring of generosity has opened the door for con artists who want to prey upon American philanthropy.

Tempel said it's best to donate to well-known organizations with a solid background of good works.

People who have attended college were twice as likely to say they had contributed as those with a high school education or less, the poll found. Women were more likely than men to say they would donate.

"I feel like we've already been donating," said David Mitchell, a rancher who lives near Hobbs, N.M., who doesn't plan to donate. "The government's paying something to the victims and we pay taxes. I donate to my church and for local stuff."

The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,001 adults was taken Jan. 3-5 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

© 2005 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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