The Red Cross has been doing the same during disasters for decades.  

 Rahm Emanuel, Obama's first Chief of Staff  noted:  "You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."

The Red Cross helps out a great deal and helps lots of people.  But, they take in as much as possible at each crisis and save it to use in between those major crises when donations are down. 

 http://www.apfn.org/apfn/WTC_red-cross.htm

"Bearing the brunt Tuesday during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight panel was outgoing Red Cross President Dr. Bernadine Healy. 
The Red Cross has raised more than $564 million for the Liberty Fund, which was set up in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. While the agency states on its Web site that it is spending more than any other relief agency responding to the terrorist attacks, it has distributed only $154 million."