Trading Filet Mignon for Chicken Pot Pie

Now, with unemployment at record highs and the stock market at alarming lows, even the wealthy — no matter whether they personally lost money or not — are toning down the benefit, that yearly fund-raising ritual, in a number of ways.

Peter Duchin, the bandleader, said he was being asked, “Instead of a 12-piece orchestra, could you do a 10-piece — and charge us less?” (His answer? "We tell repeat charity clients, We’ll work with you in these hard times,” he said.)