Several artists have announced plans to donate proceeds from their concerts and merchandise sales. Britney Spears said she will donate $1 per ticket sold from her up coming North American tour to the children of lost New York City firefighters and police officers.

Along with giving a percentage of her ticket sales, Spears will also offer exclusive merchandise at each show and auction front row tickets, with all of the proceeds being donated. She hopes to raise as much as $2 million.

Madonna pledged to give proceeds from the final concerts of her Drowned World tour, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The international star showed her American pride by swapping her usual show-opening uniform of a Scottish kilt for a skirt made of an American flag.

Incubus will donate proceeds from their New York shows, while Godsmack are giving everything from merchandise sales during their local shows to the New York City Public and Private Initiative – a fund benefitting families of police officers and firefighters.

The Black Crowes are donating a portion of the proceeds from their sold-out shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. In addition to ticket sales contributions, the Southern rockers are also giving 100 percent of the merchandising profit. They’ve chosen the NYS WTC Relief Fund and the NYC Public & Private Initiative.

DIY singer/songwriter Kristin Hersh is doing her part, contributing $100 from each of the acoustic shows on her fall tour to the American Red Cross. That might not seem like much compared to Britney, but it’s a serious chunk of change for a club act.

The Crystal Method will be contributing all merchandise profits from their gigs September 14-21 to the NY Firefighters 911 Relief Fund.

Bluesman Robert Cray‘s September 15 concert at the Moore Theatre in Seattle turned into a Red Cross benefit as Cray and support act Eric Bibb remembered those affected by the disaster. They donated all their proceeds to the relief effort.

Many artists have contributed to the ClearChannel.com Relief Fund. Among them, Sade, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson, James Taylor, and Maxwell have each given in excess of $10,000.

Earth, Wind & Fire are giving $25,000 from each of their shows, as well as profits from merchandise sales, to the Red Cross

Kenny Chesney tickets went for a whopping $75,000 during an auction in Roanoke, Va. The three pairs also included a meet and greet with the artist. Proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross.

Radiohead is utilizing the auction method of fund-raising, too. tickets for their gigs in Japan are up for grabs at Yahoo! Auctions. The money will got to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Radio stations have also hopped on board, setting up contribution funds. Dr. Dre donated $1 million to Los Angeles radio station Power 106-FM’s The Power Of A Dollar fund-raising campaign.

In addition to donating their own money, performers are also rallying their peers for benefit concerts. Musicians scheduled to participate in the now postponed CMJ Music Marathon have banded together for a benefit concert featuring artists from indie labels Merge and Saddle Creek Records. Alanis Morissette said on her Web site that she is planning something in the same vein.

Canadian country performers in Calgary for the Canadian Country Awards last week put on an impromptu show, raising $40,000 for the American Red Cross.

Pittsburgh bands Rusted Root, The Clarks, Gathering Field, Karl Mullen Band, and Crisis Car come together for Music Unites! Benefitting the American Red Cross, the groups hope to raise more than $40,000 from the evening of music and remembrance.

Finally, the machines that run the music business are stepping up to the plate. Vivendi Universal, parent of the Universal Music Group (Interscope, Geffen, A&M, Island, Def Jam) is donating $5 million, as well as matching employee donations to the United Way’s September 11th Fund.

Bertlesmann (BMG, RCA, Arista, LaFace, Bad Boy, J Records) has donated $2 million to a fund for the families of lost firefighters and police officers.

Warner Bros. contributed $5 million contribution to six relief organizations and pledged to match colleagues’ contributions up to $1,000 per person.

EMI has also pledged $1 million to relief efforts.