Good morning. 🌄🌅☕
11 August 2026
Yesterday I got another letter from an organization asking for a donation. This one had a few nickels glued to the
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Good morning. 🌄🌅☕
11 August 2026
Yesterday I got another letter from an organization asking for a donation. This one had a few nickels glued to the paper inside the envelope. I get a couple of those now and then — I’ve even received a few with $1 bills tucked inside. And every time, I find myself wondering why they’re sending me money while asking me for money.
The nickels I sort of understand: they force me to open the envelope and peel them off before feeding the letter into my shredder. Maybe they’re trying to guilt me into sending something back. If so, it’s not working. I’ve read that this tactic is called reciprocity psychology — the idea that humans feel an urge to give back when they receive something. At any rate, it doesn’t work on me.
I donate to a few charities and causes that I either chose at random or have a personal connection to. If I responded to every letter asking for money, we couldn’t afford to live. Family comes first.
I do have a growing pile of $1 bills and nickels accumulating on the corner of my bookcase. My plan is to drop them into a charity collection box somewhere.
I just wish charities would stop sending me mail — even the ones I support. It takes time to shred everything, and the envelopes clutter up the area until I get around to it. They also send trinkets, most of which go straight into my Goodwill box. I do like the mailing labels, though; they come in handy. But even with those, I only use the ones from charities I actually contribute to.
In the meantime, I’ll keep sorting the mail, saving the nickels, and giving only where it truly matters.
“We repay what we receive.”
— Dr. Robert Cialdini, on the principle of reciprocity
“When donors shift from giving to belonging, they commit for life.”
— Dr. Russell James
“The joy of giving is greater than any pleasure or possession.”
— John Rohn
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