The value of a $10 donation

Last year, several letters landed on my desk from students doing research projects on non-profits. One of the questions that the students asked was "What will a $10 donation do for your agency?" This got me to thinking...what does $10 accomplish?

I don't think they would've wanted to hear that $10 will buy some pens that we need in the office. Or that it would pay for 66% of a $15 death certificate. While both answers are true, I'm not sure that was the intent of the question. After thinking about it, I decided to run a report on all of the $10 donations that the Hebrew Free Burial Association received the previous year. That year, HFBA received 1,136 $10 donations. Grand Total: $11,360.

Walking on 7th Avenue in New York City, there are people collecting money in large buckets for food for the homeless. They call out above the noise of NYC, "One penny! Just one penny to feed the homeless." One penny will NOT feed the homeless. But my penny, plus the next person's penny, and the extra generous person's dollar all add up. Together, the people of New York will feed the homeless.

The same applies to the $10 donations to HFBA. One $10 donation won't bury someone. But put together, all of our $10 donors enabled us to bury 6 indigent Jews. That is something to be proud of.

The temptation exists to minimize our good deeds. "I ONLY gave $10. It's not like I gave $100." Or, "I gave someone a ride, what's the big deal? " This is a destructive attitude. It is important to realize that all of the good we do is important. It makes us better people, while helping those around us.

The next time you give a donation to a charity, regardless of the amount, don't underestimate its importance. Your donation is important!