I’ve been meaning to read “minimalist parenting” for quite some time now. A friend of mine raves about it. I love the idea of setting aside a specific amount for a specific charity each month and letting everyone else know you aren’t budging from that decision. How do you pick the charities to donate to?

I’ve never been one for giving a specific portion of my income. I’m not sure why, but it seems like such an easy solution to decide how much to give. Maybe I should try it.

I love the idea of repaying your scholarships! That’s a fantastic way to pay it forward! I’ve never tried the ‘don’t send me anything approach’ after donating. If it worked for you it might just do the trick for me! I plan to write a letter tonight!

In the past I’ve had a problem with giving more than we can afford because I felt bombarded by phone calls, so I’ve started using a strategy mentioned in “Minimalist Parenting”: at the beginning of the year, or twice a year, pick one charitable organization for each month and give the same budgeted amount. When someone calls for another organization, I explain our system and say, “I’m sorry, but you aren’t on the list for this month/this year. I’ll certainly keep you in mind for the list next year.” Repeat; don’t budge. It works very well.

One thing I’ve found very helpful is that when I do donate I make it VERY clear (through written letter and speaking with the department) that if they send me ANYTHING requesting more money, they will never see another dime. I do not want my money spent on mailings requesting more money. I want my money to go to the students and projects. I haven’t received a request yet.