When November rolls up to December, I begin to make the list of organizations and groups that have enriched my year, given me such pleasure or brightened my life so much that reciprocity is in order. But what am I going to do? Play an out-of-tune scale on my violin for the symphony? Perform a skit for an entire theatre troupe? No. That’s where a monetary gift can be a stand-in for reciprocity.

We all make donations
when we are able—to churches, bootstrap organizations, meal programs, favorite
hospitals, cultural groups, and national
groups like the Red Cross and organizations assisting any number of needs for
people without means to pay for them. Many of those gifts are pure altruistic: “Here—take
this—you do great work.” But some gifts are reciprocal—a way to show
thankfulness for acts of generosity benefiting us!
