<p>Have a question - we have mentioned here and there about Hillels and their funding needs. So, say you and your hs student visit a college - and you visit the Hillel and spend some time speaking to the director or other person. Maybe they set up a lunch for you to meet with a current student who is also a Hillel member. Is it appropriate to make a donation to the Hillel as a thank-you? If so, how much? </p>
<p>I’m thinking that if they do something extra for you - like setting up a lunch - or providing a student to personally take you around campus and answer your questions - that a donation as a thank you would be appropriate. Would $36 seem cheap or do you think that is ok?</p>
<p>rodney - even though S1 has not been active with Hillel at his college - he did have a really nice meeting with a Hillel student after he was accepted - the guy was a senior and really spent a lot of time with him. I sort of intended to send a donation - but then wasn’t sure - so I never did. But, I think it is something I would like to do with S2 - since Hillel is important to him. But the amount thing is funny - too little and it looks cheap - but too much looks like you think it will have some influence on the admissions decision (like Hillel is going to call admissions and report how much you gave - I don’t know? Would they?)</p>
<p>If they set up a lunch, I would make that $36 donation. It is a really nice thought. My daughter, a junior at UCF, couldn’t come home for passover as a freshman and went to two seder dinners at the Chabad near campus (there was also a Hillel option but her friends in AEPhi were going to the Chabad one). The Rabbi there has a young wife and tiny children yet they fed over 150 kids brisket without requiring any monetary compensation. I sent them a $180 donation after the holiday to help them cover their expenses.</p>
<p>like I said, no idea…I thought it would be a nice gesture though ( I got outvoted, but I may do it anyway!!)</p>
<p>I’m sending you a PM…</p>
<p>seiclan: from what we have learned, many Hillel organizations depend on those types of donations to do all the activities…that was very nice of you!!!</p>
<p>I agree with the $36 donation. You can even make it in honor of the director or student who helped your son. But you have to understand that you will be on the mailing list and phone list forever, even if your son chooses another college!</p>
<p>If this happens, you may have to gently let them know, someday, that you are supporting four or five Hillels and/or Chabads (each kid’s, yours, your local one, and maybe another one - that adds up to more than five for us!) and as much as you would like to contribute to them, you just can’t, or you have to make just a very small donation, and that it is very expensive for them to keep sending you materials and you do not want them to exceed your donation in the cost of the materials that they send.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses to my other question about family dynamics changing. Any other responses to this? I just think it is interesting to see how this affects families!</p>
<p>My daughter got her first acceptance today! She got into Pitt. We’re very happy and relieved. We never visited Pitt, but it looks like a good fit for her. We’ll visit if she doesn’t get good news from her ED school in December.</p>
<p>Congrats, Momjr. That first acceptance is such a huge relief!!! Since reading this thread, I’ve been looking at Pitt online as a possibility for S2 and really like what I see. It will be great to hear your impressions.</p>
<p>As far as Hillel donations, I think it is always appropriate and appreciated. We just got a solicitation yesterday from a Hillel and we don’t even have any children in college yet or other connection to Hillel. My husband made a donation when we were dating (and several years out of school) as a favor to a friend, and that’s probably why they called us (over 20 years later). He didn’t agree to make a donation yesterday, but I told him that nothing would make me happier than to feel I should donate to Hillel because my S is spending time there next year :)</p>
<p>Congrats to momjr and holliesue! So exciting to get those first acceptances - and so early!</p>
<p>RE: donations to Hillel. I made one to the Hartford Hillel after two students there gave us a tour (there was no tour avail from admissions that day). $18. D and I had a Shabbat dinner at UD Hillel the night before accepted students day (it wasn’t organized for us - they were having it anyway). I gave a donation for that too ($36?). I like to give what’s appropriate and within my means if they go out of their way for me and/or I want to show my support. It’s always appreciated.</p>
<p>RVM-yes, I forgot I shared on another thread and not this one. Today D heard from Alfred University and Elizabethtown College. Alfred is one of her top choices and E-town is right behind. Her other top choice we won’t hear from until sometime in January…so no decisions will be made for quite awhile, but D is very happy!!! (D was previously accepted at SUNY Potsdam and Hiram). As you already know, D has a low priority Jewish life on campus, so these schools are probably not great options for kids looking for very active Jewish life.</p>