What is a Giving Goal?

Often, the idealism of youth is lost as one achieves success and acquires material possessions later in life. What was originally considered to be “enough” or even “beyond my wildest dreams” can become just another milestone on one’s quest…

Capturing your current vision of how you wish to give of yourself and your resources in the future could help you plan to give more meaningfully. Revisiting this vision in ten or twenty years could provide a reminder of the ideals of your youth that may shape or re-shape your future actions.

If you have already posted your Giving Goal and would like to update your email for future reminders, please contact info@thephilanthropylab.org

Step 1

Have a healthy and vigorous dialogue in your class on the general idea of having a personal Giving Goal as a college student.

Step 2

Set a Giving Goal concerning your future giving plans.

Step 3

Share a brief statement of your Giving Goals on The Philanthropy Lab’s portal as a way to inspire others to do the same. You may post anonymously to the public if you wish.

Step 4

Share your permanent email address and phone number with The Philanthropy Lab, for the sole purpose of the reminder mechanism, so we can remind you of your goal in 5 year increments for 20 years into the future.

Alumni Reflections

"What a sweet reminder of this pledge! I've definitely given and volunteered in the last 6yrs. It's been a joy to continue the journey of generosity since graduating from undergrad. I'm back in grad school and I am looking forward to finishing my MSW. There will be new ways I give back to the community!"

"Thank you so much for this valuable reminder of my Giving Pledge. I'm proud to say I've dedicated several hours of volunteer time & services to Arts Education non-profits and will continue to live out this pledge"

“Thanks for reaching out––I'm actively still volunteering at two non-profits now in NYC (one free food service called "Wellfare" and a neighborhood homeless shelter)”

"Thank you for your email! The Philanthropy Lab was a life changing experience for me. I ended up joining the board of Malawi Children's Village to run the women empowerment program, which is what the Philanthropy Lab grant was for. In August, I am going to Malawi to see the project in action!"

"I was so happy to see this email pop into my inbox, it feels like a lifetime ago I was in this course. I appreciate all that I learned in this class and have taken its messages with me through these past 5 years. I do plan on maintaining the promise I made in this class"

"Thanks for this reminder. I actually still have a handwritten version of that note on the magnet board in my home office."

Search for Giving Goals

Over 4,200+ course participants have written giving goals in a demonstration of leadership!

SORAYA GONZALEZ MUNIZ

Universidad del Sagrado Corazon

Spring 2026

The goal is to advance research toward identifying a safe, effective, and accessible cure for endometriosis by improving early diagnosis, deepening the understanding of its underlying causes, and developing innovative treatment strategies. This effort targets not only to eliminate the disease but also to prevent recurrence and reduce its physical, emotional, and social impact. To support this mission, I will contribute by developing and presenting proposals that secure funding, promote awareness, and strengthen initiatives focused on research, education, and patient support, ultimately improving quality of life and long-term health outcomes

Anonymous

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Spring 2026

My giving goal is to start volunteering within my local community more. Specifically, I want to find organizations that work with people with cognitive differences, as that is the type of work I’ve engaged in in the past. Also, once I am fully employed, I want to make a point to donate at least 10% of my income to various non-profits. In particular, I want to donate to organizations working towards sustainable policies and the reduction of carbon emissions. I also want to donate to the organizations I have worked with in the past, such as the Adaptive Sports Foundation, which works with students with cognitive/physical differences to experience engaging in various sports.

Anonymous

University of Texas - MBA

Spring 2026

1000

Anonymous

University of Texas - MBA

Spring 2026

Build habits related to giving. Understand how I want to give and understand what is important to me.

Katelyn Benson

University of Washington

Spring 2026

For my giving goal, looking ahead, I want to allocate 5-10% of my post-tax income to a charity of my choosing that I feel represents the change I see fit to make, either domestically or internationally. I want to especially focus my donations on helping underprivileged women, as advancing gender equality in access, through, but not limited to, education, is a topic I am personally passionate about and want to contribute monetarily to. Beyond giving monetarily, I want to give my time as well through volunteer work. I am currently volunteering, but my goal is to increase my volunteering to 10-15 hours a month, providing another outlet beyond money to give back to my community.

Anonymous

University of Washington

Spring 2026

I decided that I would give 5% of my salary to nonprofits within four years of graduation. If my income increases, I would hope to increase my contribution to 10%. Though if I have little expenses, I could see myself contributing more than 10% of my income to nonprofits and humanitarian aid groups.