Once I get an adequate job after graduation, I pledge to donate at least 5% of my yearly income to effective nonprofits, churches, and community organizations. While I am strongly passionate about nature and wildlife preservation, women protection/uplifting programs, and medical research initiatives, I will proudly commit to volunteer service days one weekend every month for local organizations addressing pertinent issues. I will take efforts to stay heavily involved in my community to help fill the gap in needs when it is apparent. Likewise, I would like to form strong relationships with local nonprofits that have causes I am passionate about, and possibly even join their boards or team. When financial contributions aren’t possible, I will contribute to my community through my heart, time, and advocacy efforts. My goal is to create lasting positive impact through both consistent giving and active engagement with causes close to my heart; making just one person’s day better, is a win in my book.

My giving goal is to give by tithing my income, allocating 10% of my earnings to a separate savings account with the goal of giving back on a monthly basis. My long-term plan is to continue this practice throughout adulthood, eventually influencing and teaching my children as well as those around me to practice such intention giving.

Moving forward from this course, it is my goal to find more intentional ways in which to give my time, talent, treasure, and any additional resources I have available to nonprofit organizations with whom I share the same values and ideals, working towards missions to better communities through the promotion of human welfare and enrichment. As I transition into professional life, I plan to make conscious donations of my time and energy to assist these organizations in their service, through methods such as grant writing, volunteer work, etc., while finding ways to contribute monetarily as much as possible. Once I am in a position of greater financial stability, I pledge to give a minimum of 5% of my income, increasing that percentage as my own wealth increases, while still continuing to give my time, for I believe that is just as valuable, if not more. It is my goal to never become passive in my acts of giving, but to stay active and engaged in the work being done by the nonprofit organizations I choose to support. Through my acts of giving and service, I will strive to exemplify the very foundation of philanthropy: giving for the betterment of humankind and human flourishing.

I pledge to give 5-10% of my salary to organizations that engage in causes I am passionate about, including immigration, domestic violence/sexual exploitation, access to arts, my church, and legal equity. These causes may shift as my experiences and beliefs also shift. I am choosing to place a window of percentage versus a set number as I want my generosity to be fluid; I want to give freely and not give formulaically or just to check giving off my to-do list. In order to combat the potential overcorrection of then not giving at all or as bountifully, I commit to setting aside 10% of my paycheck in a separate account regardless of how much I end up giving from that 10%. That way, even if I do not give the full 10% one year, that money will be invested in a HYSA solely for the purposes of giving and then, when convicted to give more another year or to another cause, the leftover funds will be utilized. I also commit to spending at least ten hours of research each year on vetting organizations, under the assumption that thorough research will make me more aware of need and allow my money to be used most effectively. Additionally, as a future law student, I commit in law school to fifty hours of pro-bono work over the course of three years, with the expectation of superseding that. Once I am an attorney, I will reevaluate the number of hours I engage in pro-bono work as the vitality of this work depends on the specific realm of law I enter into, the nature of my job, and the need in my area.

I pledge to donate a percentage of my salary each year to nonprofits of my choosing in my city of residence. This will increase as my salary increases, but I plan to start by giving at least 7% of my salary so as to make a habit of it early in my career. Additionally, I plan to give my time by volunteering at local non-profits in my post-graduate city. All nonprofits I aim to give to will be identified after my move, but will likely center around women’s health and food insecurity.