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 [email protected]

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!

Anonymous

Baylor University

Spring
2025

My end goal is to give 10% of my income to various charities. Until I am financially stable I plan to supplement this with volunteer hours

Anonymous

Baylor University

Spring
2025

In the future, I want to do research into the organizations that I am donating to and make a conscious effort to continually donate and support the organizations that I feel can accomplish the most goods with sufficient resources. Through my experiences, I’ve learned that the ultimate form of giving is the time and effort you put into an organization. With this, I want to donate my time more than anything to give back to my community. I hope to be able to develop strong relationships through this and encourage others to do the same.

Anonymous

Abilene Christian University

Spring
2025

It is my personal goal to always give at least 10% of my income away in tithe/money honoring to God. It is additionally my goal to be a good steward with my resources, by being generous in hosting, gifts, food, and more. I also wish to donate regularly, sending monthly stipends, and to give without a second thought. I hope to give to the things that have changed my life, and to set aside money to just be a blessing to others.

Anonymous

Abilene Christian University

Spring
2025

I want to ensure that I am always giving at least 10% of my gross salary to charitable causes. My priority will be to my local church but I want to also have a separate fund allotted to help non-profits in my community. I want to make sure I give my time to these as well as money, volunteering at least 40 hours a year.

Anonymous

Abilene Christian University

Spring
2025

Following graduation, I plan to contribute 10% of what I make to local nonprofits and other organizations with causes I’m passionate about. As I grow in my career, I hope to have the funds to increase that percentage over time! It should also be said that contributing my time to helping others through volunteer work is another way I plan to give back to the community. I think both goals have the potential to make a real difference in the lives of others, and I’m excited to be intentional about doing both in the years ahead!

Annika Divan

Washington University In St. Louis

Spring
2025

Our mission statement: At Women’s Haven for Health & Safety, we are dedicated to supporting women and families in St. Louis who are affected by domestic abuse. We will fund interventions that provide both short-term and long-term resources connecting women to healthcare, community-building, and safe spaces. Through advocacy, intervention, and unwavering support, we want to empower women to reclaim their lives with safety, dignity, and independence. Overall, our giving goal is to find an organization that aligns with our mission statement. We want to support an organization that works on immediate interventions to support women who are victims of domestic violence. Since our donation is a one-time donation, we want to focus on funding solutions with immediate impact, such as shelter, legal protection, healthcare, and group therapy.