Give not only a percentage of my income but also a percentage of my time every year.
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
Search for Giving Goals
Over 4,200+ course participants have written giving goals in a demonstration of leadership!
Kate Kirchdorfer
- Spring
- 2024
I hope to give at least 20% of my income in the future to nonprofits or any organization that helps causes I care about — right now, I am most interested in the environment and education. I also plan to give as much time as I possibly can, whether through volunteering or just small acts of kindness.
Kara Liebowitz
- Spring
- 2024
My life’s philanthropic journey will be guided by a deep commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable children and creating opportunities through access to basic needs and education. I will focus my giving on organizations mitigating adverse childhood experiences and driving pediatric cancer research breakthroughs. Providing food, shelter, and quality education will also be priorities, as meeting these fundamental needs is crucial for breaking cycles of poverty. Rather than prescribing how my donations must be used, I envision giving unrestricted funding that empowers grassroots, community-led initiatives to direct resources where they are most needed. My philanthropy will be hands-on – I want to serve on boards and work closely with the causes I support. Perhaps most importantly, I would like to replicate the powerful experience my father gave me by gifting me the experience to donate to several organizations of my choice instead of holiday gifts in high school. I would like to pass this tradition on to my children and my nieces and nephews to inspire them to be life-long givers starting at a young age. Instilling the spirit of generosity across generations is essential. While this vision may evolve over decades, I know supporting vulnerable youth, providing access to basic needs, and engaging future generations will remain core pillars. Capturing this vision now can serve as a reminder of the ideals that will guide my giving for the rest of my life. I am committed to turning my philanthropic aspirations into meaningful actions that create positive change.
Kamron Walker
- Spring
- 2024
My giving goal is to donate between 5-10% of my yearly salary to charitable organizations depending on how much money I am earning. I believe that through philanthropy and giving I have benefitted, so I would like to pay that forward
Kaitlyn Laird
- Spring
- 2024
My Giving Goal is to give away at least $10,000 every year starting in September 2024. I would like to give away more and more each year starting with at least $10,000 in September.
Kaitlin Wilson
- Spring
- 2024
Based on my values of hard work, compassion, and community, I aim to donate ten percent of my finances to my local church community every year for the next five years. After these five years, I will no longer be in graduate school and therefore want to begin my philanthropic journey towards creating a scholarship fund at the Texas A&M Foundation to go towards a Management Pre Law student’s degree. In addition to monetary impact, I hope to be involved by giving my time to various pro bono causes and clinics. This class has also revealed to me that while it is impactful to see directly where your charitable dollars are given, sometimes donations towards what would be considered overhead are just as necessary to ensure the long term success of the organization.