In the future, I hope to regularly give a portion of my income to small, personal causes that affect individuals, where a small financial donation can significantly change the outlook on one’s outcome.
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!
Gabby Stone
- Spring
- 2024
10% of my income will go to charitable organizations
Evan Chang-Tung
- Spring
- 2024
My giving goal is to be a part of an organization that means something personal to me – it doesn’t need to end world hunger, or solve global crisis, but I’d like it to be something that is a reflection of myself. While I will want to begin this as generally donating (likely) money to various organizations that I find personally powerful, I’d eventually want to settle into a role and have more a focus versus a “mile wide, inch deep” approach. After being more integrated with 1-2 organizations, my goal would be to eventually have a significant role to round out my career. I would want to target those, who were like myself – not super involved in philanthropy and show them how impactful and meaningful it can be.
Emmah Bell
- Spring
- 2024
My giving goal is to start my first year post-grad giving 10% of my salary to charities and NPOs every year. If I receive a salary increase, then I will increase the percentage given to charity starting at anything above 10% with the goal to always be at least 10%. No matter what community I live in and serve, I will also continue to seek educational resources on local NPOs to donate to. Five years post-grad, I hope to pledge 25% of my salary to charitable giving and non-profit work. Every year I will re-evaluate my giving goals and find an appropriate balance.
Emma Rose McCarthy
- Spring
- 2024
My giving goals are to donate a minimum of 1% of my future salary after I have finished paying off my student loans. In addition I would like to donate my time to promote economic equality and financial literacy or to another vendetta of my choosing upon graduation and so long as I am able in the future.
Emma Springer
- Spring
- 2024
My giving goal is two-fold. I am searching for an organization to volunteer with, and also look for opportunities to make an philanthropic throughout the year. I eventually want donate 5% of my income to each year to one or a few organizations whose work I resonate with.