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!

Dylan Marmur

Vanderbilt University

Fall
2023

My giving goal is to maximize impact of my grant/donation. I hope to impact as many people as possible with the resources that I have available to me.

Devon Farrell

Cornell University

Fall
2023

I plan to include a giving component to my future annual budgeting. Starting by allocating 1% of my annual salary to gifts, I will reevaluate and hopefully increase on an annual basis.

Delaney Weimer

Vanderbilt University

Fall
2023

My giving goal is to pick a new philanthropy each year to invest a significant amount of time that aligns with the approaches to giving and values discussed in class. I can choose to invest in a different organization or stick with the same, or a handful, of organizations over an extended period, checking in at the start of each year. Investing in non-profit organizations can vary through volunteering or financial contributions, which will likely change with my time availability and personal monetary situation. I hope my capacity to give increases over time, and I will ensure to set aside philanthropic contributions in my budget every year. Regardless, philanthropy will serve a vital role in my life moving forward, and it is my responsibility to investigate funding decisions and make meaningful contributions in various ways.

Dani Rosen

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Fall
2023

My giving goal is to offer 5% of my earnings to missions that matter to my personal goals and more, but even beyond that, I’ve entered this major and career field in order to dedicate my career to helping communities that are often left with fewer aids and advantages than others.

Colin Harrison

New York University

Fall
2023

I would like to give 10 to 15 percent of my annual earnings to basic needs non-profits!

Coco Mei Kinney

New York University

Fall
2023

An issue that I feel especially devoted to is homelessness, particularly in a city as wealthy as New York City. Without a stable home, there is no stability of income, food, water, or life. I believe that adequate housing conditions are the nexus for achieving independence and it is the foundation for a fulfilling life. The bottleneck for homeless alleviation organizations is noncomprehensive service structures and limited contact with homeless individuals. I am unsure why alleviating homelessness is my greatest passion. Perhaps it is because it is especially pervasive in New York, and visible everywhere. The duality of my experiences with giving has shaped my goals as a giver to be more hands-on and respectful to all individuals. Bridging that one-to-one connection is important to me, and something I want to carry out throughout my life as a philanthropist. Now, I focus on hands-on volunteer work and addressing systemic issues via policy reform. I enjoy building comprehensive service models that help put people on a path to independence. I foresee a life dedicated to philanthropy, specifically to homeless alleviation and the overarching alleviation of human suffering. It is important for me as a philanthropist to bridge this awareness between different social groups, especially between the extremely wealthy and the impoverished. It is inhumane to just sit back and ignore systemic terror.