My goal is to give annually after I graduate college to charities that align with my values and are proven to have positive outcomes. I do not want to set a certain dollar amount or percentage of my income, as that will depend on my financial situation. Some of the areas that I am most passionate about are education and poverty, but these might change and adapt as I grow older, so I do not want to box myself into a certain type of philanthropy to support. Furthermore, I want to commit to volunteering monthly, in some form.
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!
Giulia Faini
- Spring
- 2026
My Giving Goal is to volunteer my time as I am a student to the organization that I choose to support. As a college student not make a proficent income yet I can contribute in other ways like volunteering. Once I get a job post grad, I would like to donate 5-10% of my income to the charity of my choosing.
Emily Doehler
- Spring
- 2026
My goal is to spend more time volunteering for the causes and and organizations that reflect my core values, Ideally about 4 hours weekly. I would like to volunteer at organizations where I can directly interact with the population we’re aiding, so I’m able to see the impact the organization makes first hand. Once I gain a stable job, I would like to donate 5% of my annual income to causes important to me. For some organizations, donations make a more significant and practical impact compared to volunteering and it’s also not practical or possible for me to volunteer at international nonprofits. For these reasons, I hope to impact a wider range of organizations through my donations.
Gabriella Cullum
- Spring
- 2026
I would like to commit to volunteering at least once every other week at a nonprofit in my community. I’m very passionate about all aspects of human rights as well as animal and environmental rights, so I will just dedicate my time to whatever is most in need in my community. Alongside donating my time, I also want to allocate at least 3% of my paychecks (whatever I can afford at the moment) to go towards dire causes in the community/country/world. I don’t want to lose sight of issues happening and want to continue being a helpful member of society.
Ayana Bahadur
- Spring
- 2026
Giving back has always been important to me and is cornerstone in my family upbringing. If I cannot give back with my money, I will undoubtedly give back with my time. Once I earn a stable income, I will give at least 2.5% of my yearly income to a charity that I support and align with. I am not limiting myself to the charities I donate to and the amount I donate. Within my community and internationally, I hope to volunteer for and establish relationships with the charities I will one day give to. I wish to maintain my volunteering efforts consistently as well as engage others in the community, not just myself. I vow that I will give back in any and every way that I can, whether that be through my time, health, or wealth, throughout my life.