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!

Joanna Huang

University of Texas

Spring
2023

My future giving goal: As part of my pledge, I plan to give away at least 2% of my income in the first 5 years, then 5% in the next 10 years, and hopefully be able to donate up to 15% of my income, while still living comfortably, 20 years from now.

Jevan Yu

Stanford University

Spring
2023

My giving goal is to financially support the maintenance of healthy communities and ecosystems in developing countries.

Jessie Hainley

Texas A&M University

Spring
2023

I pledge to donate my time, talent, and treasure following graduation. I will give my time by volunteering in a mentorship role through a non-profit, school, or church organization. I will give of my talent by serving pro-bono clients at work and being a leader in that area of my job. Lastly, I will give my treasure by donating $500 in my first two years out of college and reevaluating this goal every time I earn a raise.

Jeremy Rosen

University of Texas - McCombs

Spring
2023

I would like to do my giving more strategically in two buckets in the future: 1) By investing money in causes that are important to me. I try to increase this bucket from year to year according to my abilities. 2) Investing my time in non-profit projects where my skillset is in demand. This can be for example as a volunteer worker in my soccer club. Equal opportunities are very important to me. I want to make sure that everyone has the same starting conditions to fulfill their dreams.

Jenna Kloner

Emory University

Spring
2023

I pledge to donate a portion of my annual salary to nonprofit organizations that provide relief to those experiencing homelessness in my hometown of New York City. Further, I pledge to maximize my philanthropic impact by combining my monetary donations with regular volunteerism and active involvement in the organizations I choose to support.

Jazmin Reyes

Stanford University

Spring
2023

My giving goal is to support historically marginalized communities related to my personal identities through service. I will make sure that I commit to this goal in any city I reside.