My goal is to be able to donate a consistent portion of my post tax income every year. I hope to have that percent increase linearly as my income increases. Additionally, I also want to donate my time. While I cannot project my commitments and availability 5,10, or 20 years down the line, I am certain that I want to donate a significant portion of free time to volunteering.
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!
Ava Heyrman
- Fall
- 2022
I would like to volunteer at least 100 hours a year at local nonprofit organizations that work with individuals with disabilities and individuals struggling with mental health. Once I graduate, I hope to be able to donate a percentage of my income to organizations that help families and individuals dealing with mental illness and breaking down the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Antonio Jacobson
- Fall
- 2022
Looking into how I can directly use money to make an impact, I would like to use a portion of my salary in a charitable way, starting at 5% and increasing as my salary increases. I will also donate my time, starting at 40 hr/year, to volunteering in person labor to an organization.
Anonymous
- Fall
- 2022
Once I graduate, I pledge to give at least 5 hours of my time each week to a nonprofit organization that supports Alzheimer’s disease and/or animal rights. I aspire to take this pledge a step further and open my own organization that is world class in care, activities, and advocating for elders- specifically those with Alzheimer’s. I aspire to use funding from this organization to pledge to give at least 30% of profits to the Alzheimer’s organization to help with research. If my aspirations don’t succeed, I pledge to donate at least 5% of my yearly income to Alzheimer’s research/prevention.
Anonymous
- Fall
- 2022
My giving goal is to make a monthly donation to a nonprofit that I have a personal connection to so I can show my support to people in my life. The greatest way I can show support is by donating to organizations that make an impact in something I relate to. Some of these nonprofits include The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Alzheimer’s Association and the Colon Cancer Coalition.
Anonymous
- Fall
- 2022
I would like to start my giving by volunteering with nonprofits that I have connected with. I do not predict that I will have money to give for awhile after graduating from college and would like to instead donate my time. After I have a more stable income and higher assets, I would like to donate around 5% of my annual income to various nonprofits a year.