In concordance with my faith and heartfelt desire to give, I commit to budgeting a total of 20% of my income annually for charitable and philanthropic causes. The first 10% (pre-taxes) will consist of regular, organized giving. Championing a mindset of moral courage and human development, I will give to causes where I know my gift will have a numerically powerful effect. The second 10% (post-taxes) will be budgeted separately for irregular giving. Whether used as a higher tip at a restaurant or on a care package for someone in need, the second 10% will be entirely spontaneous and left to my discretion. If I have not used all of the budgeted funding at the end of the month, I will add it to my organized donations the following month. I will also give regularly of time, talents, and other resources. I will volunteer for a charitable organization in some manner at least once a month. Additionally, I will continue to consider a career in nonprofit communications or connection. I will re-evaluate my giving goals annually to ensure they still match my financial situation and current approach to generosity.

I want my own life to reflect the idea that “giving is a lifestyle.” I believe we are called to share what has been given to us and bless others. Nothing that I have is my own. From this posture, I will give 5% of my net yearly income to organizations that I believe do good, beginning immediately upon receiving my first paycheck after college. I will open a separate account to hold these funds and create a habit of giving that becomes part of who I am. I pledge to review my giving annually and increase the amount given as my income increases. The research methods taught in the Giving and Philanthropy class at TCU have shown me how to give well, and I will use them to ensure that my gifts are purposeful. Additionally, I want to give both my time and abilities in service of nonprofit/church organizations by volunteering regularly (at minimum once a month) at an organization in my local community. Giving is most impactful when more people do it. I will share my giving habits with my family and friends and encourage them to give of their resources to help others in their own communities.

I pledge to make giving a lifestyle by giving my time, talent and money after evaluating my capacity and the most critical needs within my community. After discussing in class, I want to give more than just money (although I think giving money is extremely important). I am going to be a lawyer and practice law someday. I know that the access to this type of education and the ability to practice in a court of law is not something that everyone gets the opportunity to do. Therefore, I want to make sure that I always keep in mind how privileged I am to have a degree and make sure I use the degree to give to others (whether that’s legal counsel to those that need it or taking on pro bono cases of people in my community). In addition to giving my time and talent, I want to give 10% of my income once I get a stable job after graduation. I will implement the strategy of putting money to give away into a second account in order to hold myself accountable to not spend it. Once I take care of myself and my family, I will challenge myself to give more than this 10% every year. Finally, I want to raise my kids to know the importance of giving. I want to be a mom and it’s my responsibility to teach them generosity and show them how to give wisely.

I pledge to give away 20% of my post-tax income beginning when I start my job on August 15th. That 20% will automatically be deposited by my employer into a separate bank account that I will call my “”Practicing Generosity Account.”” Within that account, 10% will go toward my local church as a tithe while the other 10% will go toward a mix of both daily habits of generosity (such as paying for friends’ meals, helping friends in tough situations such as paying for seminary, etc., and other miscellaneous acts of intentional kindness) and researched, year-end giving to nonprofits that are effective programming wise and efficient financially.I will reconsider the percentage of income given and the nonprofits/things given to on a yearly basis. At the foundation of my giving pledge is a desire to cultivate a heart that enjoys giving more than spending or saving and a heart/mind that truly desires to see the human flourishing that God also longs for.

I pledge to give a minimum of 5% of my salary to well-researched organizations that I am passionate about. I will give in a responsible manner and choose the nonprofits that I support carefully. I will also reevaluate the amount I give every year and will set aside additional funds for spontaneous giving. In addition to financial giving, I will commit myself to a certain amount of hours of volunteering a month. I am passionate about many causes but specifically education, healthcare, and poverty reduction will be my focus. While I will focus my support in these areas, I will give to other causes if I am able.

I pledge to devote time, talent, and money to the organizations in which I am most passionate about. Upon my graduation, I will develop a personal philanthropic statement that will be evaluated and updated every 3 years to ensure I am accountable and giving at the greatest capacity available to me. As part of the statement, I will define by how much and to what I want to give as to keep track of when and where my resources go. In order to do the most good, I will strive to evaluate my gifts to ensure the organizations continue to align with my own values. Lastly, I plan for this journey to not be one of independence but of collaboration as I will involve family and friends through encouragement and education on what it means to give as well as the involvement my own family one day to instill the values of service to others.