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!

Madison Cherry

Emory University

Spring
2021

I agree to donate 5% of my annual income to philanthropy

Laura Key

Texas A&M University

Spring
2021

My experience in this course has transformed how I view giving of resources and time. I pledge to give a minimum of 12% of my income to faith-based and community-based organizations. I will give based on a variety of factors, but will always focus deeply on the leadership and sustainability of organizations in the addition to the problem that they seek to address or solve. With my time, I plan to volunteer and support causes I am passionate about related to food and healthcare access.

Kaylee Willmann

Texas A&M University

Spring
2021

I commit to donating 10% of my income after graduation. 1% will be donated to my Church, 8% will be donated to nonprofits I believe in, and 1% will be designated to personal giving (ex. covering someone’s meal)

K M

Texas Christian University

Spring
2021

I pledge to donate 10% of my gross yearly income, upon receiving my first paycheck, to nonprofits that I have vetted using resources, including but not limited to, GuideStar and Charity Navigator. To be considered, the nonprofit must allocate at minimum 80% of donations towards their services and outreach, have a strong leadership board, and have a positive reputation. I will leave room for spontaneous giving, both service and monetary, including random acts of kindness that I feel compelled to in order to achieve a more giving heart where others come first. I pledge to serve 3 hours per month at local food banks, homeless shelters, or other local organizations that need volunteers that are also vetted through the same process I use for my monetary donations. I pledge to share my experiences and invite family and friends to join my giving, both in service and financially, throughout my life with the goal of helping as many people as possible. Finally, I will be evaluating my giving pledge on an annual basis for evaluation and upon my first bonus/promotion, reassess my financial donations and adjust to donating 13% of my gross annual income or more.

Jared Mandell

Emory University

Spring
2021

After I graduate, I pledge to distribute 5% of my annual income to at least two local and three national nonprofits per year.

Isabella Behar Behar

Texas A&M University

Spring
2021

I challenge myself to give 5-10% of my income to charity every year and do one random act of kindness every day.