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!

Anonymous

University of California, Irvine

Spring
2020

I pledge to give at least 5 – 10% of my income annually to people who are at risk of homeless / are homeless at the moment. In doing so, I hope to be able to help these individuals get back on their feet and rebuild their lives starting from scratch. Ideally, I hope for this compassion to influence them to do the same thing should they ever encounter someone that was in a situation like them.

Anonymous

University of California, Irvine

Spring
2020

I pledge to give 10-25% of my income to nonprofits and charities after graduation. I pledge to be active in my community and to promote philanthropic giving and volunteering in my place of work.

Anonymous

University of California, Irvine

Spring
2020

I pledge to donate 15% of my income annually to organizations that support individuals most in need. I also pledge to volunteer my time to these organizations at least once a month, or whenever time permits.

Anonymous

University of California, Irvine

Spring
2020

I pledge that once I graduate and have a career, my family and I will give 5-10% of our earnings to the church that we form a part of. We will also try to donate our time to organizations that need it. If my salary increases, than I will adjust the amount of money that we will give to our church. I hope that my career will also give aid to people that need it, wether it be in the form of money or volunteering.

Anonymous

Texas Christian University

Spring
2020

Upon gaining a deeper understanding of the nuances and complexities behind what used to seem so simple as just “philanthropy” or “giving,” I have reconsidered my own giving tendencies and created a more structured thought process to them. I pledge to give 5% of my salary upon graduation to causes I care for. I hope that as my personal giving begins, so will my heart for giving grow. In terms of the causes and organizations to which I pledge to give, I want to create a relationship with these causes through the gift of time, volunteering, and/or skills where applicable. Not only will this lead to further due diligence, but it will hopefully lead to a more personal connection with the organization and cause. I also plan to evaluate my giving annually by assessing the organizations and thinking about the relationships formed to see where I may be able to either give more financially or give more effectively.

Anonymous

Texas Christian University

Spring
2020

Through class and life experience, I have been able to witness the power and importance of giving. Through the TCU giving course, I have witnessed selfless people and organizations devoting themselves to the act of giving. It has changed the way I view my giving after graduation. Following graduation, I pledge to give 5% of my annual income to organizations that I believe make a difference in the world today. While I realize this percent is low, I plan to raise the percentage in proportion to my annual income rising over the years. I hope to raise the percentage to 10-15% over time. In addition to financial contribution, I pledge to devote 2 hours per month to some time of community service. This will be an additional way to give, but in a more direct way through volunteer efforts. I pledge to give with purpose and always practice due diligence when choosing a nonprofit to contribute to. In order to maintain this pledge, I will set up a direct giving account where my contributions will directly go to each month. I hope through my giving I can encourage others to see the value of a gift and feel inclined to do so too.