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!

Jackson Harris

Texas A&M University

Spring
2026

My philanthropic goal is to give away 10% of my income to the local church. The local church is much more than a religious institution; it is also an aid to the community that seeks to love and support those in need. This aligns with the importance of my faith in my life. Beyond financial contributions, I also want to volunteer my time to support underprivileged communities. Whether that be through something like a food pantry or through mentorship of the youth, I want to give back in whatever ways I can. My hope is that my donations of money and time will allow me to play my part in aiding whatever community I am part of.

Anonymous

Harvard University

Spring
2026

I want to be able to donate towards organizations yearly. I want to also be able to volunteer weekly or monthly at local organizations.

Anonymous

Harvard University

Spring
2026

I would hope to give my time volunteering during times where I won’t have abundance of money in my life (during my time in grad school and when I am in debt). When I get to the point of having excess money, I would hope to be able to donate some of my income to an organization or community that aligns with my ideals and speaks within the specific community that that donations are going.

Anonymous

Harvard University

Spring
2026

I hope the be able to give based both on effective altruism. In my giving I hope to be able to make a large impact but I also think donating to something that I have a personal connection with could be important. Furthermore, I think a ‘no strings attached’ model should prioritized but in some cases, receiving updates on how the money has been used would be appreciated and useful. Finally I would hope to be able to give to a large range of people e.g. age groups and nationalities. I really, if I were to start a non-profit it would start on a more local level with the aim for it to grow and reach more people over time. I would also try and get input from those receiving aid to inform how donations would be the most effective.

Anonymous

Harvard University

Spring
2026

Since I will be in law school after college, a giving goal for me would most likely require time rather than money. I am very big on volunteering, so I will try to volunteer at least 100 hours per year.

Anonymous

Harvard University

Spring
2026

I want to commit to 100 hours of volunteer work annually with a non-profit of my choice. In terms of financial donations, I want to start off by donating 5% of my income to a cause I care about, using an evidence-based approach on what would be the most effective use of my money.