After graduation in 2020, I pledge to spend 20 hours a month volunteering at nonprofit organizations that align with my passions and give 5% of my annual income to those organizations as well.
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!
Anonymous
- Spring
- 2017
After graduating from law school, I pledge to give 5% of my salary to philanthropies. Once I am debt-free I pledge to dedicate 10% of my salary to charitable giving.
Anissa Marie Martinez
- Spring
- 2017
I pledge to donate a certain amount of money that I choose appropriate with my income to a non profit of my choice. The amount I choose to give should rise as my income rises.
Alexis Okolo
- Spring
- 2017
I pledge to give 5% of my income once I have completed my education and payed of all of my educational expenses.
Anonymous
- Winter
- 2016
Upon college graduation, I pledge to give back to my community mainly in the form of volunteering my time and service to my community. I will continue to contribute some small monetary amounts to causes I care about and that my friends and family care about, as I do now, but my donations will come mainly in the form of volunteering time, since I plan to attend graduate school and will still be a student. Once I have accumulated enough wealth and have a family, I will contribute a meaningful amount of my excess wealth to causes I care about and organizations in my community. I strongly believe in giving back to the community I am apart of, so I pledge to build meaningful relationships with community members and organizations. I pledge to involve my children in the giving and volunteering process and enforce in them the importance of making a difference and giving back to their community and to causes that are meaningful to them and to help underserved communities and populations. (Rebecca Hart)
Anonymous
- Winter
- 2016
Once I have obtained a full-time job, I pledge to donate 5% of my income to philanthropic causes and volunteer at least 4 hours a month. Those volunteer hours will preferably be weekly or bi-weekly and with one specific place so as to foster engagement with the community. I will challenge myself to thoroughly research where I choose to give my money and will not make restricted donations. I will also evaluate whether my career and day-to-day life contradicts the causes I am giving to, and will strive not to feed systems of inequality but rather, fight against them. If I meet these goals, I should feel proud but not complacent.