My giving goal in the future is to maximize impact to people and communities closest to me personally and proximally by offering my time in the form of volunteering as well as offering money.
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 info@thephilanthropylab.org
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
- 2025
I hope I will be contributing to society in multiple ways. I hope I will be working in a job that has impact, and I hope I donate extra income to causes that are important to me and the world. I will likely donate to climate causes, homelessness causes, and democracy-related causes. I don’t know yet how much I will be able to give in relative quantities of treasure, talent, and time, but I know giving will be important to me in my life.
Anonymous
- Spring
- 2025
In ten years, I hope to be meaningfully contributing to an organization that supports young women and creates opportunities for them to pursue STEM education. I want to prioritize quality over quantityâthrough this experience, Iâve realized that I value deep, long-term investment in changing a few lives over broader, less personal efforts. I believe strongly in the power of education and in using the opportunities and platform Iâve been given to help others access the same. This is a cause I want to support not only financially, but also by giving my time in a meaningful way.
Anonymous
- Spring
- 2025
Throughout my career trajectory, I hope to be able to acquire enough resources to give monetarily to causes that I am passionate about. I want for these to be causes that are big in scale and pressing in nature, but also where my money would be most impactful. I also hope to give my time to whatever volunteer services or pro-bono services my skillsets are useful for that may arise throughout my career or in my personal life. I ultimately want to have more influence and impact in the philanthropic sector in the longer-term trajectory of my career.
Anonymous
- Spring
- 2025
In 5 years from graduation, I would like to be a volunteer working towards an organization where I can see a direct impact, ideally on a long-term scaleâin whichever field that may be. In 10 years from graduation, I would like to seriously consider donating a regular amount of money towards one or more charitable organizations. Will that be rail passenger or transportation advocacy? Something related to global warming? Will it be towards a local organizations,will I still” be living in Portland Ore.?
Anonymous
- Spring
- 2025
support organizations that are deeply rooted in the communities they serve, especially those focused on environmental justice, sustainable food systems, and educational equity