How will you make a difference?
Giving is personal. You might want to help someone today, support a cause you care about over a number of years, or leave something behind for future generations. Think about what difference you want to make, and what approach works for you.
Give now
You can make a difference today. Think about the causes that matter most to you. A donation today could have immediate impact. What would you like to help achieve?
Give regularly
Make giving part of your life. Regular giving can be a simple powerful way to support a cause over time. Choose an amount you feel comfortable with and make it part of your regular financial planning.
Give in the future
Planning ahead can give you time to think about the impact you can make. Find out more about the foundations, funds and trusts that can maximise your investment.
Getting started!
We all have different things we care about. Perhaps you want to help people facing hardship, protect something for future generations, fund medical advances or technical innovation. You might want to give more thoughtfully, more regularly, increase your giving amounts, involve others, or leave something behind.
Often we think about donations in terms of 'cash' but you could also donate bitcoin, property, jewellery, a piece of art to the causes that matter to you.
There is no one right way to give. This resource is intended to guide you through some of the things that you might want to consider, and help you discover ways you could turn your values into action and START your giving journey today. Take your first step:
- Give now: Make a difference to a cause today
- Give regularly: Turn your generosity into a lasting and reliable commitment
- Give in the future: Plan ahead and invest strategically to maximise your giving amount
- Leave a legacy: A powerful gift to support the causes important to you into the future
How much is enough?
Evidence suggests that uncertainty about how much to give can prevent people from giving at all!
There is no legal or universal minimum; any amount that fits your financial situation without causing hardship is meaningful and helpful, but sometimes that feels too neutral and vague. Organisations like Giving What We Can host useful resources and articles intended to make us all think about wealth and impact. Take their how rich am I test, as an interesting start point to guide your thinking about what amount feels right to you.
The important message is to be motivated, make giving part of your story TODAY. You can always amend the amounts or how or where you give later. Here are some common benchmarks:
Income percentage
Many financial advisors and groups like Charity Navigator suggest starting small at 0.5% to 1% of your income and scaling up to 5% or 10% if you have more disposable income.
Traditional Tithes
Various religions give guidance on how much their followers should donate to those in need. For example, Christian and Jewish tithing or Islamic Zakat traditionally set the standard at 2.5% to 10% of wealth or earnings.
Effective altruism
Communities like Giving What We Can encourage a pledge to give 10% of your income to high-impact causes.
The sheer scale of global inequality means that an “ordinary” person living in a high-income country falls somewhere between the top 1–5% of income earners worldwide.
Give What you Can