We have thoughtfully designed resources to help you find your charitable focus. The three worksheets provided below can be used on their own or together to help you create a charitable plan unique to you by:
- Identifying the values that are most important to you
- Connecting those values to the cause areas you care about
- Creating a mission statement to help focus your giving plan
Determine your values
Determining your core values is an important first step in understanding your motivation for giving and creating a strategic, proactive philanthropic plan. Use this worksheet and its questions to help define the values that guide your beliefs and actions.
Tip: Not sure where to start? Look back at your giving history: What causes have you contributed to in the past? Where have you volunteered?
Find your charitable connection
Focusing on the values you identified from the previous section can help you find the areas where you want to target your attention. We’ve created a guided worksheet to help identify charitable causes most important to you.
Tip: You can use this activity to open a discussion with your loved ones about differences and similarities in giving across generations. Identify overlapping areas to better focus your philanthropic plan.
Define your mission
A mission statement can help focus your philanthropic plan. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated. This worksheet includes a set of guided questions and sample mission statements to help you craft a mission statement that reflects your values and charitable causes.
Tip: If you need more inspiration, review the mission statements of organizations you admire to take a cue from their driving purpose and the way they describe themselves.
Keep in mind that your plan is about progress, not perfection. It can, and likely will, change over time. If you have questions, Vanguard Charitable is here to help support your giving goals. Through our donor-advised fund you can find charities, explore various granting options, grow your charitable funds through trusted Vanguard investments, donate a wide range of assets, and build a lasting giving legacy.