To connect what you really care about to your giving, ask yourself a few important questions. The constraints of the world may prevent you from devoting yourself to that passion, but your giving can connect you to that part of your world, even if you choose to remain at a distance. You will follow developments in this world with heightened interest and take personal pride in its growth. Thinking hard about what touches you the most will help you identify a general area where you can direct your giving. It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.
Some people find it helpful to ask who or what made a difference in their own lives.
Maybe it was a mentor who reached out when you most needed it. Maybe it was the opportunity to go to college or a doctor whose help and compassion got your family through a crisis. Perhaps it was a library, where you gained the knowledge to achieve your goals. Perhaps you look back on college as a time when the world opened its doors to you. Often people want to shape their giving to help others benefit as they have.