Full Circle: An Alum’s Return to Magnified Giving
Will Kaufman served as an intern at Magnified Giving during the summer of 2025, where he worked on various projects and served as a counselor for Camp Give. Will is an alumnus of Magnified Giving’s Youth Philanthropy Program, and as of fall 2025, he is entering his senior year at the University of Dayton. We asked will to share what he learned from his internship and what Magnified Giving’s mission means to him, and this is his response. Thank you, Will, for supporting Magnified Giving with your time, talents, curiosity, creativity, energy, and kindness!
August 15, 2025 | Written by Will Kaufman
Throughout my early teenage years until now, I’ve been in and around Magnified Giving, absorbing philosophies about helping others and about how to live with intention. It’s shaped me—pushed me onto the path I’m on now—and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. What makes the organization special isn’t just the cause, it’s the camps. When you’re young and still forming, there are lessons you latch onto almost unconsciously. Looking back, the biggest thing I gained as an alum is sonder: the awareness that everyone around me has a life just as complex as mine—maybe more so—and that realization shifted me from judgment to curiosity. It helped me quiet the excuses, learn to be genuine with myself and others, and hold both gratitude for the advantages I’ve had and humility about the work still ahead. The camps gave me a foundation; the cause gave me purpose.
Seeing kids from all walks of life come together to help others is powerful. As part of my internship, I served three weeks as an intern for Camp Give, Magnified Giving’s summer service-learning day camp. One of these camps was hosted at UpSpring for 8th and 9th graders who’d faced serious challenges early in life. In that short time I saw the innocence and potential they carry, and how it's truly up to the youth. Despite everything, they showed up happy, energized, and eager to learn and give back. What hooked me was watching how much they craved—and soaked up—real connection: from me, my co-worker, and the UpSpring volunteers. It was clear many of them had been starved for that kind of genuine attention, and how they needed and deeply appreciated it. So for me, the mission of Magnified Giving - to educate, inspire, and engage youth in philanthropy - isn’t just about giving the youth an opportunity for action—it’s an avenue for healing. It’s more than action; it’s connection and growth: they build real relationships, make meaningful impact on others and themselves, and evolve into people who can change the world. That’s what Magnified Giving has done and what it means to me.
