The Giving Styles Quiz, which many in the Giving Compass community have taken, shows how someone's values match with how they support nonprofits and take action. Get to know the history and the experts behind the quiz to understand better how it can help you support more of the change you want to see.
Giving back is one of the most meaningful things you can do. But it’s even more powerful when it matches your values. When your giving feels right, you're more likely to support causes and organizations that create real change.
But here’s a question: how do you know if the way you give fits who you are? That’s where the WiserGiving Style Quiz™ comes in.
Why a Giving Quiz?
The quiz helps you understand your personal giving style—how you prefer to support change and take action. When you know your giving style, you can find new and better ways to make a difference. It can also help you feel more confident in your choices and connect with nonprofits that align with your values.
A quiz with expert roots
The online WiserGiving Style Quiz was developed by two experts: Liz Bremner, a longtime philanthropy leader, and Karen Crow, a former Google executive. During their time in Silicon Valley, they saw many people gaining wealth quickly and looking for ways to give back—but unsure where to start.
They wanted to make smart giving easier for everyone, whether you were new to it or had been giving for years. With support from the Ford Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation, they built free tools to help people give in thoughtful and effective ways.
Where it all began
The quiz was originally based on a framework called Making the Case, which was designed to measure social change. This framework was developed by Stephanie Clohesy, Chris Grumm, and others for the Women’s Funding Network. Clohesy was the first to turn the framework into a quiz to use directly with donors at women’s foundations. Later, she worked with Bremner and Crow to turn it into an online quiz for everyone.
A new chapter
In 2025, the quiz found a new home with Giving Compass, a nonprofit dedicated to helping impact-driven donors transform their generosity into meaningful change for communities and society. We at Giving Compass updated the language, made it more interactive, and relaunched it for the next generation of changemakers.
Today, both the new and original versions of the WiserGiving Style Quiz are available—free for anyone who wants to better understand how they give and why it matters.
Ready to learn your giving style?
Take the updated quiz
Try the original version
This blog post was written with the help of ChatGPT.