Bold.org is dedicated to addressing the student debt crisis by empowering individuals and organizations to create life-changing scholarships, grants, and fellowships. Our vision is to build a future where every student, regardless of background or financial status, can pursue their education without the overwhelming burden of student debt.
Whether you're an individual philanthropist, a company seeking to give back, or passionate about supporting a specific cause, the Bold.org platform allows you to leave a lasting legacy by helping students based on their academic interests, personal goals, and financial needs.
How Bold.org Meets Your Philanthropic Goals
At Bold.org, we make it simple and rewarding to create scholarships that directly impact students' lives. Whether you're making a tax-deductible donation or utilizing our crowdfunding features, we streamline the process so you can focus on giving back.
Every donation is processed through the Bold Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which means you'll receive tax acknowledgment for every contribution. Best of all, 100% of your donation goes directly to scholarships—there are no hidden fees or management costs.
We offer flexible options for your level of involvement. If you'd prefer a hands-off experience, our Donor Team can take care of everything, from scholarship creation to administration, ensuring your funds reach deserving students efficiently. For donors who want a more active role, we provide the opportunity to review applicants and help select scholarship winners.
To launch a scholarship, you can either fully fund it or use our crowdfunding tools to rally your community. The minimum to start a scholarship is $500.
What Eligibility Criteria Can Be Used?
Bold.org gives donors the flexibility to design scholarships based on a variety of student attributes, ensuring your contributions align with your values. Here are some of the most common criteria used by successful scholarships:
Current Enrollment: High school, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs.
Degree Program: Undergraduates, postgraduates, or students in specific academic programs.
Graduation Year: High school seniors, college juniors, or other specific years of study.
Field of Study: Students pursuing specific schools, majors, or academic disciplines.
Career Aspirations: Those focused on certain industries or career paths.
Background: Self-identified low-income students or first-generation college attendees.
Academic Achievement: GPA thresholds or academic honors.
Location: Students from particular cities, states, or regions.
By selecting the criteria that resonate with your vision, you can create a scholarship that directly impacts students who meet the qualifications most important to you.
Why Choose Bold.org?
Bold.org offers a personalized, impactful, and seamless way to make a difference. Here’s why donors choose Bold.org:
100% of your donation goes directly to students—no administrative fees and donations are tax-deductible.
Customizable scholarships that reflect your personal or corporate values and support students in the fields that matter most to you.
Dedicated support from our Donor Team, guiding you every step of the way.
Full administration of the scholarship process, from managing applications to distributing funds directly to students.
Who to Know Before Creating a Scholarship on Bold.org
While Bold.org provides some flexibility in creating scholarships, there are certain guidelines to ensure fairness and compliance.
Bold.org may not be the right fit if you’re looking to:
Preselect a Winner: Scholarships cannot be created for a predetermined recipient. All applicants must have an equal opportunity to apply.
Target Specific Memberships: We cannot validate an applicant's membership in specific groups, clubs, fraternities, sororities, alumni associations, or similar organizations.
Contact Winners or Facilitate Interviews: We cannot arrange interviews with applicants or winners. While students can thank donors through the Bold.org platform, direct communication outside the platform is not possible for privacy and security reasons.
How Does Bold.org Work for Donors?
At Bold.org, creating a scholarship or fund that aligns with your values is straightforward and impactful. Here’s how the process works:
Step 1: Propose a Scholarship or Fund
Sign Up: Create your Bold.org donor account to start making a difference.
Follow the Product Flow: In just minutes, you can propose a scholarship or fund through our intuitive platform. Simply outline your vision, and we’ll handle the logistics.
Onboarding Call: You’ll be assigned a Donor Relations Manager who will guide you through the entire process. During a brief onboarding call, you’ll receive personalized support to refine your scholarship or fund details.
Finalize Scholarship Criteria: Work with our Donor Team to establish your scholarship’s criteria, application process, and topic. Once everything is set, we handle the rest to launch your scholarship.
Step 2: Donate and/or Fundraise
You can either fully fund your scholarship or use Bold.org’s platform to crowdfund. All donations are tax-deductible, making it easier to rally support from family, friends, and colleagues.
Step 3: Review Applications & Select Finalists
Once your scholarship is live, you’ll begin receiving applications. You can review each applicant’s profile, including their essays or submitted links, and rank them using a 1-5 star system.
Our team of Scholarship Evaluation Specialists will also review applications and provide recommendations. By the application deadline, you can expect to have received 10-25 recommended candidates who best align with your scholarship’s criteria. After applications close, you’ll have at least 30 days to narrow the list to 5-10 finalists and select the prospective winner(s).
Step 4: Award Announcement & Fund Distribution
After confirming the winner’s eligibility, we manage the disbursement of funds. For students currently enrolled, we work directly with their school’s financial aid office to apply the award toward tuition or fees. In certain cases, we distribute funds directly to students for education-related expenses. If the recipient isn’t currently enrolled, we can either hold the award until their future enrollment or, when applicable, distribute funds directly to support their educational needs.
Dedicated Donor Support
Throughout the process, you’ll have a Donor Relations Manager guiding you from your initial idea to the final distribution of your scholarship. After submitting your proposal, you’ll schedule an onboarding call to review and refine the details before publishing your scholarship.
Get Started Today
Whether you’re looking to create a new scholarship, support an existing fund, or discuss your philanthropic goals, Bold.org is here to help you make a lasting difference.
Sign up for a donor account today and start creating your personalized scholarship or fund. Together, we can reduce the burden of student debt and empower the next generation of leaders.