Does Bold.org charge donation fees?
No. Bold.org is completely free for students, donors, and contributors.
100% of your primary donation goes directly to the scholarship or fund you’ve selected.
There are no platform fees, no hidden charges, and no percentage taken out.
Keeping Bold.org fee-free is a core part of our mission.
Where does my donation go?
All donations are processed through the Bold Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to eliminating student debit and helping students access the financial resources they need to pursue their education.
If scholarship funds haven’t been awarded yet, they may be temporarily placed in short-term U.S. Treasury bills. This helps sustain the platform while your full donation amount remains intact.
What is the additional donation to the Bold Foundation?
When you donate to a fund or create a scholarship, you’ll see an optional Bold Foundation donation.
This is a voluntary, 100% tax-deductible gift that helps keep Bold.org free for every student while strengthening the Foundation’s behind-the-scenes work.
You can adjust it, lower it, or remove it entirely.
It’s completely optional.
What does the Bold Foundation donation help power?
Behind every scholarship are the tools and people who help bring opportunities to life. Your optional Bold Foundation donation helps us:
Keep Bold.org free for students, donors and scholarship organizers
Reach more students and help them discover opportunities that fit their goals
Maintain secure technology and safe payment processing
Provide assistance to thousands of students through support channels
Prevent fraud and protect the integrity of every scholarship
Build and improve the tools you use to create scholarships and connect with students
Support our team handling donor relations, application review, finalist verification, and award operations
This optional gift strengthens the Bold Foundation so more students can access opportunities without barriers.
Is the additional donation required?
No — never. It’s entirely optional.
Your primary donation to a scholarship or fund always goes exactly where you intend it to go. The Bold Foundation donation is simply an way for supporters to help us keep Bold.org free and expand access for the next student.
What’s the difference between my primary donation and the Bold Foundation donation?
Donation Type | Goes To |
Primary donation | Directly to the scholarship or fund (100% for students) |
Bold Foundation donation | Helps keep Bold.org free and strengthens the behind-the-scenes work that makes scholarships possible. |
⭐ How much do donors typically give?
The Bold Foundation donation is optional, and you can choose whatever feels right. Many supporters appreciate context:
Most donors include a additional donation of 10–20% of their primary donation
Over 70% of donors choose to leave some form of Bold Foundation donation when creating a scholarship or contributing to a fund
These collective, tax-deductible contributions help keep Bold.org accessible and sustainable for millions of students—so every dollar truly counts.
Why offer this kind of model?
Because we believe:
Students should never have to pay to access opportunities
You should clearly see how your donation helps students
Supporters deserve the choice to help sustain the mission more broadly
Instead of charging mandatory fees, we let donors and contributors choose whether they want to add a Bold Foundation donation.
This keeps Bold.org transparent, community-driven, and free for students today and for the next generation.
Your support keeps Bold.org sustainable and free for this generation and the next. 💜
Have more questions?
We’re here to help! Email us anytime at donors@bold.org.