Frequently asked questions

Not yet. We operate as a community platform while our 501(c)(3) application is in progress. Until it's granted, donations are personal gifts and are not tax-deductible — we'll update this site the moment that changes.

All of it. You send support directly to the student through an outside service of your choice. Destined for Success does not process, hold, or move the money, and takes no cut. The only fees that could apply are whatever the outside service you use normally charges.

No. Every gift is a voluntary charitable gift — not an investment, loan, or purchase. You receive no ownership stake, no repayment, and no financial return, and the student is under no obligation to do anything in return. Give what you're comfortable giving to the students and goals you believe in.

Students set their own goals, and we don't guarantee that any goal will be fully funded. A goal is a target, not a promise. Any support a student receives along the way is theirs to put toward their education.

Because the platform never holds or moves the money — it goes directly between you and the student through an outside app — we cannot reverse a payment. Any refund is strictly between you and the student through the service you used. We're glad to help mediate, but we can't move funds ourselves.

Supporters can upload a screenshot or link as a record. We use it only to confirm the amount and keep track of the support given. We never see, hold, or touch the money itself.

Students apply with a school-issued email (ending in .edu or .org) and complete a full profile with their photo, school, and goals. Our team reviews and approves every application by hand before it's visible to supporters — no profile goes live automatically. We do not independently verify a student's financial need or how they use the support they receive beyond this review.

The account details you provide, your profile, your messages on the platform, and a record of support given. We share data only with the service providers we need to run the platform, we never sell it, and we only disclose it to law enforcement when legally compelled. Our Privacy Policy lists every provider.

Any move off the platform — a call, a video, or an in-person meeting — is always the student's choice and happens at your own judgment and risk. We don't supervise, control, or record off-platform interactions and aren't responsible for them. Please report anything concerning through our report tool.

Once you're approved, you can message students through the platform. All messages stay on the platform and are reviewed for safety. Contacting a student off the platform requires that student's explicit consent.