Give with a student in mind.
Find a verified student whose story speaks to you: books, a flight home, a semester abroad. Then follow their progress.
Think back;Pay it forward.
For the costs financial aid misses.
My Rich Aunt connects everyday donors with verified college and graduate students. Every gift is tax-deductible.
“Nobody makes it through college alone. My Rich Aunt is the family you didn't know you had.”
— The team behind My Rich Aunt
the manifesto
Everyone remembers the one who showed up.
An aunt who slipped you grocery money. A coach who quietly covered a fee. My Rich Aunt is a chance to be that person for a student today, and a place where students can ask for help without feeling embarrassed.
Opportunity shouldn't carry a price tag.
Internships. A semester abroad. A laptop that actually works. The kinds of experiences that launch careers usually don't fit inside a financial aid award. We help students reach them anyway.
Real help, given with dignity.
No red tape and nothing to feel embarrassed about. Verified students tell us what they need, and every contribution to My Rich Aunt is tax-deductible.
Every gift is tax-deductible.
My Rich Aunt is a registered 501(c)(3). Gifts are made to My Rich Aunt, which awards every grant.
how it works
Two sides. One gift.
What a student does. What a donor does. Where they meet: one gift to My Rich Aunt, awarded as a grant.
For students
Create your campaign.
Tell your future aunties and uncles who you are, what you need, and why it matters. Video, essay or photos.
Enrollment confirmed.
Before you go live, we confirm your enrollment through the National Student Clearinghouse.
Help arrives.
Once you're verified, grants arrive on a regular schedule. No waiting for a campaign to close.
For donors
Give.
Your gift goes to My Rich Aunt, a registered 501(c)(3). Fully tax-deductible, receipt right away.
Preferences, not earmarks.1
Name a student you'd like to help, or give generally. Your preference guides us; My Rich Aunt awards every grant.
Capped for fairness.
During beta, campaigns are capped at $500, so your gift stretches across a community of students. The cap rises with the pilot.
1IRS rules for 501(c)(3) gifts don't allow strict earmarks; that is what keeps every gift tax-deductible. More in the FAQs
ways to give
Two ways to change a life.
Tell us which student you have in mind, or leave it to us and we'll direct your gift to the verified students who need it most. Either way, your gift is made to My Rich Aunt and is tax-deductible.
Give to the fund.
Not sure where to give? One gift reaches the verified students who need it most. Nothing sits idle.
Every gift is made to My Rich Aunt, a registered 501(c)(3), which awards the grants. Choosing a student is a non-binding preference; it guides us, and it keeps every gift tax-deductible.
what your gift covers
The costs aid forgets. The moments that define a college career.
“A little help, at the right time, goes a long way.”
when it matters
The trip home
A seat on the flight for the holidays or a family emergency.
beyond campus
A semester abroad
The passport stamps and perspective a financial aid award doesn't stretch to cover.
day one
Move-in essentials
Bedding, a winter coat, a working laptop. The things that turn a dorm room into a place to live.
for the coursework
Books and tools
Textbooks, software, and the equipment a course actually needs.