College Hunger
Promoting College Excellence through comprehensive Basic Needs Support. Serving Students From San Fernando Valley to Long Beach!
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Donate to Student LunchBox & Feed College Students in Los Angeles Today
Student LunchBox is a 501(c)3 nonprofit serving 8,000+ college students monthly across 17 Los Angeles campuses. Every dollar you donate goes directly toward providing free food, essential supplies, and basic-needs support to students who are choosing between their education and their next meal.
Zero platform fees. Zero overhead tricks. Just impact.
Why Your Donation Matters See Your Exact Impact
Most charities tell you your donation "makes a difference." We show you exactly how. Student LunchBox distributes nutritious food, hygiene products, clothing, and essential goods, and every dollar you donate has direct and measurable results.
$1 → $13 IN IMPACT
$2.2M+ Food & Essential Goods Delivered
99% Supports Program Services
153,000+ Student Visits
These figures are based on Student LunchBox’s actual 2025 program data. Through a highly efficient resource recovery model, sourcing donated and surplus food from local businesses, food banks, and community partners, each dollar contributed is significantly amplified beyond traditional purchasing power.
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In 2025, Student LunchBox distributed over $2.2 million in food and essential goods while operating on approximately $157,987 in direct program costs, resulting in a powerful return on investment. For every dollar contributed, the organization delivered an average of $13 in food and essential resources directly to students.
This model allows Student LunchBox to maximize impact while maintaining minimal overhead, ensuring that the vast majority of resources are directed toward immediate, tangible support that strengthens student stability and academic progress.
How Your Donation Is Used
Student LunchBox operates with a lean, mission-focused financial model. In 2025, 98.7 cents of every dollar donated went directly to program costs — food, supplies, transportation, and campus distribution operations. The remaining 2 percent covered essential administrative functions, including accounting, insurance, and grant writing activities that sustain long-term operations.
We publish our full annual financial report, budget breakdown, and donation allocation data publicly on our Financial Transparency page. As a Candid Platinum-rated organization, our financials are independently verified and available through GuideStar (EIN: 85-2482031) at any time.
There are no hidden fees. When you donate through Zeffy, our donation processing platform, 100% of your intended gift reaches Student LunchBox — Zeffy covers platform fees with optional donor tips.
Why Donate to Student LunchBox?
Los Angeles has many worthy nonprofits. Here's why donors choose Student LunchBox:
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Your donation stays entirely in Los Angeles County.
Unlike national hunger organizations, every dollar you give to Student LunchBox stays in LA — directly supporting students at colleges in your community, your neighborhood, and your city. We serve 17 campuses from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach. This is a local impact you can see.
We are student-led, which means your gift creates two kinds of impact.
Our operations are powered by 200+ student volunteers, ambassadors, and staff from the campuses we serve. When you donate to Student LunchBox, you're not just feeding students; you're funding a leadership development program that builds the skills of the very students we serve. They're not just recipients of your generosity; they're the engine driving it.
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We are among the most transparent nonprofits in Los Angeles.
We hold the Candid Platinum transparency rating, the highest available, and we publish our Form 990, annual reports, and budget breakdowns publicly. You can verify every claim we make. No surprises, no fine print.
We address the root cause of students dropping out of college.
Research consistently shows that food insecurity is one of the leading non-academic reasons college students leave school before graduating. When you feed a student at Student LunchBox, you're not just preventing hunger for a week; you're investing in a degree, a career, and a future that compounds over a lifetime.
Monthly Giving
Sustain Our Students All Year
Monthly Donation
$25/month
$50/month
$100/month
$250/month
$500/month
Annual
Contribution
$300/year
$600/year
$1,200/year
$3,000/year
$6,000/year
Annual Meals
Provided
1,800 meals
3,600 meals
7,200 meals
18,000 meals
36,000 meals
Annual Essential Goods
$500 worth
$1,000 worth
$2,000 worth
$5,000 worth
$10,000 worth
Giving by Check?
You may make your check payable:
Student LunchBox, Inc
Mailing Address: 10401 Venice Blvd, Ste 462
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Tax ID / EIN: 85-2482031
A donation acknowledgment letter will be mailed to your return address within 2 weeks of receipt.
Other Ways to Give
Cash donations through our online form are the fastest way to get funds to students, but they're not the only way, and for some donors, alternative giving methods are actually more tax-efficient and impactful. Explore your options below:
If you hold appreciated stock, donating shares directly to Student LunchBox eliminates capital gains tax entirely and gives you a full fair market value deduction. It takes under 15 minutes through our Every.org partner. This is often the most tax-efficient gift you can make.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and 80+ additional cryptocurrencies accepted through Every.org and Pledge.to. No capital gains tax. Instant IRS-compliant receipt. One of the fastest-growing forms of charitable giving.
When you donate $240 or more in a single gift, Student LunchBox will send you a custom Student LunchBox apron as a token of our gratitude. It's not just a gift — it's a symbol of the students you've helped feed, the campuses you've supported, and the movement you've joined.
Every time you wear it, know that your generosity is making a real, measurable difference in the academic lives of college students across Los Angeles.
To receive your apron, donate $240 or more through the Zeffy form above, and add your mailing address to the designated box in Zeffy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Donating to Student LunchBox
​Q: Is Student LunchBox a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit?
Yes. Student LunchBox, Inc. is a fully registered California nonprofit organization classified as a 501(c)3 public charity. Our IRS Tax ID (EIN) is 85-2482031, and our California corporation number is 4620658. You can verify our status at any time through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search or our GuideStar profile.
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Q: Is my donation tax-deductible?Yes. All donations to Student LunchBox are tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. Upon completing your donation through Zeffy, you will receive an automatic donation receipt via email that serves as your official record for tax purposes. Please retain this for your records and consult your tax advisor for guidance specific to your situation.
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Q: How do I get a donation receipt?
If you donate online through Zeffy, a tax receipt is automatically emailed to the address you provide at checkout. If you donate by check, a written acknowledgment letter will be mailed to your return address within two weeks. If you need a duplicate receipt or have questions about your donation record, contact us at info@studentlunchbox.org.
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Q: How do I know my donation is used properly?
Student LunchBox publishes our full financial reports, including our Form 990, annual report, and detailed budget breakdown, publicly on our Financial Transparency page. Our financials are independently reviewed by a CPA firm. We believe you have the right to know exactly how your gift is used, and we make it easy to verify. Under our complete transparency promise, all donors can reach out to the organization with any questions.
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Q: Can I make a recurring monthly donation?
Yes. When you donate through Zeffy, select "Give monthly" to set up automatic recurring giving at any amount. Monthly donors are the backbone of our ability to plan, staff, and sustain operations year-round. You can cancel or modify your monthly gift at any time by logging into your Zeffy Donor Account.
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Q: Can I make a donation in honor or memory of someone?
Yes. To make a tribute gift, donate online through Zeffy and include the honoree's name in the donation notes field. If you'd like us to send an acknowledgment card to a recipient on your behalf, email info@studentlunchbox.org with the recipient's name, mailing address, and any personal message you'd like included.
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Q: Does 100% of my online donation reach Student LunchBox?
Yes. We process donations through Zeffy, a platform designed specifically for nonprofits that covers its fees through optional donor tips — meaning 100% of the amount you designate reaches Student LunchBox. There are no platform deductions, no processing fees taken from your gift, and no hidden charges. This is one reason we chose Zeffy over other platforms, and it's a promise we're proud to keep. Zeffy has a preset admin fee, but you can change that as needed.
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Q: Does 100% of my online donation reach Student LunchBox?
Yes. For wire transfers, DAF grants, or major gifts requiring custom arrangements, please contact us directly at info@studentlunchbox.org or call (310) 955-1216. Our team will provide routing information and work with your financial institution or DAF administrator to process your gift seamlessly. EIN: 85-2482031.