Students Organize and Share
Students register, invite supporters, link wishlists or standalone items, and choose whether to share a public profile.
Practical support, clearly communicated
Help students get the essentials they need to stay in school.
Support Our Students gives college students one organized place to share practical needs with family, friends, alumni, and other supporters. Donors choose specific items, purchase them directly from retailers, and help close everyday gaps before those gaps interfere with school.
The Communication Gap
Student needs should not get lost across texts, calls, and conversations.
A student may tell a parent about one need, text another relative about something else, and still have no simple way to show the rest of their support system what would help. Books, clothing, dorm supplies, personal-care items, technology, and other essentials get scattered across conversations. SOS brings those needs together so supporters can respond without making the student repeat the same request.
How It Works
Students share needs. Supporters choose where to help.
Donors Find Ways to Help
Donors register, invite or follow students, search available support opportunities, and reserve an item they intend to purchase.
Activity Stays Connected
Donors upload purchase proof, while students receive email notices about reservations, pledges, and activity tied to their SOS requests.
See SOS in Action
Two clear workflows. One coordinated support system.
Follow the student and donor experiences from organizing a need through responding to it.
Demo screens: Names, photographs, profiles, and counts are illustrative. Select any image to enlarge it.
Student Experience
Organize, prioritize, and track support
1. Organize
Build and share a support profile
Students invite supporters, link wishlists, add standalone items, manage their bio, and choose whether to share a public profile.
2. Prioritize
Turn a listed item into an SOS
Students elevate a wishlist or standalone item, set the requested quantity and timing, and add context for supporters.
3. Receive Updates
Stay informed about SOS activity
Students receive email notices about reservations and pledges, while the dashboard keeps related activity and status visible.
Donor Experience
Discover, understand, and respond
1. Discover
Find and follow students
Donors can invite or follow students, search by available filters, and identify students with active support opportunities.
2. Understand
See the student view presented to donors
This is a student profile—not a donor profile. It shows the student context and support links available to a donor when the student uses an identified profile.
3. Pledge and Verify
Reserve and complete support
Donors reserve an item, record the pledge, purchase directly from the retailer, and upload proof of purchase.
For Students
Ask once. Keep everyone informed.
SOS gives students an organized way to communicate needs without repeatedly explaining their situation. A standard wishlist keeps ongoing needs together, while an SOS makes a time-sensitive item easier for supporters to notice and act on.
Invite SupportersBring trusted donors and supporters directly into your support network.
Organize NeedsLink wishlists, add standalone items, and create SOS requests from those items.
Share and Stay InformedShare an optional public profile and receive email notices about SOS activity.
Invite and FollowInvite students, follow students you support, and return to their current needs.
Find and ReserveSearch available opportunities and reserve a specific item before purchasing.
Complete the PledgePurchase through the retailer and upload proof so the pledge can be tracked.
For Donors
Know what you are providing and who it helps.
SOS helps relatives, alumni, and community supporters respond to a specific need instead of contributing to a general fund. SOS does not collect donation money. Donors purchase requested items directly from retailers and provide proof of the transaction.
For Schools & Organizations
Create a dedicated support channel for your community.
SOS can be deployed as a school- or organization-specific experience, such as school.sos-app.org. Each instance can give the institution its own managed support channel while connecting students, families, alumni, and community partners around practical needs.
Start a partnership conversationDedicated ExperienceGive your institution a recognizable SOS address and community.
Alumni EngagementOffer alumni a direct way to support current students.
Administrative OversightManage the institution-specific experience and its users.
Trust & Privacy
Clear boundaries around identity, purchasing, and delivery.
School-Email Eligibility
Student access relies on confirmation of a school-issued .edu email address. This is an eligibility signal, not independent enrollment verification.
Student-Controlled Identity
Students can be identified or anonymous. Anonymous profiles and SOS requests display only school and major.
Address Protection
A student's shipping address is not displayed publicly. It becomes available to a donor only after that donor reserves an SOS item.
Why SOS Was Built
It started with a parent trying to keep a family support system informed.
SOS was created by an alumnus of Xavier University of Louisiana after experiencing how difficult it was to keep relatives updated about the practical things his daughter needed at college. The idea was simple: if one family needed a clearer way to coordinate support, other students and families probably did too.
A shared list serves the people already invested in a student's success. Public needs can also reach donors who recognize a student's path, remember facing a similar challenge, and want to provide practical relief.
Read the SOS storyGet Started
Put practical student support in one clear place.
Create an account, explore a school partnership, or follow the work as SOS grows.