Impact Projects: Top 3 Projects From Current Stanford Students

Struggling to choose a project idea?

We’ve got you covered. Below are three standout projects founded by current Stanford students, selected for their uniqueness, scale, and strong ties to the founder’s personal story.

If you're a founder or member of these organizations, reach out for an interview!

Project 1: Fighting Menstruation-Related Absenteeism – Project Pragati

Official Site: https://www.projectpragati.in/home

How It Started
After witnessing a young girl drop out of high school due to a lack of period products, the founder researched local rates of absenteeism and dropout among adolescent girls. They founded “Project Pragati” to address the issue.

Mission

Ensure young girls stay in school by providing menstrual education, resources, and support.

Impact

• Distributed 30,000 sanitary pads in Gujarat.

• Directly impacted 11,000 lives.

• Raised Rs 5,50,000 for menstrual hygiene initiatives.

Why It Works

• Strong personal connection between the founder and the issue.

• Unique focus on menstrual hygiene barriers.

• Comprehensive approach tackling both product accessibility and education.

Project 2: Expanding Refugee Education in Greece– “Ray of Hope”

Official Site: https://www.rayofhope.org.gr/

How it started
The founder, from Athens, had a love for literature. She had been recognized nationally for her writing at the age of 8 and shortlisted for “the Author of Tomorrow” award. At the time, she heard about the 1.2 million refugees arriving in Greece due to ongoing conflicts from 2015-2021. She used her expertise to launch “Ray of Hope.”

Mission

Ray of Hope helps refugees expand their education pursuits to become active citizens and gain the self-confidence to pursue their personal & professional goals.

Impact:

• Worked with over 2000 refugees & 18 refugee camps/structures

• Donated over 10,000 books

• Established 16 libraries at refugee camps in Greece

Why This Works

• Clearly demonstrates the founder’s expertise and how she was able to apply it to a meaningful issue

• Initiative is closely linked with an issue affecting a community close to her background

• Immense scale and systemization — several initiatives launched across several refugee camps over long-term

Project 3: Promoting Sustainable Hotel Practices – Linens N Love

Official Site: https://linensnlove.org/

How it started

Passionate about sustainability, the founder discovered that hotels discard linens with minor stains. Wanting to find a more sustainable solution, she tried to discover a way to repurpose the linens in a purposeful way.

Mission

“Linens N Love” revolutionizes hotel practices to create a culture of care for our community. They accomplish this by repurposing discarded linens to shelters & communities in need.

Pillars

Impact

• Upcycled & donated 70,000 linens

• 1000+ shelter residents impacted

• 500+ student volunteers

Why This Works

• Focuses on addressing a very specific initiative and issue within sustainability

• Impact is very quantifiable and engages several stakeholders

• Very clear measure of success

Key Takeaways

• Each project is highly specific, tackling a niche social issue.

• Founders applied personal experiences to create meaningful solutions.

  See how these projects intersect with your personal interests and add your own spin based on your background.

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