For churches

Fund church-centered education through your own SGO.

Starting January 1, 2027, your members can redirect federal tax dollars, not just charitable giving, toward scholarships for families in your church community. For donors who owe at least that much federal tax, every dollar given to a qualified scholarship granting organization (SGO) comes back as a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit, and we run the back office.

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$1,700

Federal credit per person, per year; $3,400 for married couples

Uncapped

No national ceiling on the total credit pool

5 years

Carryforward on unused credit, a durable donor incentive

$0 net cost

When the donor owes at least that much federal tax

The 15,000-hour divide

Where will the next generation spend their 15,000 hours?

Over their K–12 years, the average student spends roughly 15,000 hours in a school building, absorbing instruction rooted in either a biblical worldview or a secular one. Even a family that attends church every week provides only 650 to 1,300 hours in church over the same 13 years. Weekly ministry alone cannot close that gap; parents need partners to choose mission-aligned schooling their family can afford.

15,000

Hours the average student spends in a school building from kindergarten through 12th grade

650–1,300

Hours a faithful, weekly churchgoing family spends in church over the same 13 years

12–23×

More hours in a classroom than in church, where worldview is developed

13 years

Every year of K–12 is formation, rooted in a biblical or a secular worldview

Flipping the equation

Weekly ministry alone vs. partnering with parents

Through scholarships, churches can help parents reclaim those hours and shape the worldview of the next generation.

Weekly ministry alone

Sunday services, youth group and VBS

Faithful, essential ministry, but it reaches a child for 1–2 hours a week while school fills 30 or more.

Hours of formation: 650–1,300 hours over 13 years
Who shapes worldview: Mostly the school, its curriculum and classmates
Cost to families: Families who want Christian schooling often can't afford the tuition
The church's role: Supplements what children learn the rest of the week
Long-term impact: Secular influences heavily outweigh church exposure

Church + Christian education

A church-sponsored SGO, powered by SGO Direct

Members redirect federal taxes they already owe into scholarships, so more church families can choose Christ-centered schools.

Hours of formation: Up to 15,000 more hours rooted in a biblical worldview
Who shapes worldview: Parents, church and Christian teachers working together
Cost to families: Scholarships lower tuition, funded by members' federal tax credits
The church's role: Partners with parents for the whole week, not just Sunday
Long-term impact: A Christ-centered ethos instilled in the next generation

The churches that intentionally partner with parents to reclaim those 15,000 hours are the churches that can instill a Christ-centered ethos in the next generation.

The opportunity

What it means for your church

Giving opens to members whose children are grown, to grandparents and to the wider congregation, not just school parents. Your church's SGO becomes a direct way to:

Help church families afford Christ-centered schooling

Scholarships close the gap between tuition and what a family can pay, funded by dollars members would otherwise send to Washington.

Partner with parents for the 15,000 hours

Extend your ministry from a couple of hours on Sunday into the classroom, where a child’s worldview takes shape.

Support Christian schools at no net cost

For members who owe at least that much federal tax, every dollar comes back as a dollar-for-dollar credit.

Engage every generation of the congregation

Members whose children are grown, grandparents and friends can all redirect, on top of their tithe.

The management level

Your board decides the mission. We run everything else.

We build a dedicated SGO around your church, so the federal tax dollars your members redirect stay within your values and mission. Your board makes the most important decision, the award methodology, and we own the back office.

Your church's part

A few decisions a year

Establish the SGO board; it meets four times a year
Determine the scholarship award criteria
Approve fund allocations
Plan board succession so the mission continues
Share campaigns about eight times a year in bulletins, announcements and email
Link to the SGO donation and scholarship pages from your website

What SGO Direct handles

Compliance, operations and technology

Compliance & audit: IRS and state SGO registration, §25F accounts, donor acknowledgements, bookkeeping, and annual audit prep with legal and CPA partners at scaled rates.
Operations & marketing: Coaching for your fundraising volunteers, a hub of ready-to-use campaigns, flyers and QR codes, and tracking for every campaign.
Product & technology: A landing page for your SGO, a real-time donor portal and payments, and one platform from nonprofit to donations to scholarships, with compliance built in.

The launch timeline

From formation to first awards

Legal formation closes by December 15, 2026. The 2027 fund raises all year, awards scholarships in January 2028 and pays schools on July 1, 2028.

1
Formation
November–December 2026
Church board resolution, bylaws and conflict policy, directors appointed, state incorporation and IRS filing.
2
Fund opens
January 1, 2027
Members start redirecting up to $1,700 each; the 2027 fund raises all year.
3
State's 2027 SGO list
February 15, 2027
Florida submits its list; credit-eligible gifts flow once the SGO is on the IRS list.
4
Scholarship applications
November–December 2027
Families apply; income and residency are verified before any award.
5
Award notices
January 15, 2028
Amounts confirmed before enrollment, so families can plan.
6
Payment to schools
July 1, 2028
Eligibility re-verified and tuition awards paid directly to schools.

The partnership

One platform covers the entire lifecycle

Donor platform & payments

Branded portal, card and ACH, gift designation, and IRS donor numbers.

Compliance engine

90% spending, 300% AMI income, residency, and disqualified-person checks.

Scholarship administration

Applications, priority order, awards, and direct-to-school payment.

Documentation & filings

IRS SGO portal, Jan 31 acknowledgements, Feb 28 IRS report, and state list renewals.

Audit-ready reporting

Records, reconciliations, and evidence ready for your independent auditor, plus Form 990 certification support and board dashboards.

Fee within the 10% allowance

Priced within the 10% left after the 90% scholarship rule. No cost to your church, and it never touches scholarship funds.

Reserve your church's place as a founding SGO.

Founding SGOs are limited by design, so every church gets hands-on launch support. Students funded in 2027, and their siblings, get priority every year after, and Florida must submit its 2027 SGO list by February 15, 2027.