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Guide for schools

Running a donor campaign at your school

Updated September 28, 2026 · 5 min read

Related guides:
Registering your school with CEN SGOHow donors claim the creditThe credit cap: $1,700 per taxpayer
Tool:
Credit calculator

Your parent body is the warmest donor list there is. Here's the calendar, the templates and the phrasing that's safe.

In brief

  • Parents, grandparents, alumni and church members can each redirect up to $1,700 of federal tax to your school's fund, at no net cost if they owe that much. (Source: §25F(b)(1))
  • Ask for pledges in fall 2026. Donations count from January 1, 2027. (Source: P.L. 119-21)
  • CEN gives you the calendar, three emails, a chapel script, a bulletin insert, social posts, a parent FAQ and a giving link in your name.
  • Use the approved sentence. Never promise that a donor's money will reach their own child. (Source: §25F(d)(1)(E))

The warmest list

Everyone close to your school can redirect up to $1,700 of federal tax to your scholarship fund, at no net cost if they owe that much federal tax. They already care about your school. They need to be asked, told the date and reminded. (Source: §25F(b)(1))

  1. Parents

    Current families, including those who may apply for a scholarship themselves.

  2. Grandparents

    In any state. What matters is your school's state.

  3. Alumni

    Graduates and their families.

  4. Church partners

    Members donate as individuals. Only individuals claim the credit.

Who to ask.

Donors can live anywhere. Your school's state has to have joined and listed CEN SGO. (Source: §25F(a); §25F(c)(3))

Calendar

WhenWhat
October to December 2026Announce. Pledge drive. Chapel or assembly announcement, one email, one printed one-pager
January 1 to 15, 2027Donations open. One email with the giving link. Pledgers get their completion link from CEN
MarchReminder to those who haven't donated. Tie it to tax season
SeptemberBack-to-school ask for new families
November 1 to December 15Year-end push. The last day to donate for the 2027 return is December 31

Channels

  • Chapel or assembly. The kit's 90-second script.
  • Email. Three emails: announce, donations open, reminder.
  • Bulletin insert. For your church partners.
  • Social posts. Three posts with the same claim and condition.
  • Everywhere your link fits. Your website footer, email signatures, parent portal and newsletter.
  • Events. Back-to-school night, grandparents' day and re-enrollment.
  • A personal note. From the head of school to families who've donated before.

Everything is in the campaign kit, co-branded with your school's name and giving link.

Approved phrasing

Say: "Donate up to $1,700 to our school's scholarship fund through CEN SGO and get every dollar back as a federal tax credit, as long as you owe at least that much federal tax."
  • Up to $1,700. That's the cap per taxpayer. (Source: §25F(b)(1))
  • As long as you owe at least that much. The credit can cut tax to zero, not below it. Any unused part carries forward up to five years. (Source: §25F(f))
  • Through CEN SGO. A donation straight to your school doesn't earn the credit. (Source: §25F(c)(3))

What not to say

  • "Free," or "costs nothing" without the condition.
  • "Tax write-off." It's a credit, and a donation that earns the credit can't also be deducted. (Source: §25F(e))
  • "Guaranteed."
  • Anything about a donor's child getting the scholarship. (Source: §25F(d)(1)(E))
  • "$3,400 for couples." Treasury hasn't ruled on joint returns, so plan on $1,700 per return.
  • Comparisons with public schools.
  • Tax advice. Point donors to their preparer and to CEN.

A worked campaign

  1. October 2026

    Example school registers and its giving page goes live.

  2. November 2026

    Announce email, chapel script and bulletin insert. 60 households pledge.

  3. January 2, 2027

    Donations-open email. Pledgers get their completion link from CEN.

  4. March 2027

    Reminder to pledgers who haven't donated yet.

  5. September 2027

    Back-to-school ask to new families.

  6. December 31, 2027

    Last day to donate for the 2027 return.

Example only. Your dates follow the kit's calendar.

Example. A school with 150 families asks every household. If 40 households each donate $1,700, the fund has $68,000 for scholarships in the first year. Every household's credit is capped by its own federal tax.

Example: first-year fund at $1,700 a household

  • 20 households$34,000
  • 40 households$68,000
  • 60 households$102,000
Made-up figures to show the scale.

Real results vary. One Ohio partner school raised $110,000 through CEN in its first year and $170,000 in its second.

Tracking

The portal shows pledges and donations tagged to your fund in real time. Use it to thank donors and to aim reminders at people who pledged but haven't donated.

Common mistakes

  • Asking in December 2026 for a donation in December 2026. Only donations from January 1, 2027 count.
  • Promising a parent's donation will fund their own child.
  • Quoting $3,400 for couples.
  • Forgetting the December 31 deadline.
  • Sending only one email. Most donors need the date and a reminder.
What's still pending. Treasury hasn't ruled on the joint-filer cap, and the IRS form for claiming the credit is expected before the 2028 filing season. We'll update the kit when they're out.

Next step

Campaign kit

Questions about this guide? See them on the FAQ page

Sources: §25F(b)(1); P.L. 119-21; §25F(d)(1)(E); §25F(a); §25F(c)(3); §25F(f); §25F(e)

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