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Why Collaboration Is the Key to Success: How RedefinED Works with School Staff, Not Instead of Them One of the most common questions we hear when we begin working with a school is simple and very human: “Are they going to replace me?” It usually comes from a development director, advancement officer or the person who has been carrying the weight of fundraising alone for years. And the honest answer is always the same. Absolutely not. We are not here to replace anyone. We are here to strengthen your work, support your goals and multiply your results. We Make Your Job Easier, Not Harder For many schools, development staff are stretched thin. They are running annual appeals, overseeing events, managing donor relationships, supporting marketing efforts, helping with admissions and somehow still trying to grow tax credit revenue. RedefinED steps in to take the entire tax credit operation off your plate so you can focus on what your school needs most from you. That means more time for: Capital campaigns Annual appeals Donor cultivation Events that build community Major gifts Strategic planning You are not replaced. You are elevated. For Schools Without Development Staff, We Become the Team Not every school has an advancement or development office. In fact, many do not. When a school does not have internal staff dedicated to development, we take it all on when it comes to tax credit fundraising. We manage donor outreach, communication, tracking, systems, and strategy from start to finish. Your school gets a fully built fundraising operation without needing to hire a single employee. We become your development team. For Schools With Staff, We Work Behind the Scenes When a school does have development or advancement staff, our approach shifts. We work behind the scenes, doing the heavy lifting while allowing your internal team to be the face of the work. You maintain the relationships. You maintain the presence. You maintain the visibility. We provide the strategy, execution, systems and support so your staff can shine and succeed in the areas they know best. It is the best of both worlds. The Schools That Embrace Collaboration See the Most Success The difference between good results and transformational results always comes down to one thing: collaboration. Schools that partner closely with our team, communicate often and trust the process are the ones that see extraordinary outcomes. We become an extension of your office. We work hand in hand with your internal staff. We guide, support, execute and measure. It is a true partnership, and it works. FUNDamentals Is Proven and Predictable Our FUNDamentals service is not accidental. It is a trademarked process built from years of data, experience and results. It walks schools through a very specific sequence of steps that consistently produces more giving, more engagement and more scholarship dollars. It is not a mystery. It is a method. When schools follow the process, results follow every single time. Yes, We Really Do Guarantee Your Funding We say it with confidence because we have the data to back it up. If your school follows the FUNDamentals steps we outline, we guarantee your funding will increase. Not hope. Not attempt. Guarantee. Our system was designed to remove uncertainty and bring clarity and consistency to the fundraising process. When our team is working alongside yours, and when your internal staff embraces the collaboration, success becomes predictable. A Partner That Expands What You Can Do RedefinED does not replace your development staff. We empower them. And in schools without staff, we become the team that makes this work possible. We take on the heavy lifting of tax credit fundraising so you can focus on the broader vision of advancement. Together, we raise more, grow more and do more for the students who rely on these opportunities. Collaboration is the heart of what we do. And the schools that choose to lean in are the ones who see the greatest transformation. Return Home

Public Schools Have the Opportunity of a Lifetime. Will They Capture It, or Let It Slip Away? Opportunity does not usually knock this loudly. It does not show up with a countdown clock and a promise to reshape educational access across the entire country. But that is exactly what is happening right now with the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program that goes into effect on January 1, 2027. And here is the part too many people are overlooking. This is not just a win for private schools. This is one of the biggest opportunities public schools have ever had to bring new resources directly to their students. The question is not whether the program will help families. It will. The question is whether public schools will recognize what is unfolding in front of them and prepare to use it, or whether they will let the moment pass them by. A Once in a Generation Chance For the first time, individuals can donate to approved scholarship granting organizations and receive a dollar for dollar reduction on their federal tax bill. The credit is worth up to $1,700 per taxpayer every year, and taxpayers can participate with no net cost to themselves. The mechanics are simple. A taxpayer donates to an approved scholarship granting organization. They receive a federal tax credit for that same amount when they file their taxes, up to $1,700. The organization directs those dollars into scholarships and student support services. It functions the same way people already understand energy tax credits or electric vehicle tax credits. The federal government is rewarding qualified contributions that support students. And here is the key point for public schools: These scholarships can fund things public schools desperately need. Free tutoring. After school programs. Summer learning. Literacy support. STEM activities. Enrichment programs normally eliminated when budgets get tight. This is not only about private school tuition. This is about lifting students who need help the most. The Catch: States Must Opt In This entire opportunity hinges on one decision. Governors must opt their states into the program. If they do not opt in, residents can still donate. They will still receive the $1,700 federal credit. But the funds will not come back to serve the students in that state. Every missed donation becomes a missed chance to support the children who need the most intervention. Public schools cannot afford to sit quietly on the sidelines. Not when businesses are eager to invest but cannot do so until the state signals participation. Public Schools Are Not Used to Fundraising And That Puts Them Behind Private schools have spent decades raising money because they have always needed outside funding. They built donor pipelines, systems, and development teams. Public schools were never expected to do that. Their budgets come from tax dollars, not philanthropy. Fundraising was something PTOs did occasionally, not something the district relied on as part of its operating structure. That means most public school districts have no: • Development staff • Donor systems • Tax credit fundraising strategy • Infrastructure to capture these dollars The opportunity is enormous, but the readiness gap is real. This is why many public schools will likely need to partner with organizations like RedefinED that already specialize in tax credit fundraising, donor engagement, scholarship program management, and large scale development operations. The timeline is short, and the schools that move quickly will see the greatest benefit. Public Schools Should Be Leading the Charge Every superintendent who has ever said “We need more resources” “We need more support services” “We need stronger intervention options” now has something powerful to point to. Here is a federal program designed to do exactly that. This is the moment for public schools to speak up and say We want it. Our students need it. Our families deserve it. Because if they do not raise their voices now, they may look back one day and realize they let the opportunity of a lifetime slip away. The Window Is Open The countdown has started. And opportunities like this rarely come twice. Public schools have every reason to embrace this. The only question is whether they will capture it or let it slip by. Return Home