RedefinED School Advancement

RedefinED Is Not an SGO. And We Are Not Here to Compete With SGOs. As conversations around state tax credit programs and the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program continue to grow, we have noticed an important question surfacing more frequently: “Is RedefinED trying to become an SGO?” The answer is simple: No. is not an SGO, and we are not trying to replace, compete with, or disrupt SGOs. In fact, we believe SGOs are one of the most essential parts of the scholarship ecosystem. SGOs Play a Critical Role Scholarship Granting Organizations are the operational and compliance backbone of scholarship programs. They handle: Scholarship administration Compliance requirements Tax documentation Scholarship distribution State reporting and regulations That work is incredibly important. And honestly, it is work that schools cannot do alone. Without SGOs, these scholarship programs would not exist. So Where Does RedefinED Fit In? Our role is completely different. We work directly with schools to help them maximize the opportunities SGOs make possible. That includes: Parent education Community outreach School advancement support Tuition strategy Scholarship growth implementation Relationship building within local communities In other words: SGOs administer scholarship programs. We help schools grow participation and engagement within them. Why This Partnership Matters The reality is that most SGOs serve a very large number of schools across wide geographic regions. Because of that, many SGOs simply are not structured to provide intensive, school-specific advancement execution inside every individual school community they support. That is not a criticism. It is just reality. Schools often need hands-on support with: Educating families Engaging local businesses Building donor relationships Coordinating outreach Increasing participation Navigating implementation strategy That is where our team steps in. Not to replace the SGO. Not to compete with the SGO. But to help schools become stronger and more successful participants within the scholarship programs SGOs administer. When Schools Grow, SGOs Grow Too This is the part we think matters most. When schools successfully increase scholarship participation, improve donor engagement, and strengthen community awareness: More students are served More scholarship dollars flow More families gain access And SGOs themselves grow stronger This should not be viewed as competition. It should be viewed as ecosystem expansion. The truth is, the demand for scholarship education and implementation support is growing rapidly, especially with the upcoming rollout of the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, sometimes referred to as EFTC. No single organization can do everything alone. And we do not believe they should have to. We Believe Collaboration Is the Future Our belief has always been simple: Schools, SGOs, advancement organizations, donors, and communities should be working together, not against one another. Each organization plays a different role. Each organization brings different strengths. And when those strengths align properly, students and families benefit the most. At , our goal is not ownership of the process. Our goal is impact. We want SGOs to succeed. We want schools to succeed. We want scholarship programs to grow responsibly and sustainably. And most importantly, we want more students to have access to educational opportunities that change lives. That only happens through collaboration.

For the past year, our team has been quietly building something we’ve wished existed for a long time. Not another product. Not another vendor relationship. Not another thing for school leaders to manage. Something bigger. At RedefinED School Advancement, we’ve spent the last five years working alongside schools in nearly every area of growth. We’ve helped secure more than $100 million in tax credit scholarship funding, supported enrollment initiatives, and listened to countless administrators share the same challenge: “We know what needs to be done. We just don’t have the people, time, or resources to do it all.” They’re right. Schools are being asked to be experts in advancement, marketing, enrollment, admissions, communications, donor engagement, family relations, and now artificial intelligence—all while staying focused on what matters most: educating children. The traditional answer has been to hire more people. But what if there was a better way? What if schools could access an entire team of specialists across multiple departments for less than the cost of a single full-time hire? What if every aspect of growth worked together instead of operating in silos? What if increasing scholarship funding helped fuel enrollment growth, and technology ensured that no interested family ever slipped through the cracks? For more than a year, we’ve been testing, refining, and building a new approach to helping schools grow sustainably. The result is something we believe will fundamentally change how schools think about advancement and long-term success. And on July 6, we’ll finally be ready to share it. If you’ve been following our journey, you know that we’ve never been interested in doing things the way they’ve always been done. We’ve always believed that schools deserve innovative solutions that are both mission-driven and financially sustainable. This next chapter is no different. The future of school growth is coming. Stay tuned.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Successfully Implementing the New Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program at Your School The new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, sometimes referred to as EFTC, has the potential to completely reshape how schools approach affordability, advancement, and long-term sustainability. But schools need to understand something early: This program will not maximize itself automatically. The schools that see the strongest results will likely not be the schools that simply “sign up” for the program. They will be the schools that strategically prepare for it, educate their communities, build strong partnerships, and fully commit to implementation. As schools across the country begin preparing for the rollout of the new federal program, here are some of the biggest do’s and don’ts we believe schools should understand now. DO: Start Preparing Before Your State Officially Opts In One of the biggest mistakes schools can make is waiting until implementation is finalized before beginning preparation. The schools that will likely see the strongest long-term results are the schools already: Educating leadership teams Building donor strategies Strengthening advancement infrastructure Creating communication plans Developing SGO relationships Preparing operational systems If your school waits until the program officially launches to begin planning, you may already be behind. Preparation matters. DON’T: Assume This Program Will Run Itself Many schools mistakenly believe scholarship programs are simply: “Families apply, donors give, and everything works out.” That is not how sustainable scholarship growth happens. The new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program will likely require: Parent education Donor education Community outreach Advancement execution Strategic communication Ongoing relationship management Schools that treat this as a passive funding opportunity may struggle to maximize its potential. DO: Educate Families Early and Often Right now, most families have no idea what the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program actually is. Many people still confuse: Scholarship tax credits Vouchers Government appropriations Financial aid ESA programs If schools do not proactively educate families, confusion will fill the gap. The schools that will thrive under this program are the schools willing to: Hold informational meetings Create simple explanations Provide repeated communication Walk families through the process Make the program feel approachable Education builds trust. Confusion creates hesitation. DON’T: Treat SGOs as Vendors This is one of the most important lessons schools need to understand early. Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) are not just transaction processors. They are essential partners. The schools that will likely experience the strongest growth are the schools building collaborative relationships with SGOs before implementation even begins. Schools should be asking: Which SGO is the best fit for our mission? How do we collaboratively support donor engagement? How do we create a strong experience for families? How do we align communication and outreach? The future of this program will depend heavily on strong collaboration between: Schools SGOs Advancement teams Families Donors DO: Build a Real Donor Development Strategy This is one of the largest misconceptions surrounding the new federal program. The existence of a tax credit does not automatically create donor participation. Donors still need: Education Relationship-building Trust Communication Follow-up Community connection The schools that simply wait for donors to appear will likely struggle. The schools that intentionally build donor education and outreach strategies will likely have a significant advantage. DON’T: Ignore Your Public School Community One of the most misunderstood parts of the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program is that many states may structure implementation in ways that support a variety of educational services and student needs, not just private school tuition. That means public school families may also become important stakeholders in this conversation. Schools and organizations that approach this program with an “us versus them” mindset may miss major opportunities for collaboration and community support. The conversation around educational access is becoming broader. Schools should prepare accordingly. DO: Align Your Tuition and Financial Aid Strategy Schools should already be evaluating: Tuition structure Financial aid philosophy Scholarship allocation strategy Accessibility goals Enrollment growth planning The schools that thrive under the new federal program will likely be the schools that view scholarship funding as part of a larger sustainability and accessibility strategy. Not just supplemental funding. DON’T: Create Confusion Through Mixed Messaging As excitement grows around the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, schools must be careful not to overwhelm families and donors with: Too many acronyms Conflicting explanations Multiple disconnected outreach efforts Unclear processes Poor communication between organizations Clarity matters. The schools that build trust will likely be the schools communicating consistently, simply, and collaboratively. DO: Understand That Implementation Is Ongoing This is not a “one-time setup” opportunity. The schools that will likely experience long-term success are the schools committed to: Continuous family education Ongoing donor outreach Relationship development Community engagement Strategic refinement year after year The schools treating this as a long-term advancement strategy rather than a temporary funding opportunity will likely position themselves best for sustainability. Final Thought The new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program may become one of the most transformational educational funding opportunities schools have seen in decades. But successful implementation will require far more than simply opting in. It will require: Leadership Communication Strategy Collaboration Relationship-building And intentional execution At , we believe the schools preparing now, educating now, and building strong collaborative foundations now will be the schools best positioned to create lasting impact for students and families in the years ahead.