Why Collaboration Is the Key to Success

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

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.