Friends of Community Christian now have a cost-free way to make a significant contribution to the students of our school. Thanks to Ohio’s state tax credit for taxpayers who make a contribution to certified Scholarship Granting Organizations like Ohio Christian Education Network Scholarship Granting Organization (OCEN SGO), you are able to make a gift that will be designated for scholarships to worthy students attending our school. The OCEN SGO is operated by the Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) and our school may take advantage of OCEN SGO through its membership with OCEN.

Here’s how it works:

1. Go to the Community Christian landing page and make your donation. Your entire contribution will be designated for scholarships to students at our school. If you give online, OCEN SGO will immediately email you a receipt for gift. If you mail a check, we will send a receipt once the check is received. This is the receipt you will use to claim your credit when you file your state taxes.

2. For gifts up to $750, you will receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit for gifts made during that tax year. Thanks to a recent change in state law, gifts made prior to April 15 of the subsequent year may also be credited to the previous year's tax liability. So you can make a gift in April 2025 and credit it toward your 2024 taxes. You will receive 100% of your contribution back, up to $750 for individuals or $1500 for couples, when you file your taxes for the year. The students at Community Christian receive the benefit of your gift at essentially no cost to you.

3. Since the tax credit is granted per individual taxpayer, married couples filing jointly may receive up to $1,500 in credit if both names are included on the gift. You may contribute more than $750, but the credit is capped at $750 per taxpayer. Gifts beyond the cap may be claimed as a typical deduction.

4. Once a gift is claimed as a state tax credit, it is not eligible to be claimed as a federal deduction if the taxpayer is itemizing.

Students with a demonstrated financial need are prioritized, but all students are eligible to apply for an OCEN SGO scholarship. Your gifts not only benefit our students by making enrollment more financially accessible, they also help relieve a significant portion of the school budget that is committed to financial aid, freeing those funds for other important uses.