OCEN SGO Raises $1.7 Million for Christian School Students
Beginning with its launch just nine months ago through the end of 2022, the Ohio Christian Education Network Scholarship Granting Organization (OCEN SGO) raised $1.7 million for student scholarships to attend Christian schools. Thanks to a surge of Ohioans taking advantage of a new state tax credit for a gift to OCEN SGO, thousands of students will receive financial assistance for the 2023-24 school year that provides access to a life-giving education at the Christian school of their choice.
The state tax credit is granted to OCEN SGO donors on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to $750 per individual or $1,500 for a couple filing jointly. So a gift that blesses worthy students essentially costs the donor nothing, as their tax liability is reduced by the amount of their gift.
“When we launched OCEN SGO, we had a vision to make Christian education affordable for every student in our state. The first year of giving toward this vision far surpassed what we had originally hoped for in year one,” said Troy McIntosh, Executive Director of the Ohio Christian Education Network. “The way people across the state generously responded indicates just how strongly they believe in the importance of Christian schools in today’s culture. At OCEN, we believe providing students an education that is rooted in a biblical worldview is among the most powerful strategies to win the hearts and minds of our children for God’s kingdom.”
OCEN SGO plans to make 2023 an even bigger year, with more participating schools, more scholarship funds, and more student recipients. Contributions to the scholarship fund can be made by visiting ohiocen.org/sgo. Donors may select the participating school of their choice to benefit from their gift, and a worthy student attending that school will be the recipient.
“We believe every student in our state should have access to an education that teaches them to frame their thinking with a biblical perspective. The great problems of our day will only be solved by a new generation who knows how to apply Christian thought to those problems,” said McIntosh.
Click the image below to watch a brief video and learn more about how the tax credit works.
