December 30, 2019

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRELY.
IT INCLUDES AN IMPORTANT IRS CALL-TO-ACTION.

 
 
 
 
 
 

UPDATE ON OUR TRANSITION YEAR

Despite the IRS changes in the middle of our funding cycle that forced a complete change in our donor approach, we have nearly fully-funded all of our schools for the fall semester and are talking to thousands of new donors! 

 
 
 
 
 

FUNDING PRIORITIZATION

Just as in years past, we will fund incumbents first in the spring after schools verify enrollment and tuition. 

Once all incumbents are funded, we will assess our ability to fund those who received $600 awards last year. Those “one time recipients” were not automatically granted incumbent status since we are not a government program and don’t have guaranteed scholarship money. 

Please remember, it is our priority to raise needed scholarship donations  each and every year.

We will assess funding for new applicants next school year.

CHANGES IN FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

We have kept key legislators informed about the impact the IRS changes have had and are working closely with them to make necessary changes to our law going forward. 

The IRS has issued some clarification on their earlier ruling and we are praying that the clarification will push CPA’s to advise their business clients to donate to our program. 

 
 
 
 
 

OUTREACH TO IRS...

 
 
  
 
 

Finally, here’s what we would LOVE for you to do go to the link below and send comments to the IRS regarding your situation. You will only have 5,000 characters to use, so you must be brief. I have included talking points for you to use which are almost 900 characters. 

You definitely won’t have room to explain everything that you’d love to explain, just keep it brief and to the point so that they hear from SC parents! 

We do like the adjustments they made this week and are hopeful that those changes will serve to “fix” the problems they created. Therefore, we don’t want to “blast” them but we do want them to hear from us!

  • Go to this link where you can click on the “Comment now” tab on the right of the box.

  • Identify yourself as a parent or teacher of a child who receives the Exceptional SC scholarship and how long your child has been in the program along with a VERY BRIEF description of your child’s challenges.

  • Add these points- feel free to put into your words or summarize: 

    1. Changes to the tax law that were intended to reign in states that wanted to bypass tax reform have greatly impacted SC’s program. 

    2. This program was already doing what tax reform intended and that was re-directing tax dollars into a program for exceptional needs children that public schools could not accommodate.

    3. Our program is only $12 million and DOESN’T use tax money and is not guaranteed, so our program has to raise the money each year.

    4. The confusion created by the ruling has frozen financial advisors and accountants who have  advised their clients that they should not give to our program any longer. 

    5. Your ruling this week on business deductions was very helpful and we appreciate you clarifying that and earnestly desire that you finalize that ruling quickly so that pass through entity businesses CAN take the federal deduction for donations to our program. 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
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Important Contact Information to Remember

As always please do not hesitate to contact the following with any specific questions or concern:

 
 

Application or Donation Questions
803-602-4398
Email

 
 

Technical Application Questions (TADS)
800-477-8237
Email

 
 

Tax Credit Questions (SCDOR)
803-898-5706
Email

 
 


Chad Connelly
Executive Director

 
  
 
 
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