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Invest in Kids Scholarship Opportunity
Four years ago, the state of Illinois passed the Invest in Kids Act, allowing taxpayers to redirect their Illinois tax payments to contribute to scholarships for the school(s) of their choice.
Scholarships are funded by individuals and businesses who contribute to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) in return for a 75% state tax credit.
Chicago West Side Christian School families have benefited greatly from this program, and we are excited about the impact it is has made on providing access for lower-income families to participate in Christian education at CWSCS.
We invite you to learn more about the program at Invest in Kids or feel free to call with questions!
Year 1
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$68,000 in donations to the Children’s Tuition Fund (approved Scholarship Granting Organization)
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16 students received 50–100% scholarship support
Years 2-4
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Nearly$200,000 in donations to Invest in Kids Scholarship Granting Organizations annually
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50 students have received 50–100% scholarship support each of the past three years
The scholarships go to students whose families meet low income thresholds — students who are having difficulty affording a Christian school or who might otherwise not have the opportunity to attend a Christian school. To fund those scholarships, the program allows taxpayers to reserve and receive tax credits of up to $1,000,000.
Questions? Call Mary Post at 773-542-0665
How to contribute to the Invest In Kids Program
Here is an example of how the program works: A person has $5,000 in tax liability to the state of Illinois and has $5,000 withheld throughout the year from paychecks. This person chooses to contribute $6,667 to the Bright Promise Fund which will reserve $5,000 in tax credits. The person will receive a $5,000 refund when he/she files taxes in recognition of his/her withholding and reserved tax credits. A self-employed person who pays estimated taxes quarterly will be able to use credits to lower his/her quarterly payments.
2. Steps to complete application:
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Log into your account
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Click on View More Account Options
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Click on the link for Contribute to Invest in Kids
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Choose Invest In Kids Region rather than Technical Academy
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Choose Regions 1 Cook County
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Choose a Scholarship Granting Organization: Bright Promise Fund
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Contribution Pledge: Put in the amount you want to pledge (note that you will receive a 75% credit on your Illinois taxes for your contribution.)
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Confirm amount
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Check authorization, put in email and click submit
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You will be requested to verify your password
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You will receive a printable confirmation. Your Contribution Authorization Certificate will be available on your MyTaxIllinois account within 3 business days. You will have 60 days after receiving this certificate to send your contribution to the Bright Promise Fund Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). Please note that the check cannot be written to our school but must go through the SGO.
To contribute through the Bright Promise Fund:
Go to How to Donate through Invest In Kids to complete your donation. If you have questions, contact Rosanna Farquhar at (312) 392-0953 or rosanna@brightpromisefund.org for assistance.
1. Steps to begin:
Go to http://mytax.illinois.gov. Before you log in, go to Individuals located on bottom half of screen and click on Invest in Kids Program under Additional Services. You will then have an opportunity to log in or create a new account.
Request an ID number if you do not already have one. If you are new to mytax.illinois.gov, you will receive your ID number in 7-10 days and can then complete setting up your account with the instructions below.
If you already have an ID number, you can log in and complete your application.
Unlike voucher programs in some states, scholarships to non-public schools in Illinois will only be available if contributors give and funds are available for the SGO to award.
We are excited to participate in this tax-credit program that has the potential to provide great benefit to many children. We encourage you to set up an account ASAP. If you are interested in learning more about either contributing or applying, please contact Mary Post (marypost@cwscs.org) or 773-542-0665.
