About Scholarship Gathering Organizations
To find out with SGO makes sense for you call your school liaison or Agudah at 773-279-8400 x261
The Tax Credit Scholarship Process
Which SGO Should I Donate To?
While there are a number of Scholarship Granting Organizations in Illinois, our schools and donors work with only two of them; Big Shoulders Fund and Empower Illinois. There are two primary considerations when choosing an SGO: what works best for the donor and what works best for the school and their students. For donors that prefer to donate using a credit card, Big Shoulders Fund does accept credit cards at no additional charge. While their service departments are distinctly different, both strive for excellence. As far as schools go, there are a variety of considerations from payment schedules to award cycle deadlines and student application waitlists that determine which SGO is preferable to the school and their students. It is recommended to contact the school’s administrative office (or the Agudah STC Desk) to find out which SGO works best to achieve your goals.
BSF and EI are the state’s largest and most comprehensive scholarship granting organizations. Their diverse network spans across the state and includes 80% of all Illinois private schools.
BSF and EI serve both secular and sectarian schools, regardless of denomination.
BSF and EI have awarded over 25,000 scholarships to Illinois students since 2018, and nearly 100,000 scholarship applications have passed through their systems.