61 students received financial assistance from SGO, awards were give to the students after chapel in December!

“SGO” is short for “Scholarship Granting Organization.”  The Lutheran SGO of Indiana is an independent 501(c)3 organization that receives donations made through the Indiana SGO Tax Credit program and then distributes those awards to students at every Lutheran school in the state of Indiana.

This year St. John’s awarded nearly $140,000 in scholarships to students at our school. This is in addition to the nearly $743,000 in Choice Scholarships provided to our students through the State of Indiana. That’s nearly $900,000 in scholarships! Our parents and families will pay less than $40,000 of the cost to attend St. John’s.

SGO DONORS

In the past two years, NINE donors (individuals or couples) have made these scholarships possible, donating more than $36,000 through the Lutheran SGO.  These donors have also received tax credits in excess of $18,000 which they used to reduce their state income tax liability. 

In short, these donors turned $18,000 into $36,000!

There are nine St. John’s donors who have contributed funds to SGO scholarships and have helped to make a difference in the ministry shared at St. John’s.  By the end of 2024, the Lutheran SGO of Indiana received more than $35,000 in donations for their St. John’s La Porte Scholarship Fund.

RECIPIENTS

On December 11th, Scott Schmacher, the director of the SGO of Indiana, presented SGO awards to 60 St. John’s students! This is about half of the student population.  They are modest, usually just over $600 per student, but it will cover a large portion of the “gap” between what these students receive through the Choice Scholarship (a.k.a. Voucher) and the cost of education for their student.

Several Pre-K students also received a scholarship, which is new to SJLC this year!  In some cases this scholarship will make the difference between a student coming to our Pre-K and NOT being able to do so.

St. John’s will receive manifold blessings from the gifts of these donors. While Choice Scholarships help fund our school’s ministry, the first “payment” for the year does not come until October 31.  This makes cash flow for the first months of the school year very challenging.  This past year a disbursement from our SGO Scholarship fund made it possible for us to pay the critical costs of salary and benefits, without drawing on our investment fund!

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: A donor makes a gift of $2,140 to the SJLS Fund at the Lutheran SGO of Indiana.
Step 2: The Lutheran SGO of Indiana keeps 7% ($140) to pay the costs of managing the organization.
Step 3: The donor receives a $1,070 Tax Credit Certificate to be used towards their Indiana State Tax Liability. (The credit is reported on their Indiana State Tax Return.)
Step 4: St. John’s awards $2,000 in scholarships to our students. The Lutheran SGO deposits those funds in our checking account

Net cost to donor: $1,070
Money received by St. John’s: $2,000

Some other info:

ANY individual, corporation or entity that has a Indiana State Tax Liability qualifies for this credit.
Gifts can be made in the form of cash (check), from a donor’s IRA, stocks or bonds, real estate, and even commodities (like corn or beans).

Want more information? Come meet Scott Schumacher, the Executive Director of the Lutheran SGO of Indiana, when he leads chapel on December 11 (8:10am).

How to turn $1,070 into $2,000 in scholarships!

Gift:               $2,140       Gift:              $2,140
Credit:          – 1,070      Costs:              – 140
Cost of gift: $1,070      Scholarships: $2,000