Hello, my name is Ronnie Daniel. I’m the executive director of Children First Education Fund. In this video, we’ll explain how the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship is funded and how families can help support the program for years to come. Where the funds come from. The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship is funded through two main sources. First, state appropriations. Each year, the Utah State Legislature allocates public funds to support the scholarship program. These funds help ensure that students with disabilities have access to educational options that best meet their needs. Second, private donations.
In addition to state funding, individuals and businesses can make donations to support the scholarship.
These donations are a vital part of growing and sustaining the program. 100% state tax credit. One of the greatest benefits for donors is the 100% state income tax credit for donations made to the children first education fund. This means that anyone who donates to the fund, whether a business or an individual, can receive every dollar back as a credit on their Utah State taxes. $1 donated equals $1 credit. It’s a dollar for-doll benefit, and it makes supporting the program easy and accessible. How to donate? It’s simple to make a donation to CF by visiting donor.cf-fund.org.
Donors will fill out a form and indicate how they would like to contribute.
Donors can use a credit card, check, a payment, or even donate appreciated stock. Once the funds are received by CF, a tax credit certificate is issued to the donor that can be used when filing their Utah state income tax return to claim the credit. There is no limit to the amount that individuals or businesses can donate to CF, but CF is limited in the number of tax credits that can be distributed in a given year.
Donors can check our website in the footer of each page and see how much has been raised to date and how many tax credits are left for the year. How families can help. As a parent or guardian, you’re in a unique position to raise awareness about this opportunity.
Here are a few simple ways to help.
Share the donation link with friends, family, or local businesses. Encourage your employer or community leaders to consider making a donation. Remind potential donors that they’ll receive 100% of their donation back through a state tax credit. Remind potential donors that they can designate their gift for scholarships at one of our partner schools. Every contribution helps expand the program and ensure more students have access to the education that’s right for them. Learn more. To read more about how donations work or to make a contribution, visit donor.cf-fund.org.
Thanks for watching. Remember, you can find additional information about the program on our website or you can email or call our team directly.
