IL State Tax Credits / Empower Illinois

Invest in Kids, Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship – Help Us Save this Important Program

This is an IMPORTANT, bipartisan program and we need everyone’s help to extend it. Please, please, please contact your state legislator and tell them to vote to remove the sunset and make this program permanent. The pilot program term is ending at the end of this year.

Please use this easy form to tell your legislator that you support the Tax Credit Scholarships and that you want them to Remove the Sunset

Since 2018, the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program has supported dozens of students at OLW. We are grateful to the donors and we are also grateful to the state that this program exists. It has allowed 16-20 students each year to attend Our Lady of the Wayside School. All of the scholarships granted are need-based.

 
You can read more about the benefits of the Tax Credit Scholarships here

These scholarships are WIN/WIN/WIN for OLW School, for students in need, AND for the donor. Donate to support scholarships at OLW AND reduce your state tax liability. Keep the money. This program is call the Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship Program, “Invest in Kids” and it provides a 75% Illinois state income tax credit – not just a deduction – to individuals who contribute money to a non-profit Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). This means that a $5,000 donation to an SGO is a net cost of only $1,250 to the donor. Earmark your donation for Our Lady of the Wayside School and it will be used for students that want to attend our school but need financial assistance.

There are a few steps to the process (see below), but the benefit is truly worth the effort. In the past five years of the program, OLW has awarded approximately $110,000 each year to almost 20 students because of the generous donations of our school and parish members using Illinois Tax Credits. The need remains the same! 

The steps for the donor are:
1.) You need to request a Letter ID from mytax.illinois.gov. You will need your Social Security and Driver’s License numbers. Click on Individuals; under Miscellaneous, click on Request a Letter ID. It takes about 7-10 business days to receive the Letter ID in the mail.
Step by step instructions to request a Letter ID 

2.) Once you receive the Letter ID, return to mytax.illinois.gov and click Sign Up Now to create an account. Then log-in to your newly created account to apply for your tax credit.
Step by step instructions to create and activate your account
Step by step instructions to apply for your tax credit
When applying for the tax credit, please have this information handy:
– Region 1/Cook County for OLW
– Scholarship Granting Organization: Empower Illinois
– how much you plan to donate (you must mail a check, no credit card donations are allowed)
You will receive an email with your Contribution Authorization Certificate. Download it and then you can make your donation. 
Step by step instructions to download Contribution Authorization Certificate

3.) Visit EmpowerIllinois.org to make your donation to OLW through the Tax Credit Scholarship Program. You must use the SGO Empower Illinois and designate Our Lady of the Wayside School.
Download the mail-in payment donation form and send with your donation check to Empower Illinois. This must be done within 60 days of receiving the Contribution Authorization Certificate from mytax.illinois.gov.

Please contact any of the following people for help. The extra effort benefits families who would like to choose OLW as the place to give their children a Catholic education, but they need financial assistance. The donor receives a benefit in an actual reduction of tax liability when they file their IL state taxes. A Win/Win!
David Wood, OLW Principal, 847-255-0050, ext 244, or dwood@olwschool.org
Danielle Kenney, Marketing and Development Manager, 847-255-0050, or dkenney@olwschool.org