LionSGO: Turn your Ohio Taxes into Tuition for Notre Dame Schools
Would you rather pay $750 ($1,500 married couples filing jointly) in taxes you already owe to the state of Ohio or would you rather redirect those dollars to benefit Notre Dame Schools and it cost you nothing? Easy decision, right?
LionSGO, the Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) for Notre Dame Schools, is your opportunity to dictate where your Ohio tax dollars go via a state tax credit for SGO contributors.
For the 2025 tax year, a record 428 LionSGO contributors (in addition to contributors via the Angel Scholarship Fund) turned $366,211 of their Ohio tax dollars into tuition assistance for our students and families. That’s a 25% increase over the previous year and an exciting milestone towards our $1,000,000 goal.
Amplify your LionSGO contribution in 2027! The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC), takes effect January 1, 2027. Like the Ohio tax credit, the opportunity will allow individual taxpayers to claim a nonrefundable federal income tax credit of up to $1,700 ($3,400 per household) for qualifying contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations like LionSGO. Stay tuned for more details!
Here's how it works:
Step one:
Make a contribution to LionSGO up to $750 per individual ($1,500 for married couples filing jointly) before filing your 2026 Ohio income taxes. Note: If you and your spouse plan on both participating, we ask you to make a separate contribution from each individual.
Step two:
Claim the ‘Scholarship Donation’ Ohio tax credit for the amount of your LionSGO contribution.
Step three:
Get your LionSGO contribution back dollar-for-dollar via your Ohio tax refund.
It’s that easy, it really costs you nothing, and we need you to help us reach our goal of $1,000,000 in tuition assistance via LionSGO!
Click HERE to download the LionSGO step-by-step infographic.
Don't take our word for it. Here's what LionSGO supporters are saying…
“The LionSGO Ohio tax credit truly delivered. We were able to support a cause we care about with no net cost through the tax credit. The process was simple and easy to complete. It’s one of those opportunities that feels too important to pass up, especially given the positive impact it has on students and schools. I’d strongly encourage everyone to look into it as they plan for their 2026 taxes as it’s a straightforward way to make a difference.” – Mike `97 & Melissa (Lallo `99) Tighe
“LionSGO is an easy way for me to give back to a place that has formed me. The process is smooth, most notably receiving the receipt via email for tax purposes. With the SGO, I am able to choose where my tax money goes. Anyone who has the opportunity should capitalize on it!” - Mary Grace Raddell `20
“We choose to contribute to LionSGo because it supports valuable educational opportunities for students while also providing us an Ohio tax credit benefit. Our contributions help enhance student programs and academic excellence while receiving a dollar-for-dollar Ohio tax credit, making it a meaningful way to invest in education while reducing our state tax liability.” - Wesley and Anmarie Rand
“If you can get the word out, it is a great resource for the school. As a past contributor, I initially ignored the program because I didn’t realize there was no out of pocket cost until I received a flyer that explained it in detail.” - Survey Respondent
“The contribution process was well designed and easy to follow.” - Survey Respondent
Make Your Contribution
To make your contribution and for more information, please go to LionSGO.org. Click HERE to download a LionSGO contribution form.
Questions or Need Assistance?
Contact our LionSGO specialist Mr. Frank Rihtar ‘00 at LionSGO@ndcl.org with your questions or to be connected with members of our LionSGO CPA resource team.
