Federal tax credit gifts open January 1, 2027. Get ready to give

When you give, kids gain.

Help a child learn. Get every dollar back.

Your tax dollars can change a child's future. Starting January 1, 2027, give up to $1,700 to K-12 scholarships ($3,400 per couple) and get it all back as a federal tax credit.

501(c)(3) public charity · EIN 39-4236057 · Donors in all 50 states

It costs you nothing.

You give up to$1,700
−Your tax credit$1,700
=Your cost$0
A child gets$1,700toward school

Any amount works the same way. Give $500, get $500 back.

You get back up to what you owe in federal income tax. Couples can give up to $3,400.

How it works.

A new federal tax credit lets you send part of your taxes to a child's education.

  1. You give

    Donate any amount up to $1,700 to Give for Kids and choose "Federal tax credit." We email your receipt right away.

  2. You get it back

    Claim the credit on your federal tax return for the year you gave. Your credit is locked in the day you give. It does not wait on scholarships being awarded.

  3. Families apply

    Families with K-12 students apply for need-based scholarships.

  4. A child goes to school

    Scholarships are paid directly to schools for tuition and other education costs.

Read the full guide to the credit

Elementary students raising their hands in class
Every gift is a seat in a classroom.
A young girl reading a book
Books, tutoring, and tuition.
Two schoolgirls smiling
Public, charter, and private schools.

See how it adds up.

An example for someone who owes $10,000 in federal income tax.

Start with the federal income tax you already owe.

Federal income tax you owe$10,000
+Your gift to Give for Kids$1,700
−Your scholarship tax credit$1,700
=You now owe the IRS$8,300
Total you paid$8,300 to the IRS + $1,700 to kids$10,000
A child's scholarshipPaid for with taxes you already owed$1,700

Accountable by design.

A separate account

Federal law requires tax-credit gifts to be kept in their own account, apart from operating funds.

Reported to the IRS

We report every tax-credit gift and how scholarship funds are spent to the IRS each year.

Spent on education

Scholarships are paid to schools and education providers, or reimburse receipted education costs. Never as unrestricted cash.

About Give for Kids

A mother and daughter reading together

For families

Scholarships for K-12 students in public, charter, and private schools, for households earning up to 300% of their area's median income. Now serving students in Ohio. Other states coming soon.

Check eligibility and apply
A student raising her hand in class

For schools

Partner with us to help your families access scholarships. Payments go directly to the school, and there is no cost to participate.

Learn about partnering

Questions.

Is it really free?

Yes, if you owe at least as much federal income tax as you give. The credit lowers your tax bill by the full amount of your gift. Example: you owe $10,000 in federal tax and give $1,700. Your tax drops to $8,300, so you pay the same $10,000 in total, and $1,700 of it goes to a child's education instead of the Treasury.

Can I give for the federal credit today?

Federal credit gifts count starting January 1, 2027. Pledge now and we will send your giving link on January 1.

I don't live where you award scholarships. Can I still give?

Yes. Donors in every state can give to a certified Scholarship Granting Organization in any participating state and claim the federal credit.

Can a married couple claim $3,400?

Under the proposed IRS regulations, yes. Each spouse can claim up to $1,700 for their own gift on a joint return.

What if I owe less federal tax than I give?

The credit is nonrefundable, but any unused amount carries forward for up to five years.

See all questions

When we give, kids gain.

Pledge your 2027 gift today. It costs you nothing extra and it changes a child's school year.

Pledge my gift See the state map
Get ready to give →