One more step to allocate Donate to Elevate funds

By Lana Sweeten-Shults Published January 30, 2019

GCU News Bureau

Directing your tax dollars to go to a cause you love? It's as easy as filling out a 1040EZ, especially at Grand Canyon University, where employees can participate in the Donate to Elevate program.

Using the University's payroll system, employees may choose for their state tax dollars to be diverted to School Choice Arizona in support of scholarships so students can attend private Christian schools or to Habitat for Humanity. Employees also may choose a third option, to support public/charter school extra-curricular programs, such as the arts, after-school tutoring or athletics programs, though this is not available through payroll and is done by visiting individual schools’ websites.

Employees might particularly consider one of three schools that have established a focused partnership with GCU through the K12 Targeted School Assistance initiative: Westwood Elementary in the neighborhood, or Rhodes or Andersen Middle Schools, both in the east valley.

Now that it's tax season, it's time for that final step to assure your tax credit is funneled down one of those three avenues.

Watch your mail -- or email -- for your tax receipt letter.

Here's what to do:

First, watch your mail or email for your tax receipt letter, which verifies your donation amount. Habitat is sending tax receipt letters this week in the body of an email (not as an attachment) to each email address provided to the organization, with hard copies also being mailed out this week. If your address has changed and you haven’t received your receipt by early February, reach out to the organization you diverted your tax dollars to – Habitat (phone 602-268-9022), School Choice Arizona (480-722-7502) or your chosen public school.
If you are doing your own taxes, here are the forms you may need: Arizona Form 321 for Habitat, Form 322 for the public school credit or Form 323 for School Choice Arizona.

Since 2013, GCU employees have allocated more than $10 million to one or more of the three tax-credit options, Dr. Tacy Ashby, Senior Vice President of K-12 Educational Development, said earlier this year.

“This has truly made a notable difference in the communities we are serving,” she said.

The University’s goal last year was to allocate $2.5 million. Employees topped that with a $2.7 million total. This year, the goal is even higher -- $2.8 million.

There is no difference in employees’ take-home pay to participate in Donate to Elevate. The redirected funds are pretax dollars, and they count as charitable contributions.

If you have not yet pledged, click here.

For more information about Donate to Elevate, contact Sheila Jones, program manager for K-12 Educational Development, at 602-639-7135 or by email.

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