As the calendar year draws to a close, many people consider their end of year giving. This year, the Office of Catholic Schools would like you to consider a contribution to the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund.

This fund, established in 2021, is recognized as a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) in the state of Ohio. Created in the last state budget cycle, an SGO is an agency that can accept contributions to be used specifically for financial assistance in schools in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your Ohio income tax liability, effectively allowing you to make a choice about how your Ohio tax dollars are utilized. In 2022, this tax credit is $750 for an individual or $1,500 for married filing jointly.  

Gifts to the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund provide scholarships to low-income students and families demonstrating need in every one of the 52 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Columbus. Donors may select a school to direct their gift or a gift may be made to the unrestricted fund, which helps families with the greatest need. 

In the Gospel of Luke, we hear about how the resurrected Jesus accompanied his disciples along their journey on the road to the town of Emmaus. During this walk, Jesus spoke to them, reminding them to believe all that the prophets had said about him, but they did not recognize him. It was only much later that evening when they realized that they had been walking with Jesus, saying, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32).  

From that same spirit of accompaniment, the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund takes its name.  Our desire is for donors to the fund to journey with Catholic school students, giving them the opportunity to draw closer to Jesus Christ through the gift of Catholic education so that their hearts, too, might be burning with love for the Gospel message.

The opportunity presented by this fund is tremendous. In 2021, the Office of Catholic Schools received tuition assistance requests totaling $15 million, a figure reached after accounting for public funding programs such as EdChoice. Unfortunately, Diocesan resources only allowed us to meet $800,000 of the requested need.  

The Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund has the potential to change this story. The Diocese of Columbus received SGO status – it was actually the first SGO in the state – in December 2021.  During that one month, with just limited advertising, the SGO raised $60,000, every penny of which went to support tuition needs in our schools. Based on that, and with the cooperative communication put out by parishes and schools, we anticipate this fund growing to the point where no school has to worry about supporting any student in need. 

Please consider making a gift to the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund. Your generosity can make a life-changing difference for our students while earning you a state tax credit. Visit https://emmausroadscholarship.org to turn your tax dollars into financial assistance for Catholic schools.

Dr. Adam J. Dufault is the superintendent for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Columbus.