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Running Your SGO with SGOone

Your mission is education.
We'll help with the operations.

Running a Scholarship Granting Organization involves more than awarding scholarships.

There are donors to support, families to serve, schools to coordinate with, payments to track, records to maintain, and important reporting responsibilities.

SGOone is designed to bring these activities together in one connected platform, helping independent organizations operate efficiently while remaining in control of their mission and decisions.

See how it all comes together.

One connected operating lifecycle

From getting ready to reporting with confidence.

Start with the everyday situations. Open any topic when you want a closer look.

Stage 1 / 5

Get Your Organization Ready

Turn your mission into a practical operating plan, with clear responsibilities and a place for the information your team needs.

An everyday situation

A newly established SGO prepares its first program: board responsibilities, participating schools, donation processes and an application workflow.

How SGOone helps

SGOone brings organization settings, program configuration, staff access and readiness tasks together. That gives your team a shared starting point and makes the next steps easier to follow.

Begin operations with organized processes instead of disconnected systems.

Explore the details

Configure a scholarship program

SGOone brings program settings, application requirements and review tasks together, giving your team a clear starting point for each scholarship cycle. SGOone will help apply your configured award approach and keep the reasoning visible, so reviewers can spend less time reconstructing how a result was reached.

Manage distinct programs

SGOone keeps programs and their applications identifiable, making it easier to follow different scholarship opportunities without mixing their records. SGOone will help coordinate distinct requirements and review instructions, so your team can manage several programs with a consistent working approach.

Keep schools and learning centers connected

Provider profiles connect contacts with related student and award records, making the right information easier to find when a school calls. SGOone will help bring provider information into payment preparation, reducing the need to look up the same details in separate places.

Assign board, staff and volunteer responsibilities

Role-based access helps each person work with the information appropriate to their responsibilities. Connected review tasks make handoffs easier to follow, helping your board, staff and volunteers share the work without giving everyone the same level of access.

Organize policies and formation records

Formation Journey outputs, readiness tasks and evidence references give your team a common starting point instead of scattered notes. SGOone will bring secure document handling into these workflows, making supporting records easier to locate and use as the organization develops.

Explore the Formation Journey →

Stage 2 / 5

Raise Funds & Care for Donors

A contribution begins a relationship—and a record that needs to remain understandable through year-end.

An everyday situation

A donor contributes $1,700. Your team needs to connect the payment to the right person, fund, contribution classification, acknowledgment and reporting records.

How SGOone helps

Donor records, contribution intake and review, transaction history and the donor-number registry help staff keep the pieces connected. SGOone will connect payment and communication workflows to these records, helping your team follow each contribution through to acknowledgment.

Accurate records and professional donor support without repetitive administration.

Explore the details

One donor identity, from contribution to acknowledgment

SGOone stores and retrieves staff-entered numbers with correction history, keeping each donor connected to their contribution records. That continuity will help carry the same identification into acknowledgment and reporting preparation. The donor number follows the instructions supplied through IRS SGO registration under the temporary rules; it is distinct from a taxpayer ID.

  1. The donor record provides one place to find the person and their contribution history.
  2. The registry keeps the staff-entered donor number, source and correction history connected to that identity.
  3. Contribution records retain the fund, classification and transaction reference for each gift.
  4. SGOone will help bring that information into annual acknowledgment and reporting preparation, reducing repeated entry.

Everyday example

The same donor gives $1,000 and later $700: two contribution records, one donor record and the existing donor-number assignment.

Read the temporary registration and acknowledgment rules →
Follow repeat gifts and annual history

SGOone brings contribution records together around the donor, making repeat gifts and giving history easier to follow. Invited donor portal access helps donors find their own information, while your team can answer questions without piecing together separate records.

A donation can exceed the credit limit

SGOone keeps the full contribution in the donor history, helping your team explain the difference between the amount given and a potential tax credit. The federal credit has a $1,700 annual individual limit, subject to eligibility and applicable reductions; a larger gift can still be recorded in full.

Explore donor and tax-credit questions →
Handle refunds, reversals and failed payments

Connected transaction and exception history helps your team understand what happened to a contribution without losing the original record. SGOone will help coordinate payment exceptions and retries, keeping follow-up focused on the items that need attention.

Separate qualifying gifts, other gifts and restricted funds

Fund and contribution records help your team keep different kinds of giving understandable within the same donor relationship. SGOone will help carry the relevant classification, restriction and state context through reporting preparation, reducing the need to sort gifts again at year-end. Qualification remains a review decision, not an automatic result of a label.

  1. Contribution records retain the donor’s designation and relevant fund or program.
  2. Fund and jurisdiction records keep the restriction and state context close to the gift.
  3. SGOone will help organize those distinctions for reporting, so different types of giving remain understandable.

Everyday example

A qualifying contribution and a general operating gift from the same person belong in that person's history, but should not be merged into a single qualified-contribution total.

Read the regulatory guide →
An immediate receipt is not the annual acknowledgment

SGOone will help your team prepare annual acknowledgments from connected donor and contribution records, reducing repeated entry of information already on hand. The payment receipt explains an individual transaction; the annual acknowledgment brings the reviewed yearly information together.

Review donor restrictions before accepting them

SGOone will help keep donor designations and restriction notes with the contribution, making questions easier to spot and route for review. That gives your team context for donor conversations, including requests to earmark a gift for a particular student, which can be impermissible under §25F.

Stage 3 / 5

Serve Families & Award Scholarships

Make the application process understandable for families and the decision process accountable for your team.

An everyday situation

One household applies for two children. Each student has different application information, supporting evidence and a scholarship history.

How SGOone helps

Household, student and application records connect the family story without merging individual reviews. Evidence requests, assigned tasks and preserved decision explanations help staff follow up.

Organized, accountable scholarship decisions with less manual coordination.

Explore the details

One household, individual student histories

Household records connect siblings while keeping each student’s applications and awards distinct. Your team can understand the family’s situation without combining separate decisions, and invited families can find their portal information in one place.

Collect supporting information and track missing items

Evidence requests show what has been requested, received and verified, helping staff see the next useful follow-up. SGOone will connect secure file collection and controlled access to that workflow, making it easier for families to supply information and for reviewers to find it.

Review income and student eligibility

SGOone keeps evidence references and supported rule explanations with the review, giving staff a clearer basis for each decision. Document Intelligence will help classify documents, extract useful information and flag missing or inconsistent details, so reviewers can focus their attention where it is needed.

  1. Household and student records provide the context for the application.
  2. Evidence requests show what has arrived and what still needs attention.
  3. Document Intelligence will help surface missing or inconsistent information for a closer look.
  4. Decision history preserves the reviewer’s conclusion and supporting explanation.

Everyday example

Two students in one household may share income evidence but still require separate program and student reviews. Document Intelligence will help flag inconsistent information for staff review; eligibility decisions remain with the SGO.

Keep application periods and program rules clear

Program-specific records and dated tasks help your team see which application cycle a student belongs to and what comes next. SGOone will help coordinate program requirements and follow-up, reducing the need to manage competing deadlines in separate lists.

Coordinate reviewers, committees and approvals

Assigned review work, evaluation explanations and recorded decisions make it easier to see where an application stands. Your team can follow the handoff from review to approval and find the reasoning behind a decision without reconstructing an email thread.

Check relationships and conflicts of interest

SGOone will help keep relationship disclosures, review notes and recusal records with the application process. Giving reviewers that context in one place will make it easier to route potential conflicts for appropriate attention and preserve an understandable decision history.

  1. SGOone will help organize disclosed relationships alongside the application.
  2. Review notes will keep the question, recusal and follow-up connected.
  3. The decision history will preserve the outcome for later reference.
Review Section 25F requirements and proposed operating rules →
Keep families informed

Communication workflows bring application updates, missing-item reminders and award notices into the same working process as the application. SGOone will help your team send timely messages using that context, reducing the effort of finding the right family and rebuilding each update.

Stage 4 / 5

Pay Providers & Manage Finances

Keep the path from award decision to actual payment visible, with financial approvals in the right hands.

An everyday situation

An approved scholarship needs a student, program, eligible provider, available funds, authorized payment and a reconciliation record.

How SGOone helps

SGOone connects awards, fund records, distribution workflows and operational reporting. SGOone will help your team coordinate payment workflows and prepare financial reviews while retaining authorization and oversight.

Connected financial records and better visibility without taking important financial decisions away from the SGO.

Explore the details

From scholarship approval to disbursement

SGOone connects award and fund records with distribution workflows. SGOone will bring the student, provider, authorization and payment history into a clear path from approval through reconciliation, helping your team follow each handoff without rebuilding the scholarship’s story.

  1. Award records connect the scholarship to the student and program.
  2. Fund records provide the context for the resources supporting the award.
  3. SGOone will help connect provider details and payment authorization to the workflow.
  4. Payment and reconciliation workflows will keep settlement information and exceptions connected to the original award.

Everyday example

A $4,000 award paid in two installments is one award with two payment events. A planned second installment remains an obligation, not a completed expenditure.

Resolve failed payments and corrections

Exception and reconciliation workflows keep payment questions connected to the underlying records. SGOone will help your team follow corrections and retries through resolution, making it easier to distinguish an outstanding issue from a completed payment.

Separate receipts, awards, commitments and expenditures

Connected operational records help your team see incoming resources, approved obligations and payment activity as distinct parts of the financial picture. That makes it easier to explain what has been awarded, what remains committed and what has actually been paid.

  1. Contribution records explain incoming resources.
  2. Award records identify approved scholarship obligations.
  3. Distribution and reconciliation records help distinguish paid amounts from remaining commitments.

Everyday example

Approving $90,000 of awards does not mean $90,000 has been spent. Showing $45,000 paid alongside the remaining commitments makes the difference easier to explain.

Monitor the federal 90% scholarship requirement

SGOone will help bring the relevant income, scholarship payment and adjustment records into a more understandable monitoring workflow. Your team will have a clearer starting point for reviewing spending progress instead of rebuilding the calculation from scattered records. The statutory requirement concerns scholarship expenditures relative to income; the October 2026 operating rules are proposed, not final.

  1. Connected income and fund records will help identify the information relevant to the review.
  2. Payment records will help distinguish actual expenditures from unpaid commitments.
  3. Adjustment history will help explain changes to the underlying figures.
  4. SGOone will support a documented review of the calculation under the applicable rules.

Everyday example

For illustration only: $90,000 of qualifying expenditures divided by $100,000 of applicable income is 90%. This assumes the same required scope and period; it is not the platform's 99% Efficiency Goal.

Read the proposed spending-measurement rules →
Track operating costs separately

Operational exports help connect scholarship activity with the wider financial review, including processor fees, platform fees and other operating costs. Your team and accountant can use those records alongside the accounting ledger to understand where resources are going.

Explore operating-cost examples →
Respect restricted and multi-state funds

Fund and jurisdiction records keep restrictions and state context visible, helping your team follow which resources belong to which program. SGOone will support clearer reporting across these records, making multi-state coordination easier while keeping the required account structures distinct.

Give the treasurer a connected view

Operational reports bring contributions, awards, distributions, balances and exceptions into a connected view. The treasurer can follow activity and outstanding items without gathering every answer from a different spreadsheet, with exports available for financial and board review.

Keep the SGO's processor relationship

SGOone will support your organization’s own processor relationship through integrations and workflow assistance. Payment activity will connect to the operating records your team uses, helping coordinate the work while keeping financial authorization with your organization.

Stage 5 / 5

Stay Organized Throughout the Year

Good year-end preparation starts with clear records and consistent decisions during the year.

An everyday situation

The treasurer needs financial records, donors need acknowledgments, the board wants activity summaries and reporting deadlines are approaching.

How SGOone helps

Operational reports, CSV exports, activity history and evidence references give staff a foundation for review. SGOone will help turn those records into annual acknowledgment and reporting preparation workflows.

Reporting preparation throughout the year rather than rebuilding records at deadlines.

Explore the details

Prepare annual donor acknowledgments

SGOone will help bring the donor number, yearly contribution information and acknowledgment details together for review and delivery. Reusing connected records will reduce repeated data entry and make year-end donor support easier. The temporary rules specify the required information and a January 31 following-year deadline; electronic delivery requires donor consent.

Read the temporary acknowledgment requirements →
Prepare regulatory reports and supporting records

Operational reports and exports give your team a head start on reporting. SGOone will help assemble donor identification and contribution information for review, so preparation builds on the year’s records rather than starting from scratch. The temporary rules set a February 28 following-year deadline for donor-level IRS reporting; submission remains through the required channel.

  1. Operational reports collect the activity already recorded during the year.
  2. Donor records and the number registry provide consistent identification for preparation.
  3. Exports make supported information available for staff and adviser review.
  4. SGOone will help connect reporting preparation to these records, reducing the need to recreate them at a deadline.
Read the October regulatory guide →
Prepare board and management summaries

Available reports and exports help turn daily activity into a useful overview of contributions, scholarship activity, outstanding work and exceptions. Your team can prepare a clearer board discussion with less time spent collecting the underlying operational information.

Preserve approvals and accountability

Activity and decision history keep the explanation close to the record: who reviewed it, what happened and why. When a question comes up later, your team has a starting point for an answer instead of relying on someone’s memory.

Adapt to regulatory changes

SGOone’s regulatory resources help your team find current guidance and understand important developments. SGOone will support adaptable reporting workflows, making it easier to carry updated requirements into your operating process as guidance develops.

Follow SGO and Section 25F updates →
Manage retention and sensitive information

Role-based access helps keep operational information with the people who need it. SGOone will connect secure document handling and retention workflows to these records, making information easier to manage throughout its useful life.

Give advisers appropriate access

Operational exports let your team bring organized information to accountants, attorneys and other advisers. Sharing the relevant records through an approved channel can make professional review more focused, with less time spent locating the background information.

The work between the milestones

The little things add up.

Running an SGO involves hundreds of small responsibilities throughout the year.

Entering information, checking documents, matching payments, updating records, sending reminders, preparing reports, and following up with people.

Individually, these tasks may take only a few minutes. Together, they can consume considerable time.

SGOone is designed to connect these activities, reduce unnecessary repetition, and help your organization focus on the decisions and relationships that matter.

User permissions and security

Role-based permissions help your team share responsibilities without sharing every record or capability. Access can follow people’s roles, making collaboration easier to organize as the team grows.

Reconciliation and transaction exceptions

Connected exception records help your team see the question, the related transaction and its review history together. That context makes it easier to follow an unresolved item through to a documented resolution.

Record retention and audit trails

Activity history and evidence references help your team find the background to a decision. SGOone will connect document retention workflows to that history, making records easier to manage and retrieve when a question arises.

Multi-state operations

Jurisdiction and fund records help keep state-specific activity identifiable within a shared operating platform. Your team can follow the relevant context without losing the overall picture of the organization.

Data exports and portability

CSV reports make supported operational information available for analysis and professional review outside SGOone. Your team can work with the records in familiar tools rather than manually re-entering each item.

Regulatory updates and professional oversight

Linked guidance, operational reports and decision history give your team and advisers a common starting point. SGOone helps organize the information behind important conversations so professional attention can focus on the decisions that need it.

Independent organizations. Human accountability.

Your organization makes the decisions. SGOone helps manage the work.

SGOone supports organized records, calculations, administrative workflows, communications, reporting preparation, and thoughtful automation.

Your SGO retains responsibility for its mission, governance, eligibility determinations, scholarship decisions, financial approvals, professional oversight, and legal compliance. Your donor relationships and organizational decisions remain yours.

Capability and regulatory review: October 20, 2026. The temporary procedures are effective December 1, 2026; the broader proposed operating rules are not final. Read the detailed regulatory guide.

The 99% Efficiency Goal

Keep more. Accomplish more.

Our goal is to help independent SGOs retain at least 99% of the funds they raise after standard SGOone platform fees under representative operating scenarios.

Financial efficiency is only part of our vision. We're also working to simplify as much routine administrative work as practical, helping organizations accomplish more without unnecessary operating complexity.

More funding flexibility. Less administrative burden. Greater opportunities for growth.

The financial goal is scenario-dependent, not guaranteed. It excludes third-party payment processing and other operating expenses; subscriptions, transaction patterns and optional services affect actual costs. It is distinct from the federal scholarship-spending requirement and does not mean 99% is awarded as scholarships or 99% of administration is automated.