Depends which option you pick. Full STEAM Ahead support covers the real costs of running free programming in local elementary schools — materials, space, instructor time. Sponsored tutoring buys 1:1 hours for a specific student on our waitlist; that money is paid to Story of You for tutoring services and is recorded as business revenue, priced at our delivery cost rather than our retail rate. Split divides your support between the two based on need that month. Payment processing takes a small percentage off the top before any of it reaches us — see the fee note on the form.

No. Story of You is a for-profit LLC, not a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so your support is not a tax-deductible charitable contribution and we can't issue a tax receipt. You'll still get a standard payment receipt. If tax-deductibility matters to you, we'd rather tell you now than have you find out at filing time.

Story of You runs a paid tutoring business alongside free community programming, and the paid side helps sustain the free side. That's a for-profit structure, and we'd rather say so plainly than dress it up. [OPTIONAL: replace or extend this with your actual reasoning — a fiscal sponsor, a pending 501(c)(3), or a deliberate choice.] It means we can't offer you a deduction. It also means we're accountable to you directly rather than to a tax status.

It's worth being direct about: yes, when you sponsor tutoring, you're buying our service for someone else, and that money is revenue to us. Two things keep it honest. We charge sponsors our delivery cost, not our retail rate — the difference is stated on the form. And sponsored funds are tracked separately from general revenue, with hours delivered reconciled against dollars received in our [quarterly/annual] update.

Yes. In the form above you can direct your support to Full STEAM Ahead, sponsored tutoring, or a split between both. We honor your choice — funds you designate are used only for that purpose.

Full STEAM Ahead is our free community initiative bringing hands-on STEAM and social-emotional learning to elementary students in local schools. SOY Academy is our paid tutoring, test-prep, and college-counseling program for grades 6–12; sponsorships buy hours for students who couldn't otherwise afford to enroll.

Yes. Choose Monthly above to set up recurring support — it helps us plan ahead for students. Your card is charged the same amount on the same day each month until you cancel. You can cancel any time from the link in every receipt email, or at storyofyoumain.org/manage — no email or phone call required.

Yes. Payments are processed through a secure, encrypted checkout. We never see or store your full card details.

We've delivered programming in partnership with schools and community organizations including Durham Public Schools, the YMCA, UVA Community Partnerships, First in Math, and the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools. These are programming relationships — they don't fund, sponsor, or endorse this page.

Yes — you can volunteer, partner your school or organization with us, or host a drive. Visit our Get Involved page or reach out and we'll find the right fit.