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Double Your Impact as the Year Ends

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Colleen Shanley-Loveless

 

As we approach the end of the year, I find myself thinking about the extraordinary generosity that fuels our work at Revitalize CDC. Every repaired roof, every safe home, every child or senior supported through our health, education, nutrition, and digital navigation programs — each of these success stories begins with someone choosing to invest in their community.

Right now, you have a powerful opportunity to make that investment go twice as far.

Through the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program, any donation of $1,000 or more to Revitalize CDC earns you a 50% refundable state tax credit. That means a $1,000 gift effectively costs you only $500 after the credit. A $10,000 gift costs $5,000 while delivering the full benefit to the local low-income families who need it most.

This is one of the most generous community investment incentives in the country. And it’s open to individuals, businesses, and nonprofits, including churches, regardless of the state in which you file taxes. On top of the state credit, your gift also qualifies for a federal charitable tax deduction, increasing your overall savings.

When you give to Revitalize CDC, 95 cents of every dollar supports direct program expenses. This demonstrates exceptional efficiency, an achievement reached by fewer than 1% of nonprofits nationwide.

Your contribution provides flexible, immediate funds that allow us to respond to urgent needs, keeping seniors and veterans warm and safe in their homes, ensuring families have healthy food, helping residents gain digital access, and strengthening the neighborhoods we all share.

When you give through CITC, you’re not just making a donation — you’re creating stability for a family, dignity for a neighbor, and resilience for an entire community.

To sum up, your CITC gift provides:

• Considerable tax savings;

• Eligibility for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits, including churches;

• A federal IRS charitable deduction; and

• A refundable credit, meaning excess credit comes back to you even if you owe little or no tax.

This is a moment when your generosity truly has the power to transform lives. Please consider making your CITC-eligible donation today at www.revitalizecdc.com. Double your impact. Save on your taxes. Strengthen your community.

And, as always, please consult your professional tax advisor for guidance specific to your situation. Email me at [email protected] if you have any questions. Together, we can ensure that every neighbor, every family, has the chance to live in a safe, healthy, and stable home. Thank you for standing with us.

 

Colleen Shanley-Loveless is president and CEO of Revitalize CDC.

Investing in the Future of Western Mass.

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Emily Haber

When it comes to serving the needs of Western Massachusetts, our state government has a mixed record. It often directs its finite attention and resources inside 495.

However, one wildly successful program enables business leaders to deliver state funds directly to communities throughout the region. The Community Investment Tax Credit provides a 50% tax rebate on donations to nonprofit organizations known as community development corporations, or CDCs.

These organizations, 12 of which are in Western Massachusetts, provide people with safe and affordable places to live. They provide transportation in areas that lack buses or trains, equip workers with the skills that local companies need, and make other vital investments in local economies.

Launched just over a decade ago under Gov. Deval Patrick, the Community Investment Tax Credit has gained momentum under Govs. Charlie Baker and, now, Maura Healey. In its first 10 years, the program delivered $134 million to community development projects throughout Massachusetts.

In the past three years alone, CDCs in Western Massachusetts assisted nearly 2,000 entrepreneurs, educated more than 3,000 homebuyers, provided more than $29 million in grants and loans to small businesses, and built more than 200 homes.

Recognizing the undeniable success of the program, the governor and lawmakers recently expanded it as part of the Affordable Homes Act, increasing the allotment of tax credits to $15 million per year in 2025. Earlier this month, the state issued $2 million in new credits for Western Mass.

Signs of CDCs’ impact are everywhere. In Great Barrington, CDC of South Berkshire recently converted an inn into 16 month-to-month rooms with a common kitchen to house new employees of Berkshire Health Systems — Berkshire County’s largest employer. Franklin County CDC, which works in all four Western Mass. counties, assisted 365 entrepreneurs and lent $3.4 million to businesses.

In Northampton, Valley CDC is converting a long-vacant nursing home into 60 affordable apartments and installing geothermal heating and cooling systems. In Springfield, Way Finders is redeveloping distressed properties and making them available to first-time homebuyers.

Meanwhile, Quaboag Valley and Hilltown CDC are running rural vans that are a lifeline to seniors and other residents. The Community Investment Tax Credit supports countless other programs that help make Western Mass. more vibrant.

In a diverse region with more than 100 cities and towns, the program gives organizations leeway to meet the unique needs of local employers and communities. The state holds CDCs accountable so donors can feel confident that their investments will truly enhance the local economy.

Taking advantage of the program is simple: individuals, companies, or foundations that donate $1,000 or more to a qualifying CDC are eligible for a tax rebate of 50% — in effect, a matching donation that doubles the impact of a gift. The program is open to all. Those who do not pay Massachusetts taxes or owe less than the amount of the rebate receive a direct payment from the state.

From food to advanced manufacturing to biotechnology to tourism, Western Mass. possesses tremendous economic potential and is poised for growth. Yet, to fully take advantage of the opportunities ahead, the region needs to address shortfalls in housing, transportation, and support for small businesses, among other challenges. At a time of national and global uncertainty, the Community Investment Tax Credit offers the opportunity to invest close to home so that Western Mass. can thrive for generations to come.

A list of qualifying CDCs in Western Massachusetts is available at macdc.org/western-mass-cdcs.

 

Emily Haber is president and CEO of the Massachusetts Assoc. of Community Development Corporations.