EPCAMR received official approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) to be included on the State’s list of educational improvement organizations under the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program. This means businesses that would like to make contributions in the form of a donation to our organization can receive business tax credits. The place-based environmental education philosophy we apply to our programs throughout the Anthracite coal field school districts has been deemed “innovative” by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the 2011-2012 fiscal year (July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012). A copy of the current list of both scholarship and educational improvement organizations can be found on the PA DCED webpage.
We were congratulated for approval to be included in the EITC Program by Mr. Scott D. Dunkelberger, Acting Deputy Secretary for Business Assistance in a letter, dated May 16, 2011.
The law requires 80% of the contributions received by EPCAMR from businesses awarded EITCs to be used for Environmental Education and Outdoor Experiences throughout the EPCAMR region. EPCAMR is responsible, as a 501 (c)3, public, charitable, educational organization to supply the PA DCED and donor businesses with a contribution receipt that includes the following information: the donor’s organization name, amount of the contribution, date the contribution was received, and check number. A copy of the statements will be forwarded to the PA DCED with our renewal application beginning on May 1, 2012.
Now, all we need are a few businesses within our region willing to contribute to EPCAMR. Know of any? We’re a registered public 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization. For nearly 15 years, EPCAMR has had a presence in the Anthracite coal region, cleaning up streams and reclaiming lands impacted by past mining, and educating the youth in underserved school districts throughout Northeast Pennsylvania on mining history, heritage, and how they can become community volunteers to improve the water and quality of life in their own backyard.
A business, corporation, or bank may receive a tax credit equal to 75% of its contribution to an Educational Improvement Organization that is included on the list published by the PA DCED, up to a maximum of $300,000 per taxable year. The tax credit may be increased to 90% of the contribution made, up to a maximum of $300,000 per taxable year, if the business agrees to provide the same amount of contribution to EPCAMR for two consecutive years. The EITC Program can alleviate a majority of the pressure the EPCAMR staff deals with on a daily basis to continually seek funding to keep the organization adequately funded.
