The Norwin School District Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization affiliated with Norwin School District, is informing local businesses about the benefits of participating in a state program called the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC). The program can provide alternative revenue for innovative educational programs, while also helping businesses that participate to receive substantial state tax credits. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit program authorizes tax credits (not deductions) for businesses that make contributions to certain state-approved organizations called Educational Improvement Organizations, among others. A business may receive a tax credit equal to 75 percent of its contribution to an Educational Improvement Organization or Scholarship Organization that is included on the current list published by the Department of Community and Economic Development, up to a maximum of $750,000 per taxable year. The tax credit may be increased to 90 percent of the contribution made, up to a maximum of $750,000 per taxable year, if the business agrees to provide the same amount of contribution to an organization for two consecutive years. | EITC Information Session for Norwin Businesses WHO: Provided by Norwin School District Community Foundation in cooperation with the Norwin School District and the Norwin Business-Education Roundtable. WHEN: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 6, 2013. WHERE: Norwin School District Administration Building, 281 McMahon Drive, North Huntingdon. DETAILS: Norwin Foundation officials will explain the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. If this meeting day and time is not convenient for interested businesses, select Foundation Board members would be happy to meet with business owners personally. RSVP: Contact Mr. Jonathan D. Szish, Executive Director, at |
The Norwin School District Community Foundation is included on the Department’s current list as an Educational Improvement Organization, which is one of three designations within the EITC program. Also, several programs proposed by the Norwin School District Community Foundation have been deemed by the Department to be advanced academic “Innovative Educational Programs” within the meaning of the EITC program. The state-recognized programs of the Foundation include expansion of the robotics program within the elementary grades, expansion of advanced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) camps on Saturdays and summer break, increased opportunities for students with regard to Advanced Placement and College in the High School courses, possible creation of a “Norwin App Laboratory” or a Multimedia Arts Learning Laboratory, increased work-study experiences for High School students, and increased support for K-12 STEM Education. “The EITC program enables a portion of what qualifying businesses would normally pay in state tax dollars to be diverted to support the Norwin School District via the Norwin School District Community Foundation,” said Dr. John Boylan, president of the Norwin School District Community Foundation. “The participation of local businesses in the EITC program will benefit students in their current studies as well as prepare them to be successful as they advance their education beyond Norwin High School.” The proposed state budget has allocated $30 million statewide in tax credits for businesses to support educational improvement organizations like the Norwin School District Community Foundation. However, with hundreds of other educational improvement organizations competing for these tax credits across the state, that $30 million won’t last long, according to Mr. Jonathan D. Szish, the Foundation’s executive director. “Interested Norwin businesses should be mindful that the state’s entire allocation of tax credits is typically exhausted by July 1 of each fiscal year,” Mr. Szish said. “That means that time is of the essence for businesses to seize this opportunity.” Dr. Boylan, Mr. Szish, and Foundation treasurer Mr. John Wilson will host an information session about the EITC program for interested Norwin businesses from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 6, 2013at the Norwin Administration Building. (Please See Box Above.) Businesses can view EITC guidelines for the 2013-2014 fiscal year on the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Web site at www.newpa.com/eitc. On May 1, 2013, businesses will also be able to view the online EITC application for the 2013-2014 fiscal year on that same Web site. This will give businesses an opportunity to review the application and begin work on it if they wish. They can also save their work, but they need to make sure they do not submit the application to the Department until July 1 (or May 15 if the business is in a two-year commitment with the EITC program). | |
