Michigan tax credits for being charitable end on New Year's Eve - Holland, MI - The Holland Sentinel Not only is New Years Eve the last day to make tax-deductible gifts that can be qualify for your 2011 income taxes, its also your last shot to earn state tax credits for donations to food banks, universities and community foundations.

One of the most prominent repealed credits was Michigans 50 percent credit for contributions to homeless shelters like the Holland Rescue Mission, food banks, and public institutions like the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area. The credits provide up to $200 for a couple giving $400 to a qualifying charity or $100 for an individual giving $200 to a qualifying charity. The tax credits really did spur a lot of giving, said Holland Rescue Mission Executive Director Darryl Bartlett, whose organization has benefited from the credits for the last 19 years. New Years Eve, will be the last day people can earn the tax credits by donating to the mission, through its website, hollandrescue.org.

Donations charged to a credit card before the end of the year count for 2011, even if the credit-card bill isnt paid until next year, according to the IRS.

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The MetroWest Health Foundation announced it will dispense 15 grants totaling $1 million to local organizations, including two new grants for Framingham and Natick High Schools.

The high school grants $150,000 for Framingham and $75,000 for Natick are targeted to reduce high-risk behaviors among youth as reported in the 2010 MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey.

The grant going to Natick High School will establish a transition program for students returning to school after a mental-health related hospitalization.

The remaining grants doled out will address the Foundations ongoing efforts to expand elder care services locally and provide support for caregivers, prevent bullying, reduce obesity, and improve access to health care.

The MetroWest Free Medical Program, which has locations in Framingham and Sudbury, received $40,020 to continue providing health screening, education and referral services to improve treatment of chronic diseases to low-income residents at a walk-in clinic.

ATHENS Every year for the past nine years, the town and village of Athens have had their own personal version of Santa Claus, who hands out thousands of dollars in post-Christmas grants to local not-for-profit organizations.

This year, the Athens Community Foundation is living up to its reputation, distributing $138,040 in grants to 27 Athens-based civic, sports, cultural, fraternal, educational and governmental groups.

In all, 30 grants will be handed out to the 27 groups, ranging from Little League to the village and town to the library and the senior center.

The Athens Community Foundation was established nearly a decade ago as part of the agreement with the Town of Athens that enabled the Athens Generating plant to be constructed, and over the years has given out well over a million dollars.

This years grant award total of $138,040 is nearly $12,000 higher than last years awards, which totaled $126,460.

Local organizations each year submit applications for grant money, which this year totaled $234,200. The Advisory Board then sifts through the applications and makes decisions on how much money should be awarded to which organizations, whittling the award amounts down to the appropriate total.

According to a press release from the Athens Community Foundation, despite the nations continued economic woes, this years awards represent a steady commitment to the people of Athens, thanks, in part, to sustained growth of the funds through prudent investing of the funds principal by its three trustees and by the equally conscientious recommendations by the Foundations eleven member Advisory Board.

While Athens Generating has completed its part of the original deal that established the Foundation contributing funds each of several years to get the Foundation started with wise investing it is hoped the organization will be able to continue in perpetuity.

According to Foundation Trustee Gene Hatton, who is also Athens deputy town supervisor, with this grant set, the ninth annual round of grants by the Foundation, the number of grants over the life of the Foundation now totals 239, along with a total dollar figure disbursement of over $1,400,000.

Also helping keep the funding pool fiscally sound is a contribution from the Peckham Family Foundation, which for the fourth year in a row contributed its own grant to underwrite the Foundations expenses. While the trustees and Advisory Board are all volunteers, there are minimal expenses such as taxes, accountant fees and state regulatory fees.

Other corporate donors to the Foundation this year included Morgan Stanleys Charitable Spending Program and the Bank of Greene County.

Each year, grant money enables local not-for-profit groups and the two municipalities the town and village to complete projects and programs they might otherwise not be able to afford.

Past grants have been used to replace the deck on the Athens Recreation Associations swimming pool, purchase uniforms for Boy Scouts, make improvements to the Athens Community Center and purchase items for the senior center.

Virtually every Athens-based not-for-profit group has benefited from the grant awards in some way over the past nine years.

The Athens Community Foundations trustees include Hatton, Leo Palmateer and Athens Generating Plant Manager Dan DeVinney.

The Advisory Board consists of local residents Herby Blasewitz, Rob Butler, Ron Coons, Joe Iraci, Tim Martin, Martin Miller, Michael Ragaini, Herman Reinhold, Peggy Snyder, Patty Whiteman and Howard Zar.

Winter fuel drive hits 20,000 mark - Today's News - News - JournalLive

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