Florida nonprofit Handy Inc. provides education support and workforce development, family services, healthcare, and other critical offerings for youth and their families.

In attending CohnReznick’s 2026 New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Summit, Handy gained a clearer understanding of the funding opportunities available to them and how different financing tools could work together to support the organization’s goals – plus the real connections to make it all happen.

Through breakout sessions and conversations with attendees, Handy learned more about not only the NMTC, but the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Florida’s Strong Families and Community Contribution tax credits. The discussions helped them better understand “how to capital-stack opportunities to make dreams come true in the communities [they] serve,” and identify programs for which they may qualify, said CEO Kirk Brown. For example, they met with representatives of banks present and had “robust conversations” about opportunities under the CRA, for which their work in workforce development made them a candidate.

“We experienced an awakening of the value of nonprofits in the NMTC process,” said Brown.

Handy’s conversations at the Summit have since led to commitments from financial and corporate organizations, and sparked the organization toward successful qualification for Strong Families.

Today, Handy is continuing to evaluate its NMTC opportunities, identify potential partners, and hold conversations with local stakeholders met through the Summit and in the local community. While some funding opportunities may not be available to a nonprofit on its own, working alongside other organizations can create stronger opportunities to pursue funding and support community impact. “Handy by ourselves cannot apply, but together we make a better application to the state of Florida,” Brown said of one possible collaboration.

The current goal is to secure New Markets Tax Credit financing and partnerships to transform Handy’s Broward County headquarters into an integrated Community Workforce, Health, and Youth Economic Mobility Campus – a project that “will expand access to healthcare, behavioral health, workforce credentials, employment placement, educational advancement, homelessness prevention, and coordinated family services for low-income youth and families while creating and retaining quality jobs,” Brown said.

CohnReznick is proud to offer through our NMTC Summit a space where not-for-profits can develop their NMTC strategy, explore additional grant opportunities, and build the collaborative relationships needed to advance projects to strengthen communities. Save the date to join us in 2027: May 3-5 in Miami.