About Community Resources Information, Inc.
CRI, Inc.
This TaxCreditResources.org web site was developed by Community Resources Information, Inc. (CRI). CRI is a not-for-profit, tax exempt, 501c3 charitable organization whose principal mission is to develop and maintain state and community-based Internet web sites which provide comprehensive information on resources relevant to the needs of low and moderate-income families and individuals of all ages. CRI is an independent nonprofit organization, which is not affiliated with any federal, state, or local government agency. Furthermore, we are not associated with any for-profit organizations nor do we do serve as the nonprofit arm for any such firms.
CRI was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in the state of Massachusetts on October 2, 2000.
For more information about CRI, read below, or follow this link to CRI's corporate web site.
MassResources.org web site
CRI has also developed a sophisticated web site for the entire state of Massachusetts: www.MassResources.org, as well as one for Worcester, MA: www.WorcesterResources.org. In fact, the WorcesterResources.org web site served as the template for creating this web site.
The web site for Massachusetts is the first statewide web site that CRI has developed and is one of the most sophisticated web sites of its kind in the nation. In collaboration with other organizations, CRI expects to help develop similar web sites in other states across the country. Each web site will be tailored to a specific state and will provide in-depth coverage on resources across a variety of domains. The primary audience consists of the consumers of benefits, services, and programs described on the web site with service/benefit providers an important secondary audience.
Why "Resources" web sites are needed
CRI believes that a compelling case can be made as to the need for web sites that describe vital resources and benefit programs available to low income residents in a state. Our intent is to make the process of finding out about and obtaining benefits and other resources much easier and more coherent than is now the case for residents in most states. By using the web site to obtain the information and application forms it has to offer, consumers of services will be more able to act for themselves and be less dependent on the limited number of people in the community with expertise on community benefits and programs. Such a web site can by no means replace an individual who helps link people in need to appropriate benefits and programs, but it can facilitate these efforts, help consumers become more empowered, and serve as a central repository of information on state and community resources relevant to the needs of low and moderate-income residents. Service providers and case managers, in turn, may that their use of the web site helps them to be more productive as information on a myriad of services and programs, which is updated on a regular basis, can be found in one location, thereby reducing the amount of time spent tracking down information to help their clients.
Web site development in other states besides Massachusetts
Community Resources Information, Inc. is interested in leasing the MassResources.org web site as a template to appropriate not-for-profit organizations in other states. This template will enable organizations in other states to replicate the MassResources.org web site for their state at a small fraction of the development cost of the original MassResources.org web site. The design and format of the Massachusetts web site, information on federally-funded programs (e.g., food stamps, WIC, TAFDC, Section 8 subsidized housing, etc.), and its technological features can be kept intact with very few modifications needed for a different locale. Tailoring a web site for a new state would primarily require changing information on state and local programs as well as modifying the eligibility check and application download features. Even so, as the needs of low-income individuals and families and the programs that assist them are fairly universal across the country, states other than Massachusetts can greatly reduce the time, effort, and money necessary to develop a web site for their community by using MassResources.org as a template.
The MassResources.org web site was constructed using ColdFusion web site development software. Web pages were designed to be dynamically generated which greatly reduces the amount of HTML programming code that is needed and allows for easy editing. ColdFusion also enables certain important technological features of the web site such as the ability to perform eligibility checks.
CRI, Inc. will lease the web site template on an annual basis for a modest fee (depending upon the size of the state). The licensee would have exclusive rights to be the steward of the web site for state provided it has a feasible plan for developing and maintaining the web site and adheres to the editorial policy of CRI, Inc. in the content that is provided on the web site. CRI, Inc. (in conjunction with Advanced Media Productions) will oversee the hosting of each web site.
CRI, Inc. can offer a range of technical assistance plans (from modest to substantial assistance across a number of different tasks) in helping organizations tailor the MassResources.org web site for its particular locale. Given administrative access to the template by CRI, Inc., the text of the web site can be easily edited (in a manner very similar to editing a word processing document), making it quite easy to change the content and "clone" it for a new state. Hence, much of the work necessary to tailor the template to a new state could be accomplished without the assistance of CRI, Inc. or web site programmers.
An additional benefit of leasing from CRI, Inc. is that continued efforts will be made to improve the technological features of the web site and enhance the content, thereby allowing organizations in other regions to benefit by leasing upgraded versions of the web site as they are developed.
Contacting Us
For further information about Community Resources Information, Inc., or if you are interested in developing a web site in your area, please contact:
John C. Buckner, Ph.D., President
Community Resources Information, Inc.
P.O. Box 2067
Natick, MA 01760
E-mail:
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