There’s the saying that “if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.” In general that is true. But, I’d like to posit that there is at least one example of something that really is as good as it sounds and that is the New England Wind Fund.

I’ll talk more about what the fund is later, but for now, I’d like to put a challenge out there to anyone who is looking to support “green” causes.

I challenge you to find a more cost effective means of supporting these causes than donating to the New England Wind Fund.

Here’s my logic.

First, donations to the New England Wind Fund are 100% tax-deductible. So, immediately, every $1 that you donate really costs you something like 90 cents.

Secondly, through the great work of the Masschusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) and the Clean Energy Choice Program every single dollar that you give is matched 100% and comes back to your town in the form of grants for renewable energy projects. And we’re not talking chump change here. If you look at the amount of money that various towns have earned, you can see towns that have earned $20,000, $50,000 or even nearly $100,000 in matching grants based on donations to the fund! In addition, you can see that towns are using this money to fund real projects: solar arrays for town buildings, solar trash compactors, etc.
Third, the MTC doesn’t stop there. Every single dollar that you give is matched 100% again in the form of grants to low-income communites for renewable energy projects.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, your original $1 then goes to supporting wind power in New England.

Let me just summarize this to make sure it is clear.

For about 90 cents out of your pocket, you get $3.00 in value supporting clean energy projects. You benefit your local community. You benefit low income areas. You help support wind power. And you get a tax break.

Sound good? Well, it doesn’t stop there. The MTC also has “bonus programs” whereby the town can get even more money based on the percentage of residents who are participating in the program. For example, if Sudbury were to get 3% of all of the households (for argument sake, let’s say that is 150 households) to contribute $5 / month to the New England Wind Fund, the town would get an additional $50 / household, or $7,500 on top of everything else we’ve already discussed.

Show me a better deal than that.

Until then, I am going to put my money in the New England Wind Fund.

Note: If you are wondering where all of this “free money” comes from, here is the answer. The Renewable Energy Trust is funded through a small monthly charge on customer electric bills known as a systems benefit charge. For residential customers, it represents about $0.50 a month or about $6 a year.