By Megan Erbacher
The Message editor
Since 2020, after being inspired by a life-changing event, George and Dianne Moll started donating time, talents and funds internationally with a goal “to ease the suffering of those who Mother Teresa called ‘the poorest of the poor.’”
In 2019, the Moll Family Foundation was officially established as a non-profit organization. Now, the Molls, who are parishioners of Corpus Christi Church in Evansville, want to offer local outreach and have partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Evansville by establishing matching grants to support the ministry. They want to “leverage” their gift and inspire others to give through the Attainable Homeownership Tax Credit (AHTC).
When the Molls learned more about Habitat, George said they were “so impressed.” After a meeting at Donut Bank, George said the “Holy Spirit came down” and the partnership was born.
“I was just feeling like we needed to do something specifically local,” Dianne said, “because it felt like it gave us a broader possibility of impact.”
Last year, through the support of Ascension St. Vincent, Catholics for Habitat built two homes. Now, Catholics for Habitat see the opportunity and hope to build three houses because of the generosity and partnership of the Moll Family Foundation gift and the AHTC.
Luke Nordine, a member of Holy Rosary Parish in Evansville, said it’s a “huge blessing” to work on the Catholics for Habitat Board and witness everyone in the Catholic community who come together to build the homes.
The Moll Family Foundation is actively involved in India, five provinces of the Philippine Islands and Haiti. The Molls strive to find ways where they can “do the most good.”
According to their website, the Molls explained that the best way to describe why they are passionate about their work is summed up from Matthew 25:35-40: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me. Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
“We feel like we’re greatly blessed, and we feel like we’re God’s stewards,” George said. “Whatever he’s given us, we’re responsible for seeing that it’s taken care of properly and there will be an accountability someday. We enjoy it and the blessings you get back are so wonderful. You’re getting back far more than you give.”
Attainable Homeownership Tax Credit
Individuals, couples, businesses and corporations who pay Indiana state taxes can now deduct 50% of their contributions to Habitat for Humanity from their Indiana state tax liability. The new tax credit program, the AHTC, will help Habitat build more homes for struggling Hoosier families.
Through the AHTC program, officials explained that donors can subtract half of their gift from their Indiana state tax liability. For example, if someone donates $1,000 to Habitat for Humanity, the donor can subtract half of that amount ($500) from your Indiana state tax liability. The maximum contribution eligible for AHTC is $20,000, officials said, providing a $10,000 tax credit. Contributions made for the 2024 tax year are eligible for this credit.
Eligible donations include cash, checks, stocks and bonds. Contributions from donor-advised funds/trusts (DAFs) and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) may be eligible.
Teri Hollander, a parishioner of St. John the Baptist Parish in Newburgh, serves on Habitat’s Board and is the chair of Habitat’s Development Council. Hollander admitted that Habitat’s strategic plan is “aggressive over the next five years.”
“When you talk about wants and needs, there is a lot of need here in our local area, and it does change lives. … But to leap from 20 houses a year to 40 houses a year, there is a large development effort behind that as well. It takes gifts of all different sizes to make that happen, but it will particularly take some larger ones to get there. … The Moll family is leading the way in providing that vision and others see it as an example and look at all the different ways they might be able to give.”
For more information on Habitat or how to make an AHTC gift, visit evansvillehabitat.org. To learn more about the Moll Family Foundation, visit mollfamilyfoundation.org/.