The MassResources.org (www.MassResources.org) web site provides comprehensive information across a wide variety of areas on programs, resources, and benefits that address the needs of low-income individuals and families. The intent is to make the often-complex social service system more transparent and accessible to individuals. The web site acts as a guide to relevant sources of support and gives clear answers to commonly asked questions. The primary target audience is individuals and families in the lower 30% of household income. Service providers are also an important audience and help to promote use of the web site by consumers. A “resources” web site such as ours can compliment other web sites in existence which provide inventories of local agencies and programs, but do not address important “funding streams” (e.g., food stamps, Earned Income Tax Credit, Medicaid, etc.) as do we.

Although our local web site (www.WorcesterResources.org) could also be replicated in another city, we believe our statewide site (www.MassResources.org), would be the most cost-effective to reproduce in another region of the country. This is because a statewide web site can serve a much larger audience than would a city or regional site. While seemingly ambitious, a statewide web site is not that difficult to create as the vast majority of the content currently on our MassResources.org site describes programs that are available in every state in the U.S.


The www.MassResources.org web site focuses on important federal and state funding streams (programs) that have been developed over the years to channel resources to needy individuals and families (e.g., food stamps, Section 8 rental assistance, Medicaid, fuel assistance, TANF, Earned Income Tax Credit etc.). As such, we have organized information according to specific vital human needs (e.g., housing, food, health care) and explain how to access the relevant benefits and programs that exist to address these needs or concerns.

For each benefit or program that is described on the web site, the following is typically covered: 1) what the benefit/program entails; 2) eligibility criteria; 3) practical information on how and where to apply; 4) benefit levels and availability; and 4) consumer rights and responsibilities. Information on the web site is routinely updated to stay current with changes in the eligibility criteria and availability of various programs and benefits.

The www.MassResources.org web site includes in-depth subject matter in a variety of domains such as:

• Food Programs (e.g., food stamps, WIC)
• Cash Assistance Programs (e.g., TAFDC, SSI)
• Housing and Homeless Assistance Programs (e.g., Section 8)
• Childcare Programs & Head Start
• Fuel and Utility Assistance Programs (e.g., Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program)
• Health Insurance Programs (e.g., Medicaid)
• Legal Assistance/Appeals Process
• Tax Credits (e.g., Earned Income Credit, Child Tax Credit)
• Adult Education/Job Training/Unemployment Programs
• Transportation
• Resources for Youths, Seniors, the Disabled, and Noncitizens
• Building Assets (e.g. obtaining credit, using credit wisely, saving and investing money)

The web site has several important technological features:

• Eligibility checks for various benefit programs (e.g., food stamps, TANF, Section 8 housing). This feature enables a user to enter information that is relevant to determining eligibility for a particular benefit and receive immediate feedback. The eligibility check evaluates the information provided and makes an unofficial determination, either indicating the individual/family appears to be eligible (and providing the benefit amount when possible) or stating that the person does not appear eligible and listing the reason(s) why.
• A “Benefit Screener” which enables a user, after answering approximately 25 questions related to his or her family situation and income to get a broad overview of the types of programs or benefits that s/he may be eligible to receive. Presently, the “Benefit Screener” on the MassResources.org web site screens for roughly 30 different federal or state programs. The “Benefit Screener” is an excellent place to get a general sense of potential eligibility for assistance programs and can be followed up by completing specific eligibility checks (described above) for a more definitive reading on eligibility for programs with complicated requirements.
• Stored application forms for various benefit programs which can be downloaded and printed out.
• A suite of features, which we call the “Service Provider Network.” This set of features includes a message board for posting questions or announcements; a document archive system for uploading, storing, and sharing documents (e.g., PDF files, Microsoft Word documents) with other service providers; and an on-line discussion feature for instant messaging and group discussions).
• Numerous back-end administrative functions, which provide versatility in developing, editing, storing, and presenting information on the web site.
• The ability to count visits (hits) on specific pages of the web site in order to better understand users information gathering preferences.
• Internal search engine, site map, printer-friendly version, guestbook, and pop-up glossary features.

In terms of technical features, the MassResources.org web site is a database-driven, dynamically generated site using Macromedia’s Cold Fusion, Microsoft’s SQL Server database management system, and Microsoft’s IIS web server, all running on a Windows platform. Content can be added and updated with a sophisticated built-in text editor, which is similar to a word processing program; thereby mostly eliminating the need to work with HTML programming code. The web site uses a cascading style sheet, which reduces the amount of redundant html code, makes it easier to transform the appearance of a new web site, and facilitates accessibility for persons with visual disabilities. We developed the web site to be compliant with W3C accessibility guidelines.

To our knowledge, CRI is the only organization in the United States with a mission to develop state-of-the-art community-based web sites for persons with low-income. The www.MassResources.org is a remarkably sophisticated and comprehensive web site and stands apart in its approach to explaining important federal and state programs as opposed to being a site that simply catalogs the service provider organizations in a community.

For further information on licensing a web site from CRI, click here.

We believe it is very important to discuss the aims of the project and get feedback on content from consumers and service providers in a community in order to develop the web site into something they will find very useful. We are working with consumers and service providers in Worcester and throughout the state to provide us with content-relevant information, to advise on strategic and policy issues, and to give feedback - both on the content and the experience of using the web site.