Self-Help Community Development Corp
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Self-Help Community Develop. Corp.s mission is to create and preserve affordable housing for low-income persons and distressed communities. The primary activities are 1. Preservation of affordable rental housing 2. Renovation of existing homes 3. Construction of new homes.
- Income
- $6.0 million
- Spending
- $6.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 100%
- Reserves
- -144.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 87%
- Employees
- 0
- Highest pay
- $142,886, treasurer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 36 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 97% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 13% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 25% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 80 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
5 of 250 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $6.7 million spent. In 2024, Self-Help Community Development Corporation operated affordable housing programs in four locations within North Carolina: Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Rocky Mount, and Durham.SHCDC undertook several affordable housing activities accross these geographies. 1) SHCDC owned and operated affordable housing rental housing in Charlottes Grier Heights neighborhood, leasing 34 garden apartments to low-income tenants at the Grierton Square project. 2) In Chapel Hill, SHCDC managed the rehabilitation of properties held in a community land bank in the Northside neighborhood. SHCDC sold the property with approvals for development of two units to Empowerments, Inc., a partner organization that will operate the units as affordable rental housing for low-income households. The land bank also held 6 properties in various stages of the development process. **continued on 4b below**
- 3) In Rocky Mount, SHCDC continued its work on a portfolio of residential properties, completing construction of 3 new homes for affordable homeownership, all of which will be or have been sold to low-income households. As of the end of 2024, SHCDC leased 39 units in 22 properties to low-income households. Two-thirds of these units are rented at rates affordable to households earning 60% of AMI and the remainder to households earning 80% of AMI. 4) In 2024, SHCDC acquired 224 affordable apartments approximately in Durham, where affordable housing is increasingly scarce. Including this last project SHCDC now owns and will retain long-term 454 affordable rental housing units in Durham, providing high-quality, affordable housing to very low-to low-income families.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1996.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.