Each year since 1994, the Kansas Community Service Program (CSP) has given not-for-profit organizations a way to improve their ability to undertake major capital fund-raising drives for various projects. Tax credits are allocated annually and awarded on a competitive application basis to not-for-profit organizations. The organization may then offer the Kansas income tax credits to contributors of approved projects. In urban areas such as Wichita, donors are eligible for a 50 percent credit of their gift toward their Kansas income taxes.
Rainbows was awarded $200,000 in tax credits in July 2016. The tax credits were for an urgent need Rainbows has in addressing our technology capacity. Specifically we need software to address integration of children and program data, streamlined reporting and quality improvement. It is important that staff, families, and funders have reliable data from which to make decisions. We simply do not have that YET.
Because Rainbows was successful in selling all of the $200,000 tax credits, we generated $400,000 toward the technology project “Revealing Masterpieces”. We still have a ways to go in raising an additional $300,000 to cover the costs for the first 5 years of the project but selling all the tax credits allowed us to sign a contract with Netsmart, the vendor of the selected software. We begin implementation of this system this month. We plan to have the system up and running by this fall.
We are so excited to leave behind antiquated software that requires an inordinate amount of time to access any data or reports. In our mission driven business, our Board of Directors and staff want reliable data to drive continuous quality improvement and improved customer service. It will allow us to use this information in making wise decision for Rainbows.
We were successful in selling all of our tax credits because many in the local community stepped forward and purchased them through a generous gift toward the technology project. We are grateful for the many who have believed in us and this project. We are excited to have software that improves our work instead of impeding it.
-Deb Voth, President of Rainbows
