Making a Difference Reports

Due November 1(Extended to Nov 15 this year)

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension ServiceK-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating, John D. Floros, Director.

Title

Situation Outcomes

What We Did

Success Story

Contact: Name Title Address Phone Email

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension ServiceK-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating, John D. Floros, Director.

Financial Education at Tax Time

The SituationIncome tax season can be a “teachable moment” for individuals and families as they focus attention on personal finances. Most people pay 10-25% of their income in taxes. It makes financial sense for taxpayers to understand the forms and deadlines associated with federal and state income tax, as well as consider strategies that may help them keep more money in their pockets. What We DidNationally, the IRS trains volunteers and sponsors local volunteer income tax sites, such as Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE), and AARP Tax Aide sites. K-State Research and Extension agents collaborated with locally sponsored volunteer tax sites in their communities or sponsored a site on their own. These agents also teamed up with many other local supporting agencies and asset-building coalitions. Target audiences for IRS sponsored volunteer income tax assistance sites are low to moderate income individuals and families – incomes of $50,000 or less – including the elderly, military, Headstart families, those with disabilities, and English language learners. In 2012, the volunteer income tax sites KSRE agents worked with reported average taxpayer Adjusted Gross Incomes (AGI) ranging from a low of approximately $17,000 to a high of just over $29,000. Agents often obtain grants and local partners to help support the free tax assistance sites. Seven agents were involved directly in tax return preparation. In addition, some agents served in a site manager role or sponsored a tax site at the local Extension office. Many helped recruit, train and recognize income tax site volunteers. All agents reported educational outreach and major media promotion. Two agents that previously participated in “Tax Credit Outreach Training” continue to promote tax credits and provide educational programs to increase the public’s awareness and knowledge of the Earned Income Credit (EIC), Child Tax Credit (CTC) and tax credits including the Food Sales Tax Credit and Homestead Credit.

OutcomesThe combined tax site results reported by agents for 2012 indicated that the volunteer tax preparers they worked with completed 11,992 federal returns that resulted in more than $13 million in federal tax refunds returned to Kansas communities. The IRS sets the value of tax preparation at $250 per return, bringing a total in estimated value of tax fee savings performed by volunteers to be nearly $3 million. Success StoryTax site partnerships offer KSRE agents the opportunity to expose new audiences to Extension programs, and distribute financial publications such as how to use tax refunds to achieve financial goals – save it, pay down debt, or use for special needs. Several agents and volunteers provide taxpayers one-on-one financial coaching about record keeping, documentation required for tax returns, adjusting withholding amounts, importance of emergency savings, and other related money management topics. Agents coordinating tax sites agree the most rewarding aspect of this effort is to provide financial education that helps the taxpayer understand their tax return and how changes to family, work and income may affect their return in the future. Extension educators believe education is the first step to helping taxpayers make responsible decisions with their hard-earned money. Common education topics include understanding eligibility for the Earned Income Credit, Child Tax Credit and Saver’s Credit. Questions often center on changes to the return from the previous tax year. An increase in income may have placed the taxpayer in a higher marginal tax bracket, a child moving out may have changed the filing status of the home, and children may have aged out of tax credits. ContactName: Cindy EvansTitle: Family and Consumer Sciences AgentAddress: Shawnee County1740 SW Western AvenueTopeka, KS 66604 Phone: 785-232-0062Email: cevans@ksu.edu

Title

• Short• Descriptive• Reflect the Action Plan

TitleExample

“Financial Education at Tax Time”

Situation

• Explain the reason you are doing this work• Keep it short• Personalize

SituationExample

Income tax season can be a “teachable moment” for individuals and families as they focus attention on personal finances. Most people pay 10-25% of their income in taxes. It makes financial sense for taxpayers to understand the forms and deadlines associated with federal and state income tax, as well as consider strategies that may help them keep more money in their pockets.

What We Did

• Describe what you did• Include who you served or involved• Keep it short and understandable, easy to read

What We DidExample

A three-session Farm/Ranch Transition program was held in 11 locations in the state. The program introduced farm family participants to many different resources in Farm Transition and Estate Planning. Participants learned options for successful transfers of assets and management responsibility. Industry experts addressed questions on Tax and Estate laws and introduced participants to the available transition/estate planning options.

Topics Addressed: • Communication • Trusts, Life Estates, Wills and Gifting Options • Tax Planning, Tax Strategies and Tax Implications • Asset Transfer Strategies • Farm Business Arrangements • Estate and Tax Law Updates

We explained what research based resources are available for assistance from Extension along with online resources from:

• Ag Transitions • Legacy Project • Who Gets Grandpa’s Farm

Outcomes

• Explain what participants did differently• Answers “So What?”, “Who Cares?”• Keep them short• Pull data from K-PICS• Include number reached and percentages that

improved• Go as far out as possible with outcomes:

– Short, medium, long-term outcome

OutcomesExample

There were 136 individuals who participated in the 2012 Farm/Ranch Transition program. They included husband-wife farming partners; father-son farming partners; and husband, wife and son partners.

• 100% of respondents stated the Farm/Ranch Transition program was valuable to very valuable. • Knowledge of successful strategies to transfer farm assets to the next generation improved from 13% to 87%. • Knowledge of tax consequences related to asset transfers improved from 25% to 78%. • 100% of participants started or advanced the planning process for transition planning and transfer of assets using the new ideas and resources. • All participants developed a plan to communicate with family members on farm transition and estate plans.

Success Story

• A testimonial can be powerful• Puts a face on the impact• Adds to the data you included in the outcome

section• Don’t include names, but may want to include

location

Success StoryExample

Four years ago, at almost 46 years old, I started Walk Kansas. I was a very heavy smoker and quit smoking 1 week into the program. I went through a major weight issue and it was very hard to adjust to weight gain and eating habit issues along with the quitting. I have only missed one year of Walk KS, I am 128 pounds now and did my first 5k, placing 2nd, just before turning 50. My five granddaughters cheered me on!

XXXX County

Success StoryExample

“Shooting Sports has taught my son respect for and responsibility with firearms. It is very rewarding to be able to teach these youth a lifelong skill, that will forever give them an appreciation for the outdoors.

XXXX District

Contact Information

• Give people the ability to contact someone for more information

Get Feedback

• Have someone else look it over• Colleague, Assistant Director, etc• And, someone who doesn’t know much about

the program

Summary

• Keep them short and simple– Report the most important information… bottom

line– Use common, understandable language

• Include evidence of what participants did differently– Outcomes/Impact

• Personalize

Local Level Making a Difference Reports

• In addition to the PFT reports, you can use the same format to create local reports

• Assistance from the state