Making a Difference Reports
Due November 1
(Extended to Nov 15 this year)
Title
Situation
Outcomes
What We Did
Success Story
Contact:
Name
Title
Address
Phone
Email
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-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 Situation
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.
Outcomes
The 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.
What We Did
Nationally, 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.
Success Story
Tax 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.
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.
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 hardearned 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.
Contact
Name: Cindy Evans
Title: Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
Address: Shawnee County
1740 SW Western Avenue
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-232-0062
Email: cevans@ksu.edu
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-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
• Short
• Descriptive
• Reflect the Action Plan
Title
Example
“Financial Education at Tax Time”
Situation
• Explain the reason you are doing this work
• Keep it short
• Personalize
Situation
Example
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 Did
Example
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
Outcomes
Example
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 Story
Example
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 Story
Example
“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