You may recall that I told you about my Hawaii Computers for Kids Program back in September 1997.  Well, now it's bigger and even better for several reasons.  First, we've combined forces with Governor Cayetano's Computers for Schools Program that is administered by the Detwiler Foundation, and have expanded the program statewide.  Second, January 1st marks the start of the Taxpayers Relief Act of 1997.

 

Starting with this second part, the new law contains expanded tax incentives for the private sector(individuals and companies) to donate computer technology, equipment and software to K-12 schools.  Under the 21st Century Classrooms Act, a measure of the Taxpayers Relief Act, companies and individuals donating computers less than two years old are able to take a charitable tax deduction equal to the original purchase price of the equipment. Under the new law, a company donating a $1,000 computer, within two years of purchase, to an eligible K‑12 school would be able to take a charitable tax deduction of the full $1,000 purchase price.  This is like getting to use your computer absolutely free for two years!  To discourage computer "dumping" on schools, the incentive is available for only relatively up‑to‑date computers and for donations that are "useful to the recipient's education plan."

 

I realize that many thousands of you have already donated to Computers for Kids, but I have to admit that many of the computers we have received don't really allow the kids to use multimedia technologies, and quite a few don't even run Windows.  The Clinton administration now views computers as "off-the-shelf" commodities, and expects many people and most companies to buy newer systems every few years.  As a Management Information Systems Professor at Chaminade University myself, I'm not sure I agree with this, but I do expect many of you to take advantage of these new tax laws, and to start donating your older Pentium and Power Macintosh machines that fall within this two-year period.

 

I have not heard as yet from Detwiler or the Hawaii Department of Education on what they consider as "useful to their education plans," but I expect that any Windows 95-capable Pentium or Power Mac will qualify for the full write-off.  Please be sure to check with your accountant or tax lawyer to see if your company does qualify.

 

With the Detwiler Foundation's able help, Computers for Schools will really take off in 1998.  Detwiler is a non-profit foundation, based in San Diego, that was established in 1991 to provide California K-12 schools with computers.  They have now grown to support schools in seven states, including Hawaii.  After meeting with Laura Matsuda Colbert of the Governor's Office, and speaking at length with Jerry Grayson at Detwiler, it quickly became apparent to me that partnering Computers for Kids with Computers for Schools was the best way to help Hawaii's kids.

 

So after several months of discussion, we have combined the programs under the Computers for Schools name, but Detwiler also appreciated that Hawaii already had an extensive network of volunteers and donors in Computers for Kids.  To make a long story shorter, all of us decided to work together, and to use a local non-profit organization to serve as the local contact point for these programs.