where is the money?

**Visit Topeka Inc.** (EIN: 32-0176144) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization operating as the destination marketing arm for Topeka and Shawnee County. It functions as a subsidiary or affiliate within the **Greater Topeka Partnership** umbrella structure, focusing on tourism promotion, convention sales, visitor services, and economic impact through travel and events.

### Funding Allocation (Based on Recent Public Reports)
A December 2025 report (from KSNT and related coverage) detailed the allocation of Visit Topeka's funds as follows:

- **79%** → Directly supports **Visit Topeka's own operations** (staffing, marketing campaigns, office expenses, advertising, website maintenance, visitor center operations, and general administrative costs).
- **11%** → Directed to a **Bid Fund** used to attract conventions, meetings, sports tournaments, and group events (e.g., subsidies, hosting incentives, or competitive bidding support).
- **10%** → Supports the **City of Topeka** (likely through direct payments, shared services reimbursements, or contributions to municipal tourism-related efforts).

These percentages appear to reflect a typical annual breakdown of its budget, though exact dollar amounts vary year to year depending on total revenue (primarily from **transient guest tax / hotel-motel tax** collections allocated by the city/county, plus some grants and sponsorships).

### Primary Revenue Sources for Visit Topeka
Visit Topeka's funding is mostly **publicly derived** rather than private donations:
- **Transient guest (hotel/motel) tax** — The largest source; a portion of the local lodging tax is dedicated to Visit Topeka under Kansas law and local agreements.
- **Grants** — e.g., $5,000 from Kansas Tourism marketing grants in 2023 (shared with ArtsConnect/Topeka).
- **Other** — Sponsorships, cooperative advertising funds from partners, and minor program revenue.

### Relationship with Greater Topeka Partnership
- Visit Topeka is **governed as part of** the Greater Topeka Partnership (a collaborative structure that includes GO Topeka, the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Topeka Inc., and others).
- It shares office space, leadership oversight, and administrative support with the Partnership (located at 719 S Kansas Ave, Topeka).
- **No specific dollar amount** for direct payments/transfers from Visit Topeka to the Greater Topeka Partnership is explicitly disclosed in public reports or summaries. However, the umbrella model means:
  - Shared overhead costs (rent, utilities, executive salaries, IT, etc.) are often allocated across entities.
  - Some staff and services are centralized, so Visit Topeka effectively contributes indirectly through shared expenses and governance.
  - Public Form 990 filings for Visit Topeka (available via ProPublica, GuideStar/Instrumentl, etc.) would show "management/general" expenses and any related-party transactions, but recent summaries do not highlight large standalone transfers to the Partnership.

### Key Financial Snapshot (from Public 990 Data Sources)
- **Assets** (recent years): Approximately $2.3–$2.4 million (mostly cash and receivables from tax allocations).
- **Revenue** — Primarily tied to lodging tax collections, which fluctuate with tourism volume.
- **Expenses** — Heavily weighted toward program services (tourism marketing) and operations, consistent with the 79% figure.

For precise dollar figures (including any inter-entity payments), review Visit Topeka's most recent Form 990 filings directly:
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/320176144
- Instrumentl or Cause IQ: Search for EIN 32-0176144
- Latest full filings typically cover calendar years 2022–2024 (2025 not yet available as of February 2026).

If you'd like me to dig into a specific year's 990 details (e.g., exact revenue, related-party transactions, or compensation), or compare to other Partnership entities, let me know!

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Henry McClure 

Time kills deals

785-383-9994

www.henrymcclure.live