Lawrence Memorial Hospital is now able to offer an additional tax break to new donors to the hospital’s capital campaign.

The hospital recently received $250,000 in state tax credits by the Kansas Department of Commerce. Qualified donors making new gifts to the capital campaign are eligible to receive Kansas tax credits equal to 50 percent of the gift they give to the campaign in 2007.

Donors can use the tax credits to reduce the amount of income taxes that they owe the state. For example, a donor who gave $5,000 to the campaign would receive $2,500 in tax credits from the hospital, which could be used to reduce the donor’s state income tax bill by $2,500.

The credits will be issued to new donors on a first-come, first-serve basis. The hospital is working to raise $8 million to help pay for a $50 million expansion to the hospital, which will include new emergency room, new birthing rooms, new surgery suites and several other improvements. The hospital has raised $7.1 million.