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Frequently Asked Questions (faqs)
About Amigos
What is Amigos of Costa Rica?
Amigos of Costa Rica is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that serves as the U.S. affiliate of the CRUSA Foundation in Costa Rica. Together, Amigos and CRUSA work with local nonprofit organizations and institutions in Costa Rica to develop and implement sustainable development projects in the areas of Education, Environment, and Science and Technology. To learn more about Amigos, please visit our About Amigos section.
How are your projects chosen?
At various times during the year, our partner CRUSA encourages its trusted implementing partners and other organizations in Costa Rica to submit profiles introducing potential project concepts in the areas of environment, education, and science and technology. After review, the organizations that submitted the most promising profiles are asked to submit full proposals to the CRUSA Board for final approval. Some CRUSA-approved projects are then sent to Amigos where we work with our implementing partners to search for other sources of funds in order to leverage CRUSA’s commitment to those projects and increase their impact.
Contributions
How do I make a donation?
There are a number of ways to make a donation to Amigos. You can contribute by credit card by clicking the Express Donation button in the top right of every page, by purchasing items in our Gift Store, or by sending a check made payable to Amigos of Costa Rica to:
Amigos of Costa Rica 1250
24th Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC
20037For information on stock donations, planned giving, in-kind contributions, and other types of support, please visit our Other Ways to Give page. To learn more about fundraising ideas and sharing Amigos with your community, please explore our Get Involved section.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes! No matter how you choose to contribute, you will receive a receipt from Amigos and your donation will be deductible under U.S. law. Amigos of Costa Rica is a U.S. 501(c)(3) organization for which the CRUSA Foundation provides operating costs, thus ensuring that 100% of the funds that we receive from you will go directly toward project support. If you wish to make a contribution to one of our programs and would like to receive a Costa Rican tax-deduction, please contact our Costa Rica office at mcoffey@amigosofcr.org.
How do I make sure that my donation goes toward my favorite project?
If you make a contribution with your credit card, there is a drop-down menu on the check-out page that allows you to select a program area or a specific project, if you choose to do so. All donations received without instructions will go toward the area of greatest need. Our Gift Store features items that are linked to a specific project and/or one or more program area. Use the left-hand navigation bar within the Gift Store to find the item that best fits your interests and budget, or choose the jaguar in any price category to make a general donation. When sending a check, you may write a program or project in the memo line, but please do not provide instructions that are any more specific in nature. Amigos cannot legally accept donations with restrictions beyond those programs we currently support.
I heard about a great project in Costa Rica to which I would like to contribute. Can I donate the money through Amigos?
Unfortunately, not necessarily. The IRS classifies Amigos as a “supporting organization” designed to enhance the impact of the CRUSA Foundation. As such, we only support projects that have undergone technical analyses and have been approved by both CRUSA’s Board of Directors and Amigos’ Board of Trustees. To find an approved project, please visit our Projects section, or Contact Us to discuss projects in your area of interest. If you would like to suggest a project for consideration, please feel free to email us at info@amigosofcostarica.org.
Membership and Blogging
How do I become a member of Amigos of Costa Rica?
Thanks for asking! There are two ways to join our organization: 1) you will automatically become a member of Amigos by making a contribution, or 2) you can become a member by clicking the Join Now link in the upper right of every page. This link will take you to our Become a Member page where you can learn more about membership benefits and sign up!
How do I post a blog or comment on an existing entry?
We want to hear your thoughts! At Amigos, blogging goes hand-in-hand with membership. When you join Amigos using one of the methods listed above, you will get to choose a username and password and upload a photo of yourself to display next to your posts. If you choose to donate offline, we will issue you a username and password to use when visiting our site. Once you are a member and have your login information, just click Member Login on the upper right of any of our pages, enter your information, and you’re ready to blog!
I posted a blog/comment, and it did not appear right away. What gives?
To avoid improper posts, the Amigos Staff reviews all blog posts and comments before they appear. We’ll have your post up in no time and urge you to visit the site again to view your comments.
Gift Store
What is a symbolic gift?
The items for sale in our Gift Store are gifts that symbolically represent the types of projects we support. Most of our gifts are directly related to a specific project or program area, and the purchase of one of those gifts designates your contribution for the related program. For example, while you many not actually be purchasing a computer, your purchase will help fund the achievement of a similar goal in the area of greatest need within the project or program associated with that computer. If you do not wish to specify a program area, the jaguar gift is an option at every giving level. Once you make a purchase, you will receive a special, project-related eCard to show your friends your commitment to Costa Rica and a receipt for your tax-deductible donation.
Tell me more about the Amigos of Costa Rica Amazon.com A-Store!
Amazon.com provides a great tool for organizations like Amigos of Costa Rica to create an online Amazon.com shopping experience showing a select number of products. Our A-Store lets you browse and purchase items such as books, coffee, art, or clothing just as you would on Amazon.com. The benefit of shopping through our A-Store, however, is that Amazon.com will donate between 4 – 6% of the value of your purchase back to Amigos of Costa Rica. So now you can shop for your favorite Costa Rica items, and help your favorite causes, too!
If you don’t see your question answered above or elsewhere on our site, please Contact Us and we’ll be glad to assist you.
