Clarification & Thank You for Library Donations

[Jzmackenzie]

The volunteer construction people will be making a film of the entire process. We will be sure that all who are helping create the library get to see the video. We are all very excited about it. If you file taxes in the USA, Summerland can give a tax letter, but we have been assured that a PayPal receipt is acceptable up to $25 and perhaps higher.

Soon (that's a Mexico construction-style with wet concrete/adobe "soon") we will have two guest rooms so that visitors can stay and look over the construction techniques and how we've managed a community library. We are hoping to build other libraries all over Mexico using the same techniques.

Our corporate mission is education. We want to get books into the hands of Mexican people. It's nice that with this plan we can get plastic bottles off the streets of Mexico too.

FYI to those who asked:

Summerland is a USA 501©3 nonprofit with a bank accounts only in the USA. The accounts are overseen by our registered agent. All donations to help any programs in Mexico are put into one of the USA bank accounts.

Summerland, est. 1990, incorporated in 1994, gives tax letters for 100% of donations for programs including those to help reduce emigration from Mexico into the USA. Summerland retains assets in the USA, owning no real estate in Mexico. Be assured that 100% of all donations earmarked by a patron go to that specific program or project. General donations go to overhead in the USA and Mexico. Most years less than 1% of donations made to Summerland are general donations. Volunteers donate their time and personal assets. Directors have donated all their income assets since 1996. Patrons get a USA tax letter for new/used items or other donations.

Tierra de Verano, A.C. is volunteer only service Mexican corporation. There are no assets, no bank account, and no donations are accepted in Mexico as owned by Tierra de Verano. Therefore, no tax letters can be given to people filing taxes in Mexico. Tierra de Verano, A.C. was established only to report to Hacienda the number of hours donated by volunteers and the number of marginalized people being helped.

We were told in SMA at a NGO/nonprofit seminar that in Mexico a group can incorporate as a nonprofit, but about 35% of every donation is paid in Mexican taxes like any profit corporation until "full nonprofit corporate status" is reached, which can take up to 15 years to get approved. They explained that many non-profits fail in Mexico due to this long period of having to function like a profit business and the lack of willingness by citizens to "donate" about 35% to the Mexican government and not to a specific nonprofit activity. We have no idea if this information is accurate as so far no accountant or attorney has given us a clear answer.

Extreme Gratitude, Jacquie, Don & Jolene