Foundation for Lake Chapala Charities is a nonprofit 501(c)3 public charity in the USA and a registered A.C. civil society organization in Mexico.  Our purpose is to receive donations from private contributors and distribute those funds to qualified charitable organizations working in communities surrounding Lake Chapala in the state of Jalisco, Mexico.

We partner with local organizations that provide social welfare, community services, medical aid, educational assistance, and care for animals.  In keeping with our charter, we are not able to sponsor organizations that participate in political activities or advocate for religious beliefs. 

Organizations wishing to join with us are asked to submit an application that will be reviewed for approval by our Board of Directors.

We support civil service organizations that are legally established as charities in Jalisco, such as those registered as AC’s  (asociaciones civiles).  

The organizations we support are required to comply with generally accepted principles followed by legally established charities, including the following:

(1)  they operate as not-for-profit organizations;

(2)  they have 2 or more members;

(3)  they have a bank account in Mexico;

(4)  they are funded by donations from the general public, rather than from a single benefactor;

(5)  their purpose is to provide social welfare, community services, medical aid, educational assistance, or care for animals;

(6)  the donations they receive are used for charitable purposes only;

(7)  their directors, members, and advisors do not receive any material benefits from the organization;

(8)  they acknowledge that if their association is disbanded then any donations or assets that remain will be contributed to another qualified charity and will not be distributed among the association’s founders, members, or associates.

We periodically ask our partners to submit a report or statement that highlights their accomplishments, summarizes their revenues and expenditures, indicates any changes in leadership, and outlines the plans and objectives they have for the future.