Please note that more information can be found in your Welcome Packet. 

Program Deposit  

After acceptance into the program, applicants must submit a $425 deposit within the timeframe communicated to them by AMIGOS staff (typically one to two weeks) to reserve placement in the program. The deposit and application fee are deducted from the total program fee. By submitting a deposit and application fee, applicants are acknowledging their intent to participate in an upcoming AMIGOS Program session and consenting to the Finance Policy described in this document. Once a deposit and application fee are submitted, each applicant and their family are also committing to providing AMIGOS with the full program fee by the date determined by AMIGOS.

This deposit is refundable if requested within 30 days of payment. The application fee is not refundable. After 30 days, the deposit is not refundable unless: 

• AMIGOS cancels the program
• The student withdraws for documented medical reasons. 

In the above cases, the $425 deposit is refundable, or the student can elect to defer to a later start date in the current or next calendar year. See table below for more details. 

Program Fee  

The Program Fees for AMIGOS Summer Programs: 

Summer Projects in Latin America: $3,975 - $6,975

Middle School Summer Projects in Latin America: $3,975

 These fees include the $425 deposit and $50 application fee. 

Your program fee covers food, lodging, private transportation, entrance fees, and COVID-19 prevention protocol. It does not include flights or other transportation to/from the briefing and debriefing sites at the beginning and end of the program. 

  

Cancelation of the program

AMIGOS reserves the right to suspend or relocate a project for any reason. If AMIGOS is unable to carry out a project, we will make every attempt to offer an alternative option, such as a similar project in a different location. In the event another option is not available, AMIGOS will allow volunteers to carry over any fees paid and funds raised to a later start date in the current calendar year or the next calendar year. If a volunteer is unable to commit to an AMIGOS Program at a later start date, AMIGOS will provide a full refund minus their $50 application fee and fixed costs associated with the canceled program. Donors who contributed to the volunteer’s fundraising effort may be given the option to convert their donation to be used for the AMIGOS Annual Fund or to have their donation returned.

If payment in full is not received by the payment due date, the student will not be able to participate in the program. 

No fee refunds will be processed after the start date of the program. 

Payment Sources

Payments may be paid by three different sources: a) the student or their family members, b) individual donors or c) third party organizations. These payments may be made by checks or by online credit card payments. Any payments must reference the student’s name (in full) and their AMIGOS Customer ID. Checks should be mailed to:

Attn: Accounting Department

Amigos de las Americas

1800 West Loop S #1325

Houston, TX 77027

To pay by credit card follow the link provided in your monthly billing statement emails. This option will accrue a 2.5% transaction fee. 

Billing 

Account Statements will be emailed to volunteers twice monthly beginning on February 1st. The statement will provide a record of both the amount paid directly and fundraised to-date. Please note there is a possibility these statements may be a few days behind when it comes to donations/payments as it takes about 3-5 business days for AMIGOS to receive payments made using our online credit card processor. Families are welcome to reach out to our team for clarification of their balance if they think their statement is missing a payment or donation. 

The student agrees that the email address provided to AMIGOS will accept emails from amigosinternational.org without a registration or further action by AMIGOS. 

  

Fundraising

AMIGOS encourages all individuals to fundraise to offset the cost of participation in the program. Fundraising payments can be made via check or online via credit card. Any check mailed on behalf of a student should list AMIGOS as the beneficiary and include the student’s name and customer ID in the memo line. Please reference the Fundraising Toolkit for details and tips on this process. It should be noted that donations made for a particular student are not generally tax deductible. Donors with questions regarding tax deductibility should reference the tax exemption section below and consult a tax professional for information and advice. It is the responsibility of each student to notify their potential sponsors of these conditions and restrictions related to donations prior to submission of donations.  

Please note that if a student chooses to use a third-party fundraising website, their account will only be credited with the amount received by AMIGOS. Care should be taken when selecting a fundraising website as significant fees may be deducted by some websites prior to remitting funds to AMIGOS.   

Many employers have “matching donation” fund programs. Please note that many of these employee programs mail the matching funds several months after the employee completes the paperwork. AMIGOS can only credit the volunteer’s account for funds received by AMIGOS before the program fee payment deadline.

Fundraising Refunds

Fundraised donations are not refundable. If a student fundraises for their AMIGOS experience and is later not accepted to the program or drops from the program, fundraising donations received on behalf of the student will not be returned. However, if a student is eligible to hold over funds per the Finance Policy, fundraised donations can be held to be applied to their program fee the following year. Held funds must be used in the next calendar year for a program for which the student meets the eligibility requirements, or they will be forfeited to AMIGOS.  

Over-Fundraising

If a student fundraises more than their program fee total, they may be eligible for a refund of payments made by their immediate family in compliance with the terms and conditions noted in the Finance Policy. This refund cannot exceed the family payment contribution and must be requested by July 31st, 2022. If a refund is not requested by the deadline, the donation will be marked as a general donation to AMIGOS. To request a refund due to over-fundraising, please email admissions@amigosinternational.org with a filled-out copy of the Volunteer Refund Request Form. Over-funded accounts will be notified in the spring. Refund checks will be mailed the first two weeks of August. 

Donations received after the volunteer’s payment deadline (either May 1st or June 1st) can either be converted to a general AMIGOS donation or can be refunded to the donor. 

Tax Exemption

AMIGOS cannot give tax advice regarding your own family’s tax matters and strongly suggests that you consult your own tax advisor to confirm what you may take as itemized deductions.   

IRS 526 summarizes what contributions to non-profit organizations that individuals can and cannot use as itemized deductions. The publication states that you cannot deduct contributions to a non-profit that are set aside for a specific person (i.e. paying the expenses for another person who provides services to the non-profit). Accordingly, an individual can only deduct contributions that are not tied to a specific volunteer. For additional information, please contact the IRS Help Line at 1-800-829-4933 and ask for the Itemized Deduction Department.