Amigos of Costa Rica

What Amigos of Costa Rica does

Amigos of Costa Rica is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 31-1714653), founded in 1999 in response to the USAID departure from Costa Rica in the mid-1990s. The organization operates as a fiscal sponsor, nonprofit capacity-builder, and donor advisor, serving as an intermediary that channels philanthropic capital from U.S. donors to vetted Costa Rican grassroots nonprofits. It enables U.S. taxpayers to make tax-deductible donations to Costa Rican nonprofits (Asociaciones or Fundaciones) that lack direct access to U.S. tax-deductible giving infrastructure.

The organization supports a network of approximately 100-125 active affiliate nonprofits (250+ cumulatively) working across education, conservation, health, and community development in all 7 of Costa Rica's provinces. Its product portfolio includes Fiscal Sponsorship Services, Nonprofit Capacity Building, Donor Advisory Services, thematic Philanthropic Funds (Animal Welfare, Disaster Relief, Education), online fundraising tools, and a hotel-led Checkout Donation Program. An Affiliate Portal is scheduled to launch in September 2026. Strategic partnerships include CRUSA Foundation and Troper Wojcicki Foundation (financial), Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa and Nantipa (hotel donation channels), El Colectivo 506 (media), Little Big Fund (training), and BLP law firm (governance).

The business model is a transaction-fee structure: Amigos applies a 3% administrative fee on donations received through its fiscal sponsorship program, in addition to third-party payment processing fees. Cumulative philanthropic funds managed exceed $50M and 70,000+ donations have been processed. Funds channeled to NGOs grew 12x over five years to $5M+ in 2021. Operations are extremely lean, with approximately 3 staff members (Executive Director Emily Arnold since 2017, Affiliate Coordinator Adriana Alfaro, Assistant to the Executive Director Shaddey Mc Calla) supported by a 12-member Board of Directors led by Board President Mario Mikowski. Go-to-market is community-led, combining direct donor engagement with content marketing, social media, and earned-media partnerships.

Name

Amigos of Costa Rica

Legal name

Amigos of Costa Rica

Website

https://amigosofcostarica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Amigos of Costa Rica is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal sponsor, founded in 1999, that channels tax-deductible donations from U.S. donors to vetted Costa Rican grassroots nonprofits across education, conservation, health, and community development, generating revenue through a 3% administrative fee on donations processed.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiscal Sponsorship and Nonprofit Capacity Building

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF)

Keywords

• Fiscal sponsorship services
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Donor advisory services
• Cross-border philanthropy
• Charitable fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

West Chester, PA

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Amigos of Costa Rica receives donations from individual donors, foundations, corporations, and family funds. The organization serves as a fiscal sponsor, enabling U.S. taxpayers to receive tax deductions for their charitable contributions to Costa Rican nonprofits. Donations are processed and distributed to affiliated nonprofit organizations.
2. Administrative Fee (3%): An administrative fee of 3% is applied to donations received through the fiscal sponsorship program, separate from third-party payment processing fees. This fee supports fiscal sponsorship services, nonprofit capacity building, donor support, compliance monitoring, financial oversight, and operational infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Amigos of Costa Rica is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal sponsor and donor advisor that channels philanthropic resources from U.S. donors to vetted Costa Rican grassroots nonprofits. It provides tax-deductible giving infrastructure, nonprofit capacity building (training, fundraising guidance, institutional strengthening), and donor advisory services that match donors, foundations, and businesses with vetted organizations across education, conservation, health, and community development. The organization charges a 3% administrative fee on donations received through its fiscal sponsorship program.

Product overview

Amigos of Costa Rica is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of philanthropic services centered on fiscal sponsorship, nonprofit capacity building, and donor engagement. The core offerings include fiscal sponsorship services (enabling U.S. tax-deductible donations), donor advisory services (connecting donors with vetted Costa Rican nonprofits), and nonprofit capacity building (training, coaching, and resources). The platform also includes the upcoming Affiliate Portal (launching September 2026) for affiliated nonprofits to manage their information and access resources. Additional offerings include thematic Philanthropic Funds (Animal Welfare, Disaster Relief, Education), online fundraising tools (crowdfunding, peer-to-peer), and the Checkout Donation Program for hotels. Together, these services form a comprehensive philanthropy ecosystem supporting Costa Rican nonprofits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fiscal Sponsorship Services Enables U.S. donors to make tax-deductible donations to Costa Rican nonprofits through Amigos' 501(c)(3) status, providing financial oversight, compliance monitoring, and fund distribution. For use by U.S. individual donors, foundations, and businesses supporting Costa Rican charitable causes.

Quantifiable outcome

• $5M+ raised for Costa Rican NGOs in 2021, representing 12x growth over 5 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BLP Law FirmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Gutiérrez, founding partner of BLP (Central American law firm), serves as Board President of Amigos of Costa Rica, providing leadership and strategic guidance.
• Tabacón Thermal Resort & SpacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel partner that collaborated with Amigos during COVID-19 to raise funds for community relief. Developed successful checkout donation program, raising over $100,000 in 2024 for local education initiatives. Tabacón's President, Mario Mikowski, serves on Amigos' Board.
• Nantipa - A Tico Beach ExperiencecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel partner in Santa Teresa that implemented the checkout donation program, achieving 95% participation rate from guests.
• Místico Park, Pure Trek / Rainforest Falls, and other tourism businessesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal tourism businesses in La Fortuna area that partnered with Tabacón and Amigos to support local education initiatives through the checkout donation program.
• El Colectivo 506coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning bilingual Costa Rican media organization that collaborates with Amigos on storytelling and blog content, helping elevate visibility of nonprofit organizations across Costa Rica.
• Little Big FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Amigos in July 2024 to deliver a 5-week income diversification training course for affiliate organizations, helping nonprofits develop new revenue streams.
• Costas VerdesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime Amigos affiliate organization focused on restoring Costa Rica's coastal forests. Daniel Uribe, Co-Founder of Costas Verdes, serves on Amigos' Board as Treasurer.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/amigosofcostarica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amigos-of-costa-rica
• Instagraminstagram.com/amigosofcostarica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Amigos of Costa Rica