Pueblo Lucero

Donor Policy

Last updated October 27, 2026

Pueblo Lucero is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation and a federally recognized 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 42-5154861). This page is a plain-language summary of our board-adopted Gift Acceptance Policy — how we accept, acknowledge, and use gifts, and what you can expect as a donor. It doesn't replace the full policy, which any donor can request at hello@pueblolucero.org. For how we handle your personal information, see our Privacy Policy.

Tax-deductibility and receipts

Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For any single gift of $250 or more, we send a timely written acknowledgment stating the amount (or a description of non-cash property) and confirming whether you received anything in exchange. If a gift is partly a payment for something in return — an event ticket, for example — and totals more than $75, we'll tell you in writing how much of it is deductible. We don't assign a dollar value to non-cash gifts for your tax purposes; that's between you and your tax advisor.

How we accept gifts

We welcome cash, check, card, and online contributions through our website or an approved fundraising platform (currently Givebutter), and publicly traded securities. Larger or more complex gifts — real property, business interests, cryptocurrency, bequests and other planned gifts, or any gift with conditions attached — go through a review by our President and Treasurer, or the Board, before we accept them. This protects both you and the organization: it means every gift we take on is one we can actually use well and administer responsibly.

Designated and restricted gifts

If you give toward a specific purpose or program, we use it only for that purpose. If that purpose later becomes impossible or impractical, your gift is redirected to a related purpose that most closely carries out your intent, rather than refunded or left unused — this is standard nonprofit practice and is stated on our giving pages wherever you're given a choice of purpose.

No governance rights from a gift

No gift, at any amount, buys a seat on our Board, a say in how we're run, or treatment different from what we offer the public. We're glad to hear your ideas, but a donation doesn't come with strings attached to governance, hiring, or program decisions. Gifts from our own directors, officers, or their families are welcome on exactly the same terms as anyone else's.

Our right to decline a gift

We can, and sometimes will, decline a gift — including a straightforward cash gift — if it conflicts with our mission, would cost more to administer than it's worth, comes with strings we can't accept, or would reasonably harm our reputation or our relationship with the community we serve.

Anonymous gifts

We accept anonymous gifts and honor a request to keep your name out of public materials. We still keep an internal record of who gave, as required for our own financial and legal recordkeeping.

Sponsorships

Business sponsorship recognition (name, logo, a neutral description of your business) is a thank-you, not an ad — we don't include pricing, comparisons, or calls to buy, so your support stays a qualified sponsorship rather than taxable advertising.

Gifts for programs outside the U.S.

Some of our work supports children and families in Baja California as well as Southern California. A gift intended for use outside the United States is still subject to our usual designated-gift practice above, and we keep enough discretion over how it's used to protect both its deductibility and our charitable purpose. We'd rather be upfront about that than leave it unsaid.

Questions or concerns

If something about a gift, a receipt, or this policy doesn't look right, tell us: hello@pueblolucero.org. We'll respond.