Frequently Asked Questions


Q.  How long has this group been helping children?

A.  Our group has been helping children for over 18 years. Many of our officers and directors have extensive experience in management, accounting, database design, and health care, which they use to direct the group's activities to the best advantage. Click on the blue button "Contact Us" to see a list of board members and committee chairs with their contact info along with a photo and short bio.

Q.  How much of my donation goes to the children?

A.  95% of all the money that we receive or raise through fundraising events goes directly to the children. 5% is for professional fees that we pay to our accountant, attorney and auditor as well as office expenses and bank charges.

We have no employees and none of our officers, directors, or chairs receive any payment for their services. They buy their own coffee at meetings and they buy undiscounted tickets for our events to reduce overhead to an absolute minimum.

Thanks to the Chapala and Jocotepec DIF's and the Ajijic Centro de Salud, we are provided temporary quarters at their facilities for our clinics at no cost to us. Having no rent to pay helps maximize the amount of our funds which go to the children enrolled in our program.

Q.  How many children have you helped? How much money has been disbursed for medicines, hospitalizations, and surgeries?

A. Click the blue button "Reports", then select "Financials & Stats" to see a menu of financial and statistical reports which include information on the number of children served and the amount of reimbursements by type of service.

Q.  I see in the "Population Served Summary" that some of the "children" are 22 years old. Why is that?

A.  In the case of kidney transplants for our children, we reimburse the donor (who is usually an adult) for their out-of-pocket expenses related to the surgery. In those cases, the age of the beneficiary exceeds the usual guidelines.

Q.  It seems like you have some very large balances in your bank accounts. Why is that?

A.  About 80% of our annual income is received in January, February, and March. So at those times, the bank account balances are at their maximums. Later in the year our 90,000 pesos per month clinic expenses will decrease those balances to nearly nothing until the next cycle of annual income begins.

Q.  Can I attend a meeting of the organization?

A.  Yes, Niños Incapacitados meets the second Thursday of each month (except June, July and August) at 10:30 in the meeting rooms of the Real de Chapla hotel in La Floresta (coffee at 10:00). All are welcome to attend, to meet the Child-of-the-Month, and to ask questions about the kids or about the group. Coffee, tea, and cookies are available and we'd love to have you come!

Q.  When and where are the reimbursement sessions held?

A.  We usually call the reimbursement sessions "clinics", even though we're not providing any medical services to the children. These "clinics" are where the enrolled children's parents or guardians receive reimbursement for properly documented medical expenses. The hours are always 10AM-Noon. Jocotepec has clinics on the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Jocotepec DIF. Ajijic has a clinic on the first Wednesday of each month at the Centro de Salud at Seis Esquinas. And Chapala has clinics on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Chapala DIF.

Q.  I'm interested in seeing how an actual clinic works. Can I go to one to see what happens?

A.  Yes, we'd love for you to visit one of our clinics. You don't have to speak Spanish since the coordinators are bilingual. If you'd just like to watch, that's fine, but if you'd like to help, that would be very appreciated, especially in the summer months when many people are traveling. For information about a visit, including directions, please contact:
Rich Petersen, richpete@laguna.com.mx, 376-766-5511
or Barb Corol, bcorol@gmail.com, 376-766-5452

Q.  What if I have some questions that aren't answered here?

A.  Click the blue button "Contact Us" for a list of the officers, board members, and committee chairs along with their e-mail addresses and phone numbers. Contact one of them and ask your question. All of the contacts are very friendly and if they can't help you, they will direct you to someone who can!