Should You Bring Donations to Guatemala or Buy Them There?

Is it better to bring donations or buy them in Guatemala?

Both work, and they complement each other. One recent Christmas, Start with a Smile Project bought 500 gift packs with the financial support it received and, adding the toys donors brought, handed out about 1,000 gifts. To decide what to do, ask yourself four questions:

1. Do you already own it? If it's in good shape and you don't use it, bringing it costs you nothing.
2. How heavy and bulky is it? Heavy items are better bought locally.
3. Does it need a permit? Food and medicine require import permits.
4. Is it worth more than US$500? That's the duty-free limit the SAT, Guatemala's tax and customs agency, sets for goods that aren't your personal luggage, with conditions.

What are the benefits of buying donations in Guatemala?

• You support local businesses. What you buy at a Guatemalan bookstore, market or shop keeps income in the country.
• You save weight and space. Notebooks in bulk are heavy, and your suitcase goes further with light items.
• You skip permits. According to the SAT, the Ministry of Public Health issues import permits for processed food and medicine, and the Ministry of Agriculture (MAGA) for unprocessed food.
• You find local products. Incaparina, a maize and soy flour fortified with vitamins and minerals, was created in Guatemala in the 1950s at INCAP, the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (Emisoras Unidas, in Spanish). It was on the project's request list for Christmas 2022, according to Guatemala.com.

What should I bring from home?

• Things you already own and don't use, in good condition: backpacks, shoes, clothes, toys and coloring books.
• A working laptop. A computer is on the current needs list. Carry it on board: the FAA only allows lithium-battery devices in checked bags if they're completely powered off and protected. If you travel with your own laptop plus one to donate, declare the second: the SAT traveler guide counts only one laptop as personal luggage.
• Light items that go a long way: crayons, markers, pens and paints take up little space.
• Things you can get in better quality or at a better price at home. Compare before you decide; there's no fixed rule.

How much can I bring into Guatemala without paying duties?

Donations aren't your personal luggage: they're goods other than baggage and must be declared, with quantity and value, on the Regional Traveler Declaration. According to the SAT:

• Up to US$500 is duty-free, if you haven't used the exemption in the previous 6 months and you've been out of the country for at least 72 hours.
• Above US$500, you pay whatever duties customs assesses.
• Above US$1,000, or if the goods are commercial, you need a licensed customs broker.

One detail changes the math: the exemption doesn't carry over and counts as fully used even if you apply it to only part of the amount on that trip (RECAUCA, art. 582). If what you plan to donate is worth more than US$500, buying part of it in Guatemala helps you stay under the limit. Confirm the rules with the SAT before you fly.

Which donations don't fit in a suitcase?

Some of the project's biggest needs in Las Delicias del Jobo, where it supports 7 schools with more than 700 children, can't travel by plane:

• Desks and furniture. The project has already delivered more than 100 desks and more than 120 pieces of school furniture.
• School improvements. Donations have brought roofs, classroom boards, toilets, electricity, a kitchen and fresh paint to the schools.
• A proper secondary school. It's the biggest challenge, so more teenagers can keep studying.

Needs like these are covered with money. The GoFundMe fundraiser is organized by a project volunteer in the United States, with Amalia Jarquín as its co-creator. It's a personal fundraiser, so there's no tax-deductible receipt. See also how to donate from the U.S. or abroad and what happens to your donation.

How do I buy donations in Guatemala with Start with a Smile?

1. Message us before you shop on WhatsApp at +502 5562 3313, by email at amaliajarquin@gmail.com or through the contact form. We'll tell you what's needed; if you're thinking of shoes, ask us about sizes.
2. Shop wherever is convenient, ideally at local businesses.
3. We arrange the hand-off in Antigua. Amalia and the volunteers deliver everything to the children, and deliveries are posted with photos on Facebook and Instagram.

Still building your list? Read what to bring to Guatemala to donate and what not to bring, or see the list on our How to help page. When you're ready, message us to coordinate your in-kind donation or, if you'd rather not carry anything, donate on GoFundMe.