Much of the information on this site is plagerized from others, including photos, and using photos that are not even of the lake area.
The Mission claims to be a registered 501 c 3 and yet lists no number, address or list of board of directors. ALL requisits for registered NGOs.
Approach with caution and do NOT donate. There is also NO clear mission with laid out goals and how exactly they will be achieved.
If this is incorrect information, please add your comment too.

The IRS website has a page where you can search for listed charities.
http://www.irs.gov/app/pub78/forwardToSearch.do
Here is the list of ALL the charities eligible for tax deductions with the word Atitlan in them(there were none with the name Szymanski in them);

Association Artisanas United for the Development Atitlan Texas City TX USA --
Children of Lake Atitlan Inc. Spring Valley CA USA --
Lake Atitlan Libraries Inc. Hudson WI USA --
Save Lake Atitlan Foundation Elizabethtown NY USA --
Unidos Por Tepatitlan International Benefit Organization Inc. Los Angeles CA USA --

The last time this charity filed a tax return is 2008, here is the full info on this group, which I do not think is affiliated with the SLA Mission.

Save Lake Atitlan Foundation

This is a description of a US tax-exempt organization, based on IRS records.
EIN 141829573
IRS approved on 200110
Last filed 200812
Contact % Anne Labastille
Address C/O Marsha Wright
Elizabethtown, NY 12932-0000
Filing month 12
Assets $0
Income $0
Revenue $0
Category Charitable Organization
Classification Physical Fitness and Community Recreational Facilities
Filing 990 - Not required to file Form 990 (income less than $25,000)
Filing No 990-PF return
Foundation Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
Affiliation Independent
Exemption Unconditional Exemption
Organization Corporation

From Greg:

First of all, I am asking people from the States and people I know in Europe to help. I want to bring the help to Atitlan and use it for good purposes. For those wondering about, non profit status, Save Lake Atitlan is listed properly in the state of Colorado, ID 20101130317, which has been filed for over a month for this new venture. For those asking for a Board of Directors, it is not required in the state of Colorado so there is no need to be listed. If and when that occurs depending on the support, I would be happy to list the names of those helping a good cause.

At this time, I have collected $10 from one person. I have spent well over a $1,000 of my own money and countless days and nights of work. So at this point we are in the hole. There has been some question about Tax ID numbers. This of course is my number from several other business, including two restaurants and two newspapers I once owned in the States. Once my account, is established in the States, which I plan to do next week, that number of course travels with the Save Lake Atitlan Mission. I did not open the account because there is no money yet to put in. The $10 is sitting safely in a paypal account, which cannot be tampered with until a proper account is open...It is more or less a trust account for these two weeks backed my own personal money.

Further, I have pledged to show my good faith to kick-off Save Lake Atitlan Mission when I arrive in June with a $5,000 donation going to the most needy and honest people helping the poor that I can find. Further, I am going to auction off my fishing boat, which I will provide a picture on my sites and donate proceeds to helping the poor. The boat is valued at $95,000 and I will find somebody in Atitlan, a trusted person, to oversee the auction. I am just tired of the heavy waves and pounding in my later years. I am a bit tired of chartering fishing trips, as well.

If you want to listen to the radio show about Lake Atitlan, the times are listed on the radio page at savelakeatitlan.com The first show on Blog Talk is Wednesday night at 10pm central for one hour.

I also broadcast another show on Saturday morning about indigenous people and that first show was on Saturday with the archive listed on the radio page if you want to listen.

Personally, I became acquainted with Atitlan this way. My wife and I were planning to move to Atitlan and trade our New Mexico house for a small hotel, which fell through. If anyone wants to trade for it go to www.goswap.org listing 7025. This is how I became aware of the Lake water about 7months ago. Again, when the deal fell through, we still wanted to move there despite of the water problems, thinking we could make a difference. That’s how this all started and I just felt I would use my skills to improve water conditions as I personally did not want to live around cyanobacteria.

Like I said we still decided to move to Atitlan anyway but not without complications. I have three dogs and three parrots, which makes the move a little difficult and very heartbreaking. The birds are coming and one of my dogs, an Alaskan Malamute, would not like the climate. The other two dogs I am also looking for a home. They have ben with me aa long time and my wife kids me that I would rather part with her than the dogs.

As far as working alone on this project, I assure you I have many close associates among native Americans and native Canadians who I have worked with in the past, who support my efforts wholeheartedly in the past. I have had a daily radio show Monday thru Friday for many years and listeners and friends world wide. I assure you I am not alone as I walk with God and the good human spirits here on this earth. Sure, I have made mistakes and I apologize to Dennis Lynch for putting up some of his pictures without his permission. I explained to him my webmaster made an error and mixed them up with a bunch listed in the public domain...Those were taken off the front page and I promised to check every page to see if he put a few others by mistake.

I have been a journalist, activist and small business owner for more than 30 years, spending six years in Rome. To the best of my knowledge everything on my site has been attributed as best I could. I have written thousands of articles in my life and will continue to write many more. The old saying applies when it comes to attribution, nothing new is really ever been said and if you properly attributed everything you said in one day, you’d be surprised to see how little of what you said was actually your own.

As far as support, there are many kinds, moral, financial, spiritual. If the people at Atitlan choose to support my cause in any way , which is really your cause, that is fine. If you don’t, that is fine too. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings or my desire to help you out one bit. In fact, I prefer bartering anyway. In other words, if you choose not to support me, I can help out anyway even without any money. There is a lot to write about, a lot of people to be getting together and a lot of physical labor to be done. So, really if it makes everybody more comfortable, I can someone else handle the money. I really don’t care as long as it gets to the right people who can fix the water problem and help the poor. I will keep busy no matter what happens, as I am also going to continue my other radio shows and work with activists in the Native American and Canadian communities.

One more thing about donations, once I arrive in Atitlan if it makes people more comfortable I will take the people who I have contacted with money and give that money directly to the agencies and people who can help either correct the lake or help the poor. So for Francesca, I hoped that answered your questions, Ana I hope that answer yours many and Dennis I hope the apology suffices. Constructive criticism is always important and please tune into my radio shows. No matter what happens I look forward to meeting all of you whether it means just taking a fishing trip on my boat or working together to help out at the lake

Greg Szymanski, JD

I suggest you leave the donations to known organizations, it would be helpfull to change your donation page. Find an organization who is willing to receive the money, and keep us informed of which one you are dealing with. For the moment, to get credibility, i suggest to take any donation options of your site, to prevent any wrong thinking from us locals here or wrong doing from yours.

Very good idea. However, you imply to prevent wrong doing on my part. I would like to amend that to: what others may suspect as wrong doing, but suspicion accuses the innocent oftentimes while allowing the guilty to go free. Let me give you two examples: I had two former Catholic nuns who I wrote articles about, who collected money for one of Sister Teresa's organizations and were responsible for the bookkeeping, who had testified money was being illegally transferred into Caribbean accounts, not to help the poor. Further, when I worked as a journalist in Rome, Cardinal Marcikus of my hometown in Chicago and head of the Vatican Bank, was indicted for bank fraud. Were people suspicious of those organizations? They were big, beautiful, had taken much from the people with all the so-called proper credentials. But much never got to the people.
I have worked on many stories about corrupt Evangelicals as well so I am not just pointing fingers at Rome.

Back to Atitlan. I started this project wanting to help out and live in a clean environment, as well. We all can find things wrong with one another and I am sure you will find it hard to believe, considering the world we live in, there are some people who want to help others.I found it hard to believe it myself when I had a change of heart years ago.I can't change people's perceptions and only can do the best under the circumstances. Let me say this, I will be spending much time in the community starting in June.I will address this donation subject on my radio show tomorrow evening and then let you know my decision. I feel what I decide, if not specifically what you say, will please everyone as really what your talking about is accountability. Thank you for your suggestions and I feel your heart is in the right place.. Greg

At the bottom is the info from Colorado. Hopefully by "use it for good purposes" Greg doesn't mean Catholic bashing or Pope hating, his past writing indicates that is also a "good purpose". Greg you have never been to the lake and have no idea of the complexities of dealing with the Guatemalan government or the indigenous people there, let alone the crazy gringos. If you wanted to be selfless and help you would back someone who knows what they are doing and not collect money, like Marco suggests. You have a slippery tongue and as far as I am concerned zero credibility. Live at the lake for a year, get to know some of the people there who actually care, volunteer with some groups, and then you might get some credibility, until then you will be met with great suspicion and hostility from many people who truly love the lake. As far as the money you have "spent" it shows you are a really bad choice when it comes to picking who someone should donate to. $126 to register in Colorado, stolen or "borrowed" photos and a website has cost you thousands of dollars????

Summary
ID Number: 20101130317
Name: Save Lake Atitlan
Registered Agent: margaret gertrude hollander
Registered Agent Street Address: Po Box 372, 1018 3rd St., Paonia, CO 81428, United States
Registered Agent Mailing Address:
Principal Street Address: Po Box 372, 1018 3rd St, Paonia, CO 81428, United States
Principal Mailing Address:
Status: Good Standing
Form: Nonprofit Corporation
Jurisdiction: Colorado
Formation Date: 03/02/2010
Term of Duration: Perpetual
Annual Report Month: March

My website http://www.lakeatitlanhealth.com cost me $7.95 to register the domain, even with a premium account for hosting add another maybe $150. Do you share hosting with your blog. I doubt you are paying a webmaster judging by the seo and other aspects of your site. I have chosen not to raise money because of the complexities I listed above and the lack of a "clear path". I do believe Salvemos Atitlan are probably the best group right now.

Greg: You said (above) on 4/6/2010 12:34:50 the following:

"Personally, I became acquainted with Atitlan this way. My wife and I were planning to move to Atitlan and trade our New Mexico house for a small hotel, which fell through. If anyone wants to trade for it go to www.goswap.org listing 7025. This is how I became aware of the Lake water about 7months ago. Again, when the deal fell through, we still wanted to move there despite of the water problems, thinking we could make a difference. That’s how this all started and I just felt I would use my skills to improve water conditions as I personally did not want to live around cyanobacteria."

"Like I said we still decided to move to Atitlan anyway but not without complications. I have three dogs and three parrots, which makes the move a little difficult and very heartbreaking. The birds are coming and one of my dogs, an Alaskan Malamute, would not like the climate. The other two dogs I am also looking for a home. They have ben with me aa long time and my wife kids me that I would rather part with her than the dogs."

What immediately jumps out to me about your statements are:

1. It doesn't make sense to me that you would trade your home in New Mexico for a small hotel in a community you've never been to. I'm sure had the deal not fallen through, you would have come to the lake before finalizing it. Wouldn't you?

2. If your Alaskan Malamute can live in New Mexico, it can live at Lake Atitlan. There are Chow dogs, a St. Bernard, Siberian Huskys, and another Malamute, that I've seen living quite happily at the lake. It is easy to bring dogs into Guatemala - so I don't understand your need to find your beloved pets new homes. When I moved to Lake Atitlan in 2009, I brought my two dogs with me. It was easy. But since you haven't been to Lake Atitlan, you haven't experienced the mild the climate.

Those two things alone make me question your judgment in handling the money you may collect. The way you have described your fallen through hotel deal and the way you are dealing with your pets makes me question your motives. Is your "mission" to use the funds you raise to fund your family's move to the lake? If not, I'd suggest putting your efforts into helping those who are at the Lake, have already become a part of the community, to get the word out and direct funds to a legitimate organization, such as Salvemos Atitlan. You don't even understand what the weather is like here and are making big decisions regarding your pets in that vacuum.

From Greg:

I will provide information for everyone’s benefit

Save Lake Atitlan is non-profit organization legally filed in Colorado for charitable purposes for raising funds and awareness to solve poverty and pollution at Lake Atitlan.

As a non profit organization I am not required to file EVER for a 501c3 since which is a completely different IRS category for charitable organizations who want to give tax advantages to people and companies who donate.

At one time I though about doing that, but have decided against that option.

I repeat. A non profit organization is not required to file for its donors’ benefit for 501c3 status. I repeat Save Lake Atitlan does not choose this option. However, for the benefit of clarity if a any charitable non-profit organization chooses to offer this advantage to their donors it is not required to file for 501c3 with IRS until the following rules apply:

Assuming that your nonprofit organization has been established as public charity with a 501(c)(3) purpose, you do not have to apply for federal tax exemption if the organization's gross receipts are normally less than $5,000 per taxable year.

* The IRS states that a nonprofit organization does not normally have more than $5,000 annually in gross receipts if it had a total of:

i. $7,500 or less in gross receipts, during its first tax year

ii. $12,000 or less in gross receipts, during its first 2 tax years

iii. $15,000 or less in gross receipts, during its first 3 tax years

* Note that if your nonprofit corporation brings in more than the $5,000 threshold, it must file Form 1023 within 90 days of the end of the year.

To make myself perfectly clear, Save Lake Atitlan does not intend to file for 501c3 status and even if we did, we are not required to file Form 1023 until $5,000 was earned within a 90 grace period.

We have raised $10 at Save Lake Atitlan with out of pocket expenses exceeding $1,000. So the question becomes moot.

I started this to help people and I am horrified by this reception by a very few misinformed people. I plan to continue my efforts as planned.

One last thing, regarding these libelous statements about me, I would expect a retraction an apology. Further, I have been accused of plagiarism, which is another false accusation. I enclose the following “Safe Harbor” internet laws, protecting publishers in this high tech world of fast paced information gathering. I would recommend Marco as well as Lake Atitlan Health check their sites as well. I would hope this helps these two good sites protect themselves as well.

The first safe-harbor provision relates to materials posted to your blog or website at the direction of a user. This safe-harbor provision is found in section 512(c), and it states that, as the administrator of a website or other service, you will not be held liable for money damages for infringing content posted "at the direction of a user," so long as you

* do not have actual knowledge that there is infringing content on your servers, or know any surrounding facts that would make the infringing use apparent;
* do not receive any financial benefit directly attributable to the infringing activity if you have the ability to control such activity; and
* act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the infringing material upon obtaining knowledge or awareness that the material is infringing or upon receiving a properly drafted notice of infringement (more below).

The second safe-harbor provision relates to links you post to other online material located elsewhere. This safe-harbor provision is found in section 512(d), and it states that an online service provider will not be held liable for money damages "for infringement of copyright by reason of the provider referring or linking users to an online location containing infringing material or infringing activity, by using information location tools, including a directory, index, reference, pointer, or hypertext link." (emphasis added). If you linked to material without knowing that it infringed copyright, the language of this section appears to relieve you of liability, so long as you

* do not have actual knowledge that the material you linked to is infringing, or know any surrounding facts that would make the infringement apparent;
* do not receive any financial benefit directly attributable to the infringing activity if you have the ability to control such activity; and
* act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the infringing material (such as by taking away the link) upon obtaining knowledge or awareness that the material is infringing or upon receiving a properly drafted notice of infringement (more below).

Here is more information about non profits in case you know of another group that needs help with clarification:

Surprisingly, there is no legal definition of a nonprofit organization. In general, a nonprofit organization is one that is organized to achieve a purpose other than generating profit. Despite this, a nonprofit organization is not precluded from making a profit or engaging in profit-making activities. It is prohibited from passing along any profits to those individuals who control it, like founders, directors, officers, employees, and members. Nothing, however, prevents a nonprofit from paying reasonable salaries to officers, employees, and others who perform a service for it.

This should clear things up and I will not respond further to this since it is taking away from the main purpose of raising funds and awareness for Lake Atitlan and the rest of Guatemala.

If this however does not suffice, contact me privately and you can speak with my attorney Jon Levy, licensed in the U.S. and a licensed Solicitor in England.

Greg

Yes, we were thinking about the Hotel Acculux in SM...however, it didn't work out...

Here are our doubts, maybe you can explain us...

1. Who do you think you are to declare yourself as the ¨salvador del lago¨ when nobody elected you as such?

2. Do you have any idea of how much harm you are doing to the people of this lake by putting out there all sorts of UNTRUE information... your whole site´s ¨information¨ is made up, with the danger of potential donors or simple tourists finding your stuff, believing it and then not wanting to come to the lake... thanks for saving us Greg, good job! Anything else you can do for us???

3. Why on earth did you think you could use OUR texts and OUR fundraisers in your site?
It is not true that Antigua Tours donated you any money, they got to an agreement with us FACEBOOK CAUSE OF SAVE LAKE ATITLAN -raising money for the projects of Santa Cruz por el lago, filial of Todos por el Lago for Santa Cruz-, so, that kind of lie in my world is called ESTAFA and you can be liable for it.

4. How dare you still try to justify what you do? can you please explain us how can you justify your lies?

I suggest you stop hosting your site before you do any further harm to the good name of the lake and of those who are really working for the lake´s health. I hope you understand that if you don´t further measures will be taken

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Comité SC por el Lago -dependiente de Todos por el Lago, y formado por miembros de la municipalidad, jóvenes cruceños, ONGs, chaleteros, pescadores, hoteleros y otros negocios de Santa Cruz-

To Mr. Greg Bacon!
Thanks for attacking so often! Wondering who you actualy are,just found out all this ....well!
Mr. Bacon!
In the Atitlan case money doesnt help....
only passion....
blended with knowing the situation well.
Since you have any way not been able to collect more than 10 dollars, why dont you just stop, go in silence and pray !
Pray harder Bacon !