China Daily: Debate over million-yuan threshold for charity award

From China Daily.

BEIJING – A new 1-million-yuan annual donation threshold for a national charitable award has aroused criticism among media commentators, stating that the requirement may discourage small-scale philanthropy.

The annual donation threshold for the China Charity Award, the country’s biggest award for philanthropists, has been raised to 1 million yuan ($159,000), award committee organizers announced on Dec 30, 2011.

Commentator Wei Mingyan responded to the announcement with a commentary in the Beijing News, stating that the restriction may disqualify grassroots philanthropists and small-sized enterprises.

Commentator Yin Jianguang wrote a commentary for a local Chinese news website iqilu.com, saying that meager donations from a low-income farmer may rank much higher in social impact than 1 million yuan from a wealthy man.

He urged attaching importance to the sincerity and social impact of donors, rather than solely considering the sum of donations, in issuing the award.

As the highest award given by the Chinese government for philanthropy, the award was established by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 2005 to honor those who have made prominent contributions toward Chinese philanthropy. Candidates for this year’s award may apply online from January 10 to February 24.

 

China Daily: Charities hope to regain trust via strict audits

From China Daily.

BEIJING – The Chinese government believes its newly introduced auditing protocol for domestic foundations may help the country’s charity organizations regain public trust through enhanced transparency.

Donors and the public have experienced increasing anxiety over the transparency of charity foundations in recent years, according to a press release posted on the central government’s official website on Thursday.

However, the previous rule was unclear on several issues, including the scope of auditing, publication of reports, qualification of auditing agencies and the payment of auditing fees, the report said.

The absence of such provisions led to shortcomings in the auditing system, it added.

The new rule, jointly promoted by the the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, went into effect on January 1 this year.

It stated that domestic foundations’ annual financial reports and the details of foundations’ financial situations during management reshuffling periods must be subjected to an audit by an accounting firm and be made public.

Previously, audits were required only for foundations’ annual financial reports.

It also introduced a new auditing requirement for certain donation programs, such as those accounting for more than 10 percent of the foundation’s received annual donations or those pertaining to natural disaster relief.

A series of embezzlement scandals hit the country’s charity sector last year, leading to a decline in public donations.

Earlier in 2011, a young woman calling herself “Guo Meimei” claimed online that she was the general manager of “Red Cross Commerce” – a group the Red Cross Society of China has said does not exist. She posted pictures on her microblog detailing her lavish lifestyle, provoking the ire of netizens who speculated that she might have funded her purchases by embezzling money from the Red Cross.

Last September, media outlets reported that the Soong Ching Ling Foundation in central Henan province had embezzled charitable donations and lent large amounts of money to real estate companies for the construction of luxury apartments.

During the January to October period of 2011, the country’s civil affairs authorities received a total of 4.36 billion yuan ($685.53 million) in public donations, less than one-third of that for the same period of 2010, according to statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Statistics on donations collected by domestic foundations are not available.

Educating Girls of Rural China Gives New Hope to Rural Women

 

Educating Girls of Rural China is a non-profit organization established to help girls from impoverished rural areas of China receive an education. EGRC operates under the philosophy that “educated women will have educated children.” This encompasses the belief that educating women is the key to changing a family, a village and even a society. With great support from Canadian and Chinese individuals and corporations, EGRC is planning to launch a high school sponsorship program in 2012 and to expand its university program to other rural regions of China.

 

Tell us about yourself and EGRC.

Though born in Beijing, I lived in Gansu province as a child after my father was imprisoned and my mother was sent there for re-education as part of the Cultural Revolution.

When I was a young teenager, even though I was attending the best school in Beijing together with Mao’s, Deng’s and many other high ranking communist leaders’ daughters, my mother and I were exiled to Gansu. My mother was a pediatrician, so as an educated woman she was considered bourgeoisie and in need of re-education. My father was a pilot who had flown with the American Flying Tigers against the Japanese in the Second World War, and he was put in prison because he was deemed politically suspect, having fought under Mao’s great rival, Chiang Kai-shek.

Once in Gansu, I befriended orphaned children whose parents had starved to death as the province had gotten little rain and could raise only corn and potatoes. Gansu is a place where being dirt-poor was almost middle class and where girls were usually married off to other families by the time they were 12 because their parents couldn’t afford to feed them.

I was forced to work in a factory for eight years instead of going to school, and this is what inspired my committment to helping women from this devastated and impoverished region.

Since my father was in prison, I had a big shadow over my head throughout my child- hood and into young adulthood. At the time, the only way to measure a person’s worth in China was what family she was from and who her father was. After years of struggling of getting back to Beijing from Gansu in order to finish her education, my family background, was a monster which blocked every possible way to advancement. I was depressed and totally disappointed, and so I decided to leave in 1983.

I did not choose Canada, Canada chose me. I just wanted to leave China. I was born in the wrong place at the wrong time; there was no future for me there. I would have gone anywhere that was not a communist country, but I was very fortunate to arrive in Canada. It is a country that respects everyone’s rights and gives everyone equal opportunities. I remember feeling for the first time since I was a child that I could raise up my head without any shame and fear.

When I returned 22 years later as a successful Vancouver businesswoman, it was to help others receive what I’d been denied. I owned the Omega Art Gallery in Vancouver, Canada, and had founded the non-profit British Columbia Society for Educating Girls in Rural China.

“Educating women is the key to changing a family, a village, and even a society”

How did you get the idea for EGRC?

The idea to help girls from rural families get an education arose in 2004 when my daughter Kate was singing with the Vancouver Children’s Choir for a UNICEF fundraiser called Go Girls, which helped send African girls to school. Someone from UNICEF said that if a woman is educated, then all her children will be educated, and that planted the seed in my heart.

The program was started in 2005 and has since supported almost 300 students studying in 30 cities in China. Most of the funding for EGRC comes from Canada and Hong Kong, and most of the young women are from impoverished rural areas of Gansu Province in Northwest China. 116 students have graduated through the program so far, 15 percent of which have gone on to a Master’s program.

Approximately 20 percent are now employed by the local Gansu government, working as school teachers and government workers. The rest of the graduates are working in various professional industries such as engineering, finance, the pharmaceutical industry, tourism, real estate and journalism in various cities throughout China.

Seven of the successful graduates have even donated money back to EGRC that was sufficient to fund three additional scholarships. Other graduates have taken on leadership and mentoring roles to help other young rural women achieve an education. It is truly rewarding to see the domino effect. I am sure in the future there will be more students supported by the graduates.

“Seven of the successful graduates have even donated money back to EGRC”

How do you choose the candidates for the scholarships?

Every August, I head to China’s most impoverished province, Gansu, with funds raised through the EGRC in hand and interview and award scholarships to young rural women with the intelligence, but without the means to attend university.

There are many worthy nonprofits operating in China. Is it hard to gather enough resources?

After many years of eking out donations from individuals, we attracted our first corporate sponsor in 2011, which enabled us to expand our efforts to Qinghai Province. Eldorado Gold Corporation and EGRC have sponsored five young women from Huangzhong County in Qinghai Province.

I traveled to Qinghai and personally interviewed the students to whom the funds were later transferred to cover their tuition. EGRC will begin actively soliciting support from international companies doing business in China with an interest in making a difference in their local communities. Recently, the Canadian Ambassador to China, David Mulroney, has even gotten involved helping to make introductions to BOLDMOVES China, Eldorado Gold and other Canadian government officials and corporations who recognize that it is essential to be an active part of China’s development.

How have these organizations helped EGRC?

Many have donated money, others have lent their connections, and still others have contributed with their time and expertise. One such example is Cindy Jensen, Managing Director for BOLDMOVES China.

Cindy was so impressed by EGRC that she just knew she needed to become involved. Cindy chose to take a very hands-on approach by offering her skills and expertise in a way that matched the needs of the young women in EGRC as they prepare for university and the workplace. Earlier in the year, the Canadian Ambassador to China hosted a luncheon that she attended where we met, along with one of our recipients. During the luncheon we shared many stories and ideas about EGRC.

Cindy quickly touched upon the need for a leadership program offering basic skills development for the workplace in order to help the students prepare for their first job after university. Practical experience such as public speaking, professional behavior and appearance and networking are skills one is often not exposed to until after they enter the workforce, and by then it is too late to influence the caliber of job they can obtain, how positively they can get started in that job, and so many other components to long term success.

Once the idea was established, Cindy took the lead on setting up the program. She was able to get many highly qualified people to participate in the program in a variety of ways. Initially there were some problems communicating, but Cindy reached out to a number of her good Chinese speaking friends who have strong business experience and facilitation skills. There were four of us who built the program and two terrific corporate supporters. Motorola China sponsored the venue and Lily’s American Diner sponsored the lunch.

The other facilitators who dedicated their time were Lin Gao, Senior director of Information Technology from Asia Pacific Motorola, Hubert Lin, Researcher and Edu-Trainer for Self-Realization, Elaine Luo, Training & Communication Sr. Specialist from Novartis and Cici Zhao from Worley Parsons China. Another good friend, Tyler Jiang, took photos throughout the day which will be transformed into a memento for the girls.

“I am confident that any organization would be proud to hire one of these talented girls”

Tell us a bit about some of your beneficiaries.

Bixia Wang is the first EGRC sponsored student to go to Canada to complete a Masters in Material Chemistry at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Bixia recently recounted her initial feelings once she arrived at SFU: “I need someone to tell me that this is not a dream. I am now in Vancouver, Canada, meeting lots of friendly people. Only six days ago, I was in my rural home village working in the field with my parents. I began to like this place from the first moment I landed after my first airplane trip. I experienced a lot of first things in my life: my first time to see the ocean, to go sailing and to eat western foods. I love all of it! People have been so generous, and I am lucky that I have landed in a beautiful city, with so many caring people to help me.“

When Xiaoling Ma was accepted by the Lanzhou University of Commerce, her mother became extremely upset because she was afraid that her daughter would go through the same experience she had. When she went to university in South China in the 1980’s, she had a nervous breakdown and could not finish school due to the cruel discrimination she experienced due to the fact that she was from a rural village of Gansu Province. Tien recounts, “I assured Xiaoling’s mother that her daughter would not repeat that nightmare. Under the sponsorship of EGRC Xiaoling graduated this year and she was the only one accepted by The Bank of China among 400 applicants in that region! Xiaoling even donated a portion of her first month’s salary to EGRC.”

Wenjing Ma was accepted by Southwest Minzu University which is mainly for ethnic minority students. Her family has lived in a Muslim village in Yuzhong County for generations. Tien shared: “Her grandmother was in tears when she learned that we came from Canada and that many Canadians would help her granddaughter’s education. She told us that her husband died young and she had raised all her children on her own. None of her children had ever gone to school. Ma Wenjing is the first one in the family to go to a university.”

Xueya Wang plays the Guzheng, a Chinese instrument, beautifully. Her major is Music Education at Lanzhou City University. She has been using her own money and time to study this instrument, practicing six hours a day on top of her school work. In just over a year she learned to play at a level equivalent to five years of study. Her dream is to open a music studio in her home town of Longxi. She says “Rural children never have a chance to learn to play musical instruments simply because they cannot afford to buy one; and there are no teaching facilities.” Her future studio will offer music lessons and instrument rentals. She will also offer free instructions to children who love to play, but do not have the financial means to pay. Her plan has already received support from her teachers.

Yan Mo has been studying Medical Biology at Lanzhou University. She has been offered a full scholarship at two different prestigious universities to pursue her Master’s degree. Her dream is to go to Canada to complete her PhD. She talks with deep emotion about being an EGRC sponsorship recipient for her first four years of study, and how the sponsorship made all her achievements possible. In the future she wants to be one of the donors herself to help more students in need.

Lili Huang is an engineering student studying at Changan University. She says: “I have never lived life as a normal university student. I have held at least two or three different jobs every term over the past three years. I can never forget the terrible accident that happened three years ago; it changed my life and my family forever. My father is now paralyzed from his neck down and he has to have a few different operations each year to keep him alive. My mother also had injuries in the same accident and she lost all her hair due to the tremendous stress. She is only 42. I also have a younger brother and sister at home. Without the money I received from EGRC and the encouragement from Madam Tien, I would never dream that I could complete my university studies. EGRC brought light to me in the darkest period of my life. My parents and I are very grateful for all the help we have received.

China Daily: Red Cross disbands its commercial branch

From China Daily.

BEIJING – The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) on Saturday announced the decision to shut down its subordinate organization in the commercial sector as investigation showed that the latter was run in a way that betrayed its non-profit mission by making money through manipulating philanthropy.

The investigation also showed that Guo Meimei, who claimed herself the “commercial general manager” of the Red Cross on her micro blog, had no connection with the charity organization or its branch in the commercial sector. Guo, 20, showed off her lavish lifestyle online and hit a public nerve in June, which plunged the Red Cross into a scandal for abusing the money given for “doing good”.

The investigation was jointly conducted by five parties including the Ministry of Supervision, the RCSC and the China General Chamber of Commerce in July. The RCSC released both the investigation results and its statement on its official website following the investigation.

The Red Cross branch in the commercial sector had failed to establish a strict management structure, said the statement, as it had never held general assembly or elected its board of directors by vote as required since it was founded in 2001.

The Red Cross branch in the commercial sector proposed to the society to build 20,000 community-based stations nationwide to provide first-aid services to residents in 2006. Two years later, the project was designed and operated by a private company, and both its major shareholder and deputy general managers took important positions in the Red Cross branch in the commercial sector. The company was entitled to make profits from the charity project. However, the project failed before it was carried out nationwide, according to Chinese media.

The RCSC’s statement said this kind of affiliate transaction seriously violated the principle of organizations “dedicated for public welfare” and blamed itself for unsuccessful supervision.

However, the notice stressed that neither the Red Cross nor its branch ever allocated funds raised from the public to invest in the project.

Apart from the efforts to disclose information online, the RCSC vowed to strengthen monitoring of its local branches and said it planned to invite ordinary people from all walks of life to participate in a supervision committee to keep a close eye on donations received and charity projects in the future.

Donation that the RCSC received in 2011 plummeted to 385.53 million yuan ($61.3 million), compared with 3.01 billion yuan in 2010, according to the statistics on its official website.

“The year 2011 was an unforgettable year for the Red Cross Society of China,” said Zhao Baige, executive vice-president of the RCSC, on her new year’s resolution to the public, pledging that the RCSC will work in a more transparent, professional way in 2012.

Wang Zhenyao, dean of One Foundation Philanthropy Research Institute at Beijing Normal University, believed that the Red Cross’s decision to clamp down on a poorly managed branch was necessary but urged a reform on its management mechanism for sustainable development.

A resident surnamed Zou from Dalian city, in Northeast China’s Liaoning province, said the RCSC should release a detailed financial report about its scandal-troubled projects which are related to the commercial sector.

She said such a report will help rebuild the image of the RCSC and encourage people to donate again.

China Daily: Human rights foundation gets $13-m donation

From China Daily.

BEIJING – The China Foundation for Human Rights Development (CFHRD) has received over 82.5 million yuan ($13 million) from different donors this year, the foundation said at its second national council held here Friday.

In his speech, Huang Mengfu, president of the foundation and vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), hailed the country’s efforts and achievements in promoting human rights in the past year.

In 2011, the CFHRD hosted a series of international workshops and forums to promote cooperation and exchanges between Chinese human rights experts and their foreign counterparts. The foundation is expected to be developed into a think tank and charity fund in the future, he said.

Most of the donations were used for medical or educational charity programs, said Lin Bocheng, deputy head of the foundation.

The foundation helped manage the compensation paid by a Japanese company to 85 Chinese labors who were forced to work in Japan during World War II, Lin said, adding that all the compensation has been paid to the the victims or their family members.

The foundation has set its 2012 target to collect more than 100 million yuan ($15.8 million), Lin said. Next year, it will make greater efforts in boosting rural education, protection of women and children, energy-saving and environmental protection, and legal aid, he said.

Five Beijing Charities for the Sick, Disabled and Orphaned

Original article posted at Beijing-Kids.com.

The holidays are a time to be with family, but what about those who have none? Charitable organizations, volunteer groups, and NGOs are often the only source of care and comfort for orphans and critically endangered babies. There are several ways to help: volunteering, donating, organizing a fundraising event, or simply spreading the word. Read on about five local organizations that support sick, disadvantaged, or orphaned children. Give the gift of warmth, education, medical care, and a full belly this Christmas to those who need it most.

Notable projects: Providing critical medical care to babies is Little Flower’s priority. The charity also offers group foster homes for physically disabled children who are unlikely to get adopted, hospice care for children with incurable medical conditions, long-term care for physically and mentally disabled children, and help for special cases – such as children from poor families with medical or educational needs.

Organization size: Little Flower has a bit over 100 employees and volunteers. Though the organization may care for just 75 children at a time, they are looked after on a 24/7 basis. To manage the workload, Little Flower organizes three shifts per day.

How to volunteer: Volunteering is critical to Little Flower’s efforts, but the charity prefers serious volunteers who are willing to commit their time. Children are welcome, but they may need to be accompanied by their parents.

There are three types of volunteers: Care Volunteers, Team Volunteers, and Resident Volunteers. Care Volunteers go through a training program and are expected to make a regular time commitment. Little Flower usually has one full-time staff member for every two to three children; Care Volunteers are the ones who step in when this standard ratio cannot be kept. They comfort, feed, and care for the children, as well as provide play and stimulation. They usually live near Little Flower’s project sites.

Team Volunteers don’t necessarily live in China. They have specialized skills and take on a special role within the organization. It sometimes involves interacting with children, but it can also be a purely administrative or communication role. Team Volunteers must sign an agreement with Little Flower.

Last but not least, Resident Volunteers are those who have made a minimum time commitment of six months and actually live at a Little Flower project site. They care for the children, and also perform administration and communication tasks.

Other ways to help: Little Flower encourages interested parties to visit their project sites and see how they can help. Since the charity is a grassroots organization, it relies on the community for financial support. Though money donations are appreciated, Little Flower urges people to become a “fundraising machine” for them by hosting fundraising events and spreading the word about their mission.

Most pressing needs: Money to cover basic running costs like caregiver salaries (Little Flower’s biggest expense), medical costs, utilities, rent, transportation, and repairs.

English-speaking staff? The training program is offered in both English and Chinese, and there is always someone on the project sites who speaks English.

Little Flower Projects
Office: Assunta (Beijing) Culture Development Co Ltd, Rm 1748, Hyundai Motor Tower, 28 Xiaoyun Lu, Chaoyang District
(info@littleflowerprojects.org) www.littleflowerprojects.org
朝阳区霄云路28号现代汽车大厦1748室

 

Sarah Brasseur, Sonya Tetley, Polina Savelyeva, Ibrahim Abdi, Jordan Tetley

 

Packs of Hope
Packs of Hope operates out of the River of Grace Church near Sanyuan Qiao. The group provides backpacks filled with school supplies, toiletries, clothing, and small gifts to children in need in both Asia and Africa. Their projects in China focus on packpacks and used clothing distribution. Packs of Hope also collects donations and regularly sends containers to Africa for orphans and impoverished rural families. For a complete list of drop-off locations for backpacks, visit the church’s website.

Notable projects: Packs of Hope has distributed over 4,600 backpacks and gifts to disadvantaged children since their first donation drive in 2005. Since 2007, the charity has also sent three containers to Africa and is getting ready to send out another 40-foot container by the end of the year. In the past, Packs of Hope has also built a school for an orphanage in Liberia, Africa.

Organization size: Packs of Hope is one of several charity projects run by the River of Grace Church. It’s not an NGO, but rather a seasonal or project-based organization. There is no full-time staff, but several volunteers work on Packs on Hope every year.

How to volunteer: When large donations come in, Packs of Hope gathers volunteers to pack and sort through the goods. Older kids are welcome to join.

Other ways to help: Packs of Hope encourages people to organize their own backpack drives. The church can supply empty backpacks for the applicant’s school, group, or company to fill. Backpacks can be stocked with school supplies, clothing, toiletry products, and small gifts.

Most pressing needs: In addition to filling backpacks, Packs of Hope needs donated clothing for its charitable projects. They are currently looking for winter clothes, blankets, and other supplies for the families of children who receive backpacks.

English-speaking staff? All of the organizers speak English.

“I came to the River of Grace Church in 2007. It was then that I first heard about the Packs of Hope project. That year, I was asked to help sort and pack backpacks so they could be sent to needy children. Several months later, we got pictures of the children receiving their donations. I was so touched when I saw their smiling faces. They were so happy to get new clothes, mosquito nets, school supplies and lots of other things they needed. It really touched my heart, and I realized that I’m able to do more to help these kids.”
– Ibrahim Abdi, Somalia

The River of Grace Church
The Great Hotel, 2/F, 1 Zuojiazhuang Lu, Chaoyang District (6466 1680, 131 2690 5684,info@theriverofgrace.com) www.theriverofgrace.com 朝阳区左家庄路1号，北京贵国酒店2层

 

Twenty-two-year old Bridget reads a book in braille at Bethel

 

Bethel China Foundation
Bethel is a national organization that provides training, education, and services to blind and visually impaired orphans in China. The charity was founded in 2002 by a French couple, Guillaume and Delphine Gauvain. Bethel is comprised of a foster home in Liugudao Village and a newly opened charity store in Shunyi.

Notable projects: The Love is Blind project gives education, foster care, and medical services to students at Bethel’s training centers in Beijing and Zhengzhou, Henan. The Beijing location covers 17 acres and produces its own eggs, fruits, and vegetables. The foster home’s self-sustained model allows children to garden and raise animals independently. Bethel also started a national initiative, called Project 555. It provides resources, professional training, and medical screenings to partner orphanages throughout China.

Organization size: Bethel has about 90 employees from all over the world. The organization has two to 200 volunteers at any given time, depending on how much time people have to contribute. Volunteers range from large group that help out on the farm for an afternoon or an individual who spends a few hours teaching a child a new skill.

How to volunteer: Bethel currently needs expert volunteers in fields like translation, education, and fundraising. In addition, Bethel is always looking for groups, organizations, and companies to help with physical projects like harvesting corn or building greenhouses. For details on how to contribute, visit the “Get Involved” section on Bethel’s website.

Other ways to help: Besides volunteering, people can also donate money or items, sponsor a child, or buy something from the Bethel charity store. Those interested in sponsoring a child can do so directly through Bethel’s website. The Bethel charity store carries original products made by groups like the Beijing Guild, a local handicraft club. Depending on the product, 40-100 percent of the proceeds will go to Bethel.

Most pressing needs: Bethel needs staple items like toilet paper, cooking oil, rice, paper towels, and diapers. Some of their children require ongoing medical attention. Other general health costs include vitamins, common medicines, and yearly check-ups for the students.

English-speaking staff? The entire administration and education staff speaks English. The children are taught in both English and Chinese; some can even speak a bit of French or Korean.

“The first day I was there, I remember tearing up as I sat in on a class and being painfully aware of the children’s’ disabilities. It did not take long at all to realize that the children, in spite of all of their difficulties, were happy. While I do believe that I had a large impact on them, I think that they had a larger impact on me. The memories I have of my time there and the people I met will forever have a warm spot in my heart.”
-Lynelle Chen, 19, US

The Love is Blind Project
Liugudao Village, Doudian Township, Fangshan District (8031 0383, info@bethelchina.org)www.bethelchina.org
房山区窦店镇交道六股道村

Bethel Charity Store
Store hours TBD. 3 Jingmi Lu (between Laiguangying Donglu and Xiangjiang Beilu), Shangpin Township, Shunyi District (8031 0383, shop@bethelchina.org)
顺义区尚品小镇京密路3号

Roundabout
Roundabout is a not-for-profit organization that acts as a bridge between people in need and those who’d like to donate to their cause. Roundabout supports around 48 charities in the Beijing area, as well as others throughout China and Mongolia. The group is well-known to the expat community for organizing charity book fairs in partnership with international schools. Roundabout doesn’t currently have a physical address, but they will continue to do charitable projects as they look for a new location.

Notable projects: Roundabout has helped fund life-saving medical surgeries for children; provided warm clothing, blankets, and food to elderly men and women in Hebei province; sponsored three elderly men to stay in safe and warm group homes; gave coal to heat several orphanages in Shaanxi and Hebei; and sent clothing to areas like Qinghai province that were struck by natural disasters.

Organization size: Roundabout has a paid staff of four local women and around 20 volunteers.

How to volunteer: Volunteers can help with fundraising, marketing, assisting with the store and merchandising, sorting donated items and books, and lending a hand at book fairs. Children can also help by leading their classmates in fundraising efforts; many high school students also get community service hours by working at the store or organizing fundraisers.

Other ways to help: People can donate good quality items they no longer need, such as books, toys, games, furniture, household foods, decorative items, baby products, and bicycles. They can also organize clothing drives at school or at work; Roundabout can help with sorting and transportation. Financial donations, sponsorships, and partnerships with specific organizations are welcome. Roundabout can also match organizations, families, or schools with specific interests to a relevant charitable group.

Most pressing needs: During the winter months, Roundabout’s priority buys coal for poor orphanages in Shaanxi and Hebei Provinces, and providing clothing and blankets to children and the elderly. At other times, it depends on the specific needs of the organizations supported by Roundabout. However, the team does provide school and art supplies to many migrant schools and orphanages.

English-speaking staff? Most of Roundabout’s volunteers are English-speaking.
(donations@roundaboutchina.com, volunteer@roundaboutchina.com)http://roundaboutchina.com

 

New Hope Foundation is home to around 300 Chinese babies

New Hope Foundation
New Hope Foundation was started by Americans Joyce and Robin Hill to provide care and medical attention to abandoned infants with physical deformities. Their children’s home in the northeast of Beijing takes in babies under 6 months of age and helps them find foster homes in the area. The foundation also works with local children’s welfare institutes to raise awareness of the children’s plight and ensure a future for their infants.

 

Notable projects: New Hope Foundation has helped thousands of people over the last ten years. They currently have five units caring for 300 babies from all over China.

Organization size: The foundation has four volunteers and 540 local staff members.

How to volunteer: There are limited volunteering opportunities in Beijing. Instead, people are encouraged to visit the home and see how they can help out.

Other ways to help: The foundation is always in need of financial support, food, and clothing.

Most pressing needs: The children’s home needs a range of medical supplies: over the counter medicines, creams/gels, prescription drugs, nutrition products, and more. They also need baby items like winter clothes, bottles, bibs, and double strollers in any quantities that people can provide. For more details, visit New Hope Foundation’s website.

English-speaking staff? Yes.
97 Zhongxin Jie, Guojiawu Village, Beiwu Township, Shunyi District
(6142 4156/76, info@hopefosterhome.com) www.hopefosterhome.com
顺义区北务镇郭家务村中心街97号

Little Flower Projects helps Special Needs Orphans Bloom

Malaika Hahne, Executive Director of Little Flower Projects, shares what it’s really like to work for a charity in China
Interview by Jennifer Thomé, photo provided by Little Flower Projects

Most people dream about quitting their corporate jobs and working at a charity, but few know what that really entails, especially in China. Malaika Hahne spends her day seeing to the well-being of nearly 100 special-needs orphans and the more than 60 nannies who take care of them, and took a moment out of her busy schedule to share what it’s like to oversee such an amazing organization.

I think many of us would like to know – what’s it like running an orphanage? The best part is definitely being with the children. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of desk work to do, so I cannot just be with the kids. But they make you remember why you do this. So, whenever I have a little time I just spend some time with the little ones. Moreover, it is a wonderful feeling when we learn that a child will get adopted or we were able to help a child with an urgent operation. Everyone in our house gets very excited and it feels like a family.

What are the major struggles you’re facing? Money Money Money. We are always in need of money. When people visit Little Flower they always ask “what do you need?” Well, besides some items like clothes, blankets, and a used microwave, we need money to keep Little Flower running. That means we have to pay for electricity, water, rent, school fees for the older kids, salary for our 60 nannies, diapers, daily medical care and supplies, milk powder and food, and we have to do it every month. And then we have to raise money for operations. Actually, to raise money for operations is harder than to find money for the everyday basic needs. I understand that very well. If you know you helped this one child with an operation it feels much more meaningful than giving money for our electricity. Also, donors can directly see where the money goes to and do not have to worry about misuse. We are very aware of the fact that donors want to be sure that their donation is used correctly. Therefore, we open our finances to the public. Additionally, Little Flower Projects has no overhead costs and donations go directly to the needs of the kids.

“Running this kind of nonprofit is a 24-hour job, especially since our babies never sleep”

What’s a day in the life of Malaika like? I hop in a car and make my way out to the airport. Little Flower is located near the airport, but I live near Chaoyang Park, so it is quite a ride. The first thing I do when I get there is a little round to see every nanny and baby. I still have problems remembering every nanny’s name, but I am working on it! [laughs] I believe our nannies must be happy and know that we care about them to make a good job. Spending every day so many hours changing diapers, feeding, and playing can be exhausting. After saying hello to everyone I go to the office to check my mails. During the day I will probably show two to three visitors around. They are usually interested in volunteering or just want to see what we do. Currently I am working on a volunteer and nanny training program. My work also includes being in touch with donors, potential donors and doing the normal admin work. Every day is very different and unexpected things happen. One day electricity stopped and we had to move two of our kids that urgently needed oxygen to another facility with electricity, another day somebody broke our window and another day one of our nannies burnt her face.

“To raise money for operations is easier than to find money for the everyday basic needs”

What are the stresses of running a nonprofit, and how do you deal with them? Besides getting the money to run a nonprofit, it’s also a big challenge to find good staff. Since we rely on donations to operate we cannot pay that much salary to our caretakers. To keep them happy and motivated to work with us is not always easy. Of course, getting permissions is another struggle for us. Getting staff, permission, and money all aligned at the same time is hard, but so critical to helping kids. Running this kind of nonprofit is a 24-hour job, especially since our babies never sleep and our nannies work in three shifts. Therefore, sometimes it is difficult to take a break, because you feel you could always do more and help more children.

Little Flower Projects is an outreach of China Little Flower, Inc., a 501c(3) nonprofit organization registered in the USA. Since 1995, these grassroots, small-scale, very effective, and cost-efficient projects in China have helped countless children in need. They focus on providing specialized care to abandoned infants and nurturing the growth and education of older disabled orphans. They operate in Beijing and Taiyuan, Shanxi, but the children come from all over China. Their projects include hospice care, group educational foster care for children ages four to 18, special care for infants, longterm care for severely disabled children and special causes. At the moment they take care of 45 infants and 40 older kids. You can learn more about them at www. littleflowerprojects.org.

Teaching Our Children to Care: A visit to The Hope Healing Home in Shunyi

From Beijing-Kids.com.

Jennifer’s daughter Julia

 

We left for the Hope Healing Home early on Saturday morning and I literally had to drag my ten-year-old daughter, Julia, out of bed. She grumbled about the fact that it was a Saturday, one of the few days when she can sleep in. As a parent who has been conscientious about teaching my children that there are others less fortunate than ourselves, and wanting to instill a deep feeling in them about what is right – promoting family movie nights with films such as Gandhi, Hotel Rwanda, and The Killing Fields – I expected my daughter to jump out of bed wanting to save the world with the suggestion of visiting an orphanage. I found myself getting impatient with her lack of enthusiasm, but maybe it was because I was feeling guilty. Our son and daughter are getting iPads and a trip to Hawaii for Christmas, but what have we done recently as a family to make a difference in someone’s life?

A visit to the Hope Healing Home in Shunyi was a good lesson, for both Julia and me, in how one can make a difference in the world. Although in this case, the home has already made a difference in the lives of over 1000 babies who were orphaned, sick and physically disabled. Expats Dr. Joyce Hill and her husband Robin had a vision to care for abandoned babies by helping the local Chinese Children’s Welfare Institutes. In February 2000 the Hills opened their home to orphaned children with birth defects and provided care and medical treatment. Later, they opened the Hope Healing Home that cares for 56 babies, and is the center for babies that are fostered into local homes.

When we arrived at the Hope Healing Home I was immediately impressed with the facility. It was well organized, clean, the staff was friendly and the babies – separated in different playrooms with their nannies – seemed content and well cared for. Robin Hill greeted us warmly and gave us a tour and answered our questions. I was startled by the graphic before-and-after photos of some of the babies who had received surgeries for their deformities. Many had cases I had never heard of such as intestinal atresia, arthrogryposis, or esophageal atresia.

Julia held a baby or two and interacted with some of the playful toddlers. I could tell she was uneasy and not entirely sure she wanted to be there. But I was glad that I had dragged her out of bed that morning. I realized that it’s a start to just be aware. That’s why I have pointed out to my children the injustices in the world. (We are now watching the old epic drama series about slavery called Roots). Knowing and being aware of things that are unpleasant to us is sometimes necessary. When you can’t ignore it than you might think you can do something about it.

To learn about the story of the New Hope Foundation and how it got started read the bookThe House of Hope: God’s love for the abandoned orphans of China by Elisabeth Glifford.

If you want to help The Hope Foundation you can donate money, sponsor a child or nanny, or provide medical supplies. www.hopefosterhome.com

Help Budding Students at Dandelion School

From Beijing-Kids.com.

 

For RMB 680/semester, you can fund a student’s education. Photo courtesy of Dandelion School

 

A year ago, we wrote about the Dandelion School in Daxing District. As the only officially recognized high school for children of migrant workers, Dandelion principal Hong Zheng and her dedicated staff have their work cut out for them. The school takes its mission of self-reliance seriously and doesn’t get by solely on donations, but every yuan helps considering Dandelion’s yearly running costs of RMB 3.5 million. Here are some ways you can help.

1. Buy Dandelion’s gift products

The Dandelion School relies on a social enterprise initiative that repackages their students’ art into usable and creative gifts like notebooks.With Christmas just around the corner, this is a gift idea that is original, sustainable, and great for your karma. Dandelion’s products can be purchased directly through the school, at the Kerry Centre, or at Dandelion’s downtown office (see below for contact information). Dandelion also sells its products at seasonal bazaars and directly to corporations.

2. Donate

Some of Dandelion’s most pressing needs are tuition and boarding fees. For RMB 680/semester, you can sponsor a student’s tuition; for RMB 500/year, you can ensure that he or she has somewhere to stay at the school. People can also donate more material goods, like warm winter clothing (hats, coats, and gloves), blankets, or money to buy coal for heating. There are three ways to donate: directly to the school, by wire transfer within China, or by cheque from abroad.

3. Volunteer

Volunteering can be done year-round at the Dandelion School. Volunteers can work on a variety of areas, including English, life skills (such as interviewing for a job), and after school activities. Many high school students from international schools (ages 14+) have done community service hours or earned merit badges at Dandelion. In the past, teens have helped Dandelion’s students with music, sports, English, tutoring, and art projects. Volunteer hours are flexible, with no minimum time requirement. The best times are afternoons, evenings, and weekends.

4. Spread the word

One of the best things you can do for any charitable organization is to tell others about it. Spread the word about the Dandelion School’s mission, needs, and volunteering opportunities. Get your child’s entire high school class to volunteer for a day, or tell members of your community how they can help.

The Dandelion School: 22 Tuanhe Lu, Shoubaozhuang, Xihongmen Township, Daxing District (6128 8964/6686) www.dandelionschool.org
蒲公英中学，大兴区西红门镇寿宝庄团河路22号

To find out more about Dandelion’s social enterprise or to see the school’s products, contact Dodo Dou at dodo.dandelion@gmail.com or 158 1068 2963.

China’s Biggest Philanthropists

Meet the Ten Biggest Do-Gooders in the Middle Kingdom
Text by Joana Melo, photo courtesy of zgjrw.com

China has a handful of famous philanthropists, including Jackie Chan, who has given numerous scholarships, and launched projects such as the Jackie Chan Challenge Cup Intercollegiate Invitation Tournament, the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association Jockey Club Beas River Lodge and The Jackie Chan Family Unit, Yao Ming, who spearheaded the Yao Ming Foundation Charity Tour and along with Steve Nash (of the Phoenix Suns) to raise funds for Project Hope, and Jet Li, whose near-death experience inspired him to create the One Foundation, whose goal is to bring a culture of Philanthropy to China.  But there is also another group of philanthropists that is increasingly well known – China’s billionaire philanthropists – who are making major contributions to the growth of this field in China.

Cao DeWang, 65 (曹德旺)

Born in Hong Kong, Cao DeWang is the chairman of Fuyao Glass Industry Group, which provides the glass components for cars such as Audi and Ford.  In 2010, it is reported that Cao DeWang donated around RMB 1.03 billion to charity. During the year of 2010 Cao DeWang’s donations went mostly to aiding the victims of the drought in Southwest China and the Yushu earthquake. He also aided in the construction of a new library in Fuzhou (USD 60 million), and schools and a temple in Fuqing City (USD 46 million), as well as financing several reconstruction projects. In April of 2011 he also gave three million shares of his company (with a market value of USD 543.7 million) to his private foundation named ‘Heren Foundation’, which is named after his father.

Wang Jianlin, 57（王建林）

As the chairman of Dalian Wanda Group，Wang made his fortune in property development, and was ranked number 232 on Forbes’ billionaires list. Currently he owns more than 30 “Wanda Plazas” across China and also runs the biggest movie-theater chain in China, many of them located in the company’s own shopping malls. So what’s he doing with all of his money? Wang Jianlin gave away RMB 1.28 billion (USD 197 million) in cash to various causes in the year 2010. A part of his fortune (USD 150 million) was directed to help rebuild the Porcelain Tower, a historic temple that dates back to the Ming Dynasty in the city of Nanjing. Wang also contributed with USD 15 million towards the relief effort of the Yushu earthquake that occurred in April in 2010.

Lu Zhiqiang, 60 (卢志强)

Lu Zhiqiang is the chairman of China Oceanwide Group (who is part owner of the computer brand Lenovo) in Beijing and ranked 564 on Forbes’ 2011 billionaires list. He pledged a total of USD 58 million in the year 2010. Most of his contributions went towards disaster relief efforts, such as the Yushu earthquake (USD 15 million), the drought affected areas in the Southwest (USD 6 million) and to affected areas by the flood in Jilin (USD 8 million). He also cooperated with the China Art Research Institute to set up the Chinese Culture and Arts Award which recognizes outstanding artists, an endeavor into which he poured another USD 15 million.

Zhou Zerong, 60 (周泽荣)

This real estate tycoon’s business may have its roots in Guangzhou, but it’s branches reach across Asia to Beijing, Hong Kong, Sydney and Brisbane, Australia. Zhou Zerong and his wife gave USD 43 million towards education in 2010, making them the most generous educational philanthropist couple. Zhou is ranked 85th on the Hurun Rich List 2010, and donated 2.8 percent of his total wealth last year.

Huang Rulun, 59 (黄如论)

Huang Rulun is the chairman of Century Golden Resources Group in Beijing, which has business interests in financial services and real estate, including six shopping malls and 16 five-star hotels. In the past five years, he has donated around USD 430 million, and shows no sign of stopping. In 2010, the 59 year-old donated USD 315 million to several middle schools and universities across China. Such generosity and consistency has placed him in second place on the Hurun Philantropy List 2010.

GaoNaize, 50 (高乃则)

Gao Naize has personally given almost USD 36 million in the year 2010. In February of the same year, Gao joined 45 more coalmine entrepreneurs and collectively contributed USD 196 million towards the Fugu County Government. He also has a big interest in relieving poverty and helping employment and water drinking problems in the less developed areas of China. Last year he pledges nine percent to several causes, and he ranked 543rd on the Hurun Rich List 2010.

Chen Guangbiao, 43 (陈光标)

In 2010, Chen Guangbiao donated USD 43.3 million to charity. Over the last year Chen has been actively involved in various charitable activities, providing funds to drought-affected areas in the Southwest, the Yushu earthquake and the mudslides in Zhouqu County. He has also donated about RMB 20 million worth of scholarships and 3,800 computers, totaling RMB 31 million. In addition, on September 25, 2011 Chen donated all the profits of a charity concert he organized to farmers in need of help with their crops and kettle. Chen Guangbiao has announced to donate all of his property after his death (totaling more than RMB 50 billion) and has obtained the China Charity Award for four consecutive years.

Zhu Mengyi, 52 (朱孟依)

Zhu Mengyi and his family have given USD 100 million over the year of 2010. In March of the same year, the Zhu family donated USD 36 million to their hometown of Hainan and later in July the property developer donated a further USD 64 million to various charitable causes. Having now donated 3percent of his wealth to charity, Zhu Mengyi has been ranked 21^st on the Hurun Rich List 2010 with USD 3.5 billion.

Yang Lan, 43 (杨澜)

TV host, who grew up without a TV, Yang Lan was amongst one of the wealthiest families in 2010, along with her husband. She has been the one to encourage philanthropy in China, organizing the banquet in Beijing for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which brought Bill Gates and Warren Buffett together to discuss philanthropy with more than 30 of China’s billionaire families. Yang has the goal of empowering women through her show called “Her Village,” that reaches more than 200 million viewers. In 2005 she created the “Sun Culture Foundation” in Hong Kong to promote philanthropy and education.

Yu Pengnian, 88 (余彭年)

Real estate and hotel entrepreneur Yu Pengnian has now donated all of his assets (RMB 8.2 billion) to the Yu Pengnian Foundation. His charitable work was inspired by his impoverished childhood, and his contribution has now made him the top philanthropist in China. His last donation was valued at RMB 3.2 billion and it shall be used for no other purpose than charity. The foundation, whose efforts are directed towards health, education and disaster relief, has, since the year 2003, aided in funds more than 150,000 cataract removal operations across China and helped establish Project Hope schools in rural areas.