How Australian Red Cross uses 10 per cent deduction

I believe the following emails from Australian Red Cross may answer the questions from my friends who concern about how the humanitarian organisation deals with their donations.

From: Pilapil, Arlene
Date: 2008/6/23
Subject: RE: The official receipt of my donation for Burma Appeal 2008
To: Bing Bao

Dear Bing,

I would like to apologise for my late reply.

Please continue to visit the following links for the updates:

http://www.redcross.org.au/ourservices_aroundtheworld_emergencyrelief_Chinaearthquake.htm
http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/response/sichuan-earthquake/index.asp

The Australian Red Cross has deployed Ling Chin to act as Reporting Delegate for the Federation for three months. Ling will be based in Chengdu, the coordination hub for the overall response.

All the operational and administrative costs involved in transferring funds and deploying delegates from the Australian Red Cross are part of the 10% that we deduct from your donation.

Thank you very much for your query.

We appreciate your support.

Kind regards,

Arlene Pilapil
Data Entry Team Member
National Receipting Centre
23 - 47 Villiers St., NORTH MELBOURNE / GPO Box 2957 MELBOURNE VIC 8060
Tel 1800 811 700 | Fax 1800 855 240
www.redcross.org.au

From: Bing Bao
Sent: Thursday, 5 June 2008 1:47 PM
To: Pilapil, Arlene
Subject: Re: The official receipt of my donation for Burma Appeal 2008

Hi Arlene

Thank you for your feedback. I would like to know a bit more about how Australian Red Cross uses 10% deduction "of any donation for an international appeal to cover its own costs."

As per the statement given at the Australian Red Cross website, "Australian Red Cross will not deduct more than 10% of any donation for an international appeal to cover its own costs. The rest of the donation goes to provide assistance to the victims. Should the funds raised exceed the amount required to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of the people in the affected areas, Australian Red Cross will use any excess funds to help people affected by emergencies within the same region of the world."

Do the "own costs" cover the cost of relevant international operations? For example, the operation cost to transfer funds to IFRC and then China Red Cross? And, any relevant relief aid provided by ARC or IFRC?

Kind regards,
Bing

From: Pilapil, Arlene
Date: 2008/5/21
Subject: RE: The official receipt of my donation for Burma Appeal 2008
To: Bing Bao

Dear Bing,

The money you donated to the China Sichuan Earthquake Appeal 2008 is forwarded to the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) which disburses the funds to Red Cross Society of China.

Please view the following link for the updates:
http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/response/sichuan-earthquake/index.asp

If you have any other queries, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

We value your support.

Kind regards,

Arlene Pilapil
Data Entry Team Member
National Receipting Centre
23 - 47 Villiers St., NORTH MELBOURNE / GPO Box 2957 MELBOURNE VIC 8060
Tel 1800 811 700 | Fax +61 3 8327 7904
www.redcross.org.au

From: Bing Bao
Sent: Monday, 19 May 2008 9:21 AM
To: Pilapil, Arlene
Subject: Re: The official receipt of my donation for Burma Appeal 2008

Hi Arlene

Thank you for your feedback.

I am writing this message to inquire when Australian Red Cross can actually transfer the money we donated to China government or other organisations involved in the relief operation at Sichuan province, China. If Australian Red Cross could send aid workers to China, I would be greatly appreciated.

I am a Chinese. I am actually bearing the tears while writing this message, as there are already more than 30 thousands of Chinese people lost their life in the disaster.

China is open to the world in this relief operation at Sichuan province, China. I am really keen to see any actual aid operations that could be provided by the Australian Red Cross in a few days. Please help China!

Many many thanks in advance!

Kind regards,
Bing

From: Pilapil, Arlene
Date: 2008/5/16
Subject: RE: The official receipt of my donation for Burma Appeal 2008
To: Bing Bao

Dear Bing,

Thank you very much for your e-mail.

It is only when you make online donations will you receive a receipt of that kind.

Please keep all your receipts to claim tax deductibility.

We value your support.

Kind regards,

Arlene Pilapil
Data Entry Team Member
National Receipting Centre
23 - 47 Villiers St., NORTH MELBOURNE / GPO Box 2957 MELBOURNE VIC 8060
Tel 1800 811 700 | Fax +61 3 8327 7904
www.redcross.org.au

From: Bing Bao
Posted At: Friday, 16 May 2008 10:52 AM
Posted To: Appeals Info
Conversation: The official receipt of my donation for Burma Appeal 2008
Subject: The official receipt of my donation for Burma Appeal 2008

Hi

I just donated A$1000 online for China Sichuan Earthquake Appeal 2008 (No. 427735) and received the official receipt via email.

I prefer receiving such an official receipt for my donation of Burma Appeal 2008 (A251159, $945.50) which presented in cash at your head office at Clarence St on 13/5/2008.

Please let me know if could received this kind of receipt via postal mail or email. Thanks a lot.

Regards,
Bing

New Passport, Old Version

Just picked up my new Chinese passport at the Chinese Consulate in Sydney.

New passport, new passport number, new photo (ugly, like a prisoner), and a new authority seal (Chinese Consulate General in Sydney).

But, the OLD version! :-(

I was expecting to obtain a new version of Chinese passport with redesigned cover page, printed authority seal, and an embedded photo on the second bar-code page. I was told by a consulate officer that that kind of new version is only available in China, not to be issued by the overseas embassies and consulates. If I would know that earlier, probably I would not be so eager to renew my passport.

Additionally, the new passport has NO domestic identity card number. "N/A" is printed instead. Therefore, I have become a no-ID guy, probably be arrested if I walked at 2am in a dark street in China. :-)