Our Milestones
The Inception: April 2005
From humble beginnings in April of 2005, Children of Rural China Foundation, Inc.,
(CRCF) has grown into a dynamic organization in a short amount of time. Under
the vision and leadership of Kenneth Pao (HBS '06), CRCF began as a group of
nine graduate students spanning from the Harvard Business School (HBS), Harvard
School of Education (HGSE), Harvard Law School (HLS), and the Kennedy School
of Government (KSG), who were interested in helping children in the impoverished
and often-neglected region of Xinjiang, China.
At the 2005 Harvard Business School Section Charity Auction Event in April, CRCF
raised $5,580.00 to sponsor 150 children in Xinjiang to have access to education.
Xinjiang Visitation I: August 2005
In order to better understand the conditions and needs of our sponsored children, two CRCF founding members Kenneth Pao and Justin Fung visited several families and schools in Xinjiang during the summer of 2005. Through an HBS alumni contact, CRCF established a partnership with the Esquel Y.L. Yang Education, a non-profit organization serving children and communities in Xinjiang.
The Founding: January 2006
Upon returning from Xinjiang, CRCF members realized the children's immediate needs and set out to establish ourselves as an official non-profit organization. In January 2006, CRCF received its non-profit 501(C)(3) status.
Furthermore, the founding board members also sponsored 10 children in Xinjiang on behalf of CRCF.
The New Board: March 2006
Due to a large number of interest in helping children in remote areas of China, CRCF expanded its executive board membership from nine to twenty-one members. The new board members hail from a wide range of disciplines and experiences. This dynamic team consists of young professionals and graduate students from HBS, HLS, KSG, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Astounding Fundraising Efforts: April 2006
Through the dedication and hard work of CRCF members, we raised an impressive $17,500 at the 2006 Harvard Business School Section Charity Auction, as well as nearly $14,000 in private donations. We believe that this effort could not have been won without the teamwork of passionate individuals, who all share the CRCF motto: "It doesn't matter who gets the credit as long as we help the children."
Xinjiang Visitation II: July-August 2006
CRCF sent three teams of people to Xinjiang to conduct auditing procedures and to meet the children, their families, teachers, and their community members. Each person conducted these trips on a voluntary basis and paid for all expenses out of pocket. Through these trips, we were also able to understand more deeply the breadth and depth of need in rural areas of China, particularly in Xinjiang. Our personal experiences are important and influential to help us carry out better programs that fit the needs of the children.
Organizational Development: September 2006
At the CRCF Executive Board Retreat in September, we elected the following people to serve as organizational directors: Co-Chairs, Tina Lu & Jonathan Lin; Fundraising Director, Eric Young; and Program Development Director, Song Wong.
Under their leadership, CRCF is moving towards 1.) Strengthening our partnership with the Y.L. Yang Educational Foundation; 2.) Expanding fundraising efforts to serve more rural children; 3.) Developing and diversifying our programs for children in Xinjiang; 4.) Providing more accountability and transparency to our dedicated donors.
1st Disbursement: October 2005
In October 2005, CRCF disbursed $5580.00 to support 150 children for the 2005-06 school year (exchange rate taken into account). Our partner in Xinjiang, the Esquel Y.L. Yang Foundation (Esquel), dispersed ~$40.00 or 300 RMB in two installments at the end of each semester to local Xinjiang school officials, who then transferred the money to children's families. Since this disbursement occurred before the official 2005-06 fiscal year, this figure is not reflected in the financial breakdown.
2nd Disbursement: May 2006
Each founding member sponsored an individual child and wrote a composite check to Esquel in the total amount of $400.00. We sponsored ten (10) additional children, brining our total to 160 children. This amount covered the children's school expenses for 2005-06.
3rd Disbursement: August 2006
In August 2006, CRCF disbursed $375.00 to cover the cost of school expenses for the 10 sponsored children during the 2006-07 school year.
Future Disbursements
CRCF is expanding the number of children we sponsor through Esquel to 200-250 children. All our private donations from 2005-06 have been earmarked to sponsor these children for the 2006-07 school year. CRCF is dedicated to continuing our child sponsorship program and providing funding for children through primary grade six (6).
In 2006-07, CRCF is working towards constructing, remodeling, and rebuilding a dilapidated school in Xinjiang through collaboration with an established non-profit organization in China. We have earmarked the funds raised from the HBS Section Auction ($17,500.00) for this purpose.