Statistics show that illness ranks as one of the top reasons for poverty in various regions of China. People with serious illnesses often try to raise money through the Internet. But according to the new Charity Law, only organizations that are qualified for public fund-raising can raise funds on designated Internet platforms.
In view of the above, the China Red Cross Foundation (中国红十字基金会), a public fund-raising foundation, together with the Beijing Qingsongchou Network Technology (北京轻松筹网络科技公司), launched the Qingsongchou Micro Fund. The Fund aims to create an online self-service assistance and fund-raising platform for underprivileged patients. The founders summarized the model of the Qingsongchou Micro Fund with three features: “Digital Application”, which means patients can submit their application materials online without the requirement of sending any paper-based document; “Matching Funds”, refering to the fact that China Red Cross Foundation will donate money to each applicant in proportion to the amount of money they raised online; and “Assistance of Social Workers”, which refers to the special service provided by social workers and volunteers to help the patients complete the process.
