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Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ PEACH FOUNDATION
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q1. How is the Peach Foundation different from other educational foundations?
A1. (a) Unlike other educational foundations which seek to provide financial aid to students all over the thirty provinces of China, Peach Foundation concentrates its effort on one target location only, the poorest regions of Yunnan Province.
(b) In addition to providing financial aid to students attending junior and senior high schools, the Peach Foundation gives loans to college students. Other foundations may only help students through senior high school or simply give scholarships.
(c) In late October of every year, Peach Foundation volunteers visit target sites in Yunnan at their own expense.
(d) We care deeply and directly about the students we serve; we meet with the children once a year. Students are invited to an English summer camp, and Peach provides emotional support and mentoring at that time.
We believe that any problem that can be solved with financial donations alone is essentially a problem that can be easily solved. The most urgent issue facing the Peach Foundation's students is not money; it is the low self-esteem caused by poverty. This problem causes even gifted students to drop out of school. We address the needs of the whole child, building emotional resilience and high self-esteem in order to inspire and empower students to pursue and achieve their educational goals.
Q2. Why does the Peach Foundation target only one province or county?
A2. By focusing our efforts on one or two provinces, the Peach Foundation is able to be more efficient in utilization of manpower, especially in the labor-intensive work of visiting home and school sites.
Q3. Are site visits really important?
A3. Yes, they are very important. Through annual site visits we obtain first-hand information about students in their school and family lives. We interview financial aid recipients face-to-face so that there is mutual exchange of understanding. More importantly, we visit sites in order to prevent the corrupt practice of ?under-the-table? deals. We inspect all endorsed projects to make sure that they are completed as planned so that funds are not misused.
Q4. How would ?under-the-table? deals be conducted?
A4. Teachers might practice favoritism by recommending students who do not actually qualify for financial aid. Teachers may even recommend their own relatives.
Q5. How does the Peach Foundation select beneficiary students?
A5. Locally-selected teachers nominate students who meet specific standards of scholastic achievement and economic need. Nominated students then undergo a stringent review process whereby winners are selected.
Q6. What are the selection criteria that determine the site (county/town) and individual students to receive the awards?
A6. The county where we set up our help center is one of the poorest in the country. The students receiving aids are all excellent students. They come from low-income farming families that have difficulties to support their education.
Q7. What is the scope of services provided by the Peach Foundation?
A7. The Peach Foundation mainly provides scholarships for secondary school students and loans for college students. Additionally, we donate books to the libraries, train teachers, build schools, maintain schoolhouses, and send children to hospitals for treatment. We cover a wide scope of services that seek to ensure the welfare of schoolchildren and the betterment of their quality of life.
Q8. How are scholarships disbursed?
A8. Once a nominated student is approved to receive a scholarship, our liaison stationed in China directly wires the award to the recipient's bank account. There is no third party involved.
Q9. How does the Peach Foundation pay for administration expenses such as utilities and postage?
A9. There are specific donations, such as a yearly membership of $20, which are designated for operational expenses. Our operational expenses are quite insignificant. None of the staff of the Peach Foundation in the United States are on payroll; they are all volunteers. Volunteers also donate office space. Expenses related to site visits are all personally borne by volunteers.
Q10. How does the Peach Foundation ensure that monies given by donors appropriately reach recipient students and are not misused, abused, or subject to corrupt practices?
A10. We encourage donors to write to the children to verify the amount they receive. Additionally, donors are encouraged to visit the children and verify that they receive the money. The children also send progress reports twice a year to confirm how much is received per semester and how the money is spent.
Q11. What are your greatest needs?
A11. Apart from monetary donations, we are in great need of volunteers, especially those who can attend English Summer Camps.
For further questions please contact us or visit our website.
Phone: 650-525-1188
Fax: 650-525-9688.
Website: www.PeachFoundationUSA.org
Email: staff@PeachFoundationUSA.org
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