China Charity Federation raised 4 bln USD in 2010

The China Charity Federation (CCF) and its 135 member groups raised 25.59 billion yuan (4.02 billion U.S. dollars) in donations last year, CCF president Fan Baojun said on Tuesday. The CCF launched 1,302 charity programs last year, benefiting more than 80 million needy people, Fan said at an exhibition highlighting the achievements of the CCF and its members. \"The exhibition is aimed at spreading the spirit of charity and arousing the public\'s passion regarding charitable undertakings. It is also a briefing for those who have always contributed to China\'s charity programs,\" Fan said. Fan said the CCF and its member groups have witnessed continuous growth in recent years. Last month, Fan said at a press conference that donations raised by the CCF this year were no fewer than those raised in past years, despite charity organization scandals that shook the public\'s confidence this year. In late June, a 20-year-old woman calling herself \"Guo Meimei\" claimed to be a general manager for \"Red Cross Commerce\" and posted many photos on her microblog detailing her lavish lifestyle. Her displays of wealth provoked the ire of netizens, who speculated that she might have embezzled money from the Red Cross Society of China. The Red Cross Society later denied the existence of Red Cross Commerce. The CCF has made remarkable achievements not only in emergency relief and raising money, but also in project management and self-construction, Fan said. Founded in 1994, the CCF is one of the largest nationwide charity organizations in China.