Plastic philanthropy says charge for charity

Help those in need while you enjoy gourmet food at a favorite restaurant, or shop in trendy shopping malls, or relax at a five star hotel.

Sound unlikely? It won't be so as long as you pay the bills with a specially designed credit card.

Jointly launched in mid-December by China Merchants Bank (CMB) and One Foundation, founded by action film and kung fu star Jet Li, the Charity Affinity Card allows its holders to donate a certain amount of money to charity on a monthly basis.

The charity card involves the issuing bank and businesses accepting the card for China's philanthropy industry. Part of CMB's income from the card and merchants' sales proceeds will be donated to good causes.

"There are many people in this world that need our help," said Guo Guang, Director of CMB's Credit Card Center. "This card is special because it helps convert people's willingness to help during emergencies such as the Sichuan earthquake on a consistent basis."

The banker also said it helps build a positive corporate culture and combines the growth of businesses and the development of society. Guangdong Development Bank and China UnionPay, the only domestic credit card organization, have also issued cards allowing users to open their wallets to the nation's underdeveloped regions and people in need.

As of the end of June 2008, China issued a total of 1.6 billion bank cards, with 900,000 merchants joining the card payment system. The volume of transaction via credit and debit cards surpassed 1 trillion yuan in the first half of 2008, accounting for 30 percent of the total turnover of retail consumption in China, which means there is great potential for donations linked with the charity-featured credit card.

In partnership with Li's One Foundation, CMB, the nation's sixth largest lender, introduced a new donation approach and brings in fresh interpretation to the foundation's 1+1+1 concept, which promotes one person to donate at least 1 yuan once a month to charity.

Foremost, each card means a commitment by its holders to donate 1, 11, or 111 yuan to the One Foundation each month, per the choices of initial applications.

Also, CMB will donate 1 yuan to the foundation for each new card and 0.1 yuan whenever a card is used on a POS machine.

Merchants will also give 1 yuan every time a user slides the card. Cardholders can join "One Day Volunteer" and other activities as well.

Unlike regular credit cards that determine the limit by assessing users' income and assets, the charity card will take cardholders' donations as the criteria for upgrading their credit line, the bank said.

A "gold card" is for holders who donate over 1,000 yuan and a "diamond card" for those contributing more than 10,000 yuan.

One Foundation will collect and allocate the funds to organizations such as the Beijing Stars and Rain, China's first non-governmental educational organization dedicated to serving children with autism.

Founded in 1993, the organization has helped over 6,000 autistic children and their families through a unique parent-training course, which gives parents skills necessary to educate their children.

Sun Zhongkai, an official with the organization, said there are about 2.8 million autistic children in China, and not only funds, but also volunteers, are needed to care for these children.

"We are funded with 1 million yuan by Jet Li's foundation," he said. "We agree to Li's concept that everyone should shoulder their social obligations."

Li said he is pleased to have a credit card issued for charity causes - a dream when he established the foundation in April 2007.

"We have seen Chinese people's virtue and loving hearts during such events as the earthquake and Beijing Olympics," said Li, a full-time relief worker during the May 12 disaster and who travels tirelessly on foundation business. "But what we need now is to have consistent moral goodness happening regularly in daily lives."

CMB established the platform, Li said, showing the commitment and care for life by people of one generation after another.

"One Jet Li is far from enough. We need numerous brothers and sisters in China's philanthropy industry. (The card) demonstrates Chinese people's commitment and responsibility to the world in the 21st century," Li said.

(China Daily 01/12/2009 page8)