WSCRC Supporters Enthusiastically Support Council’s Initial Fund-Raising Efforts

The Washington State China Relations Fund (WSCRF), a 501 (c)(3) corporation and sister organization of the Washington State China Relations Council, has started a fund-raising campaign to support community efforts as well as to ensure the long-term viability of the Council.

The new entity, the WSCRF, was founded to provide a more solid financial grounding for the Council’s future by assuming the management of all the Council’s educational activities. The new entity is also able to raise funds to support community efforts and temporarily import donated items from overseas donors on a duty-free basis.

The WSCRF is pleased to announce that it has received over $50,000 in gifts since kicking off fund raising efforts in early May. The Rieschel Foundation generously contributed $20,000 to support the “Food with Love Program”. This program, run in cooperation with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Washington State and Tsinghua GIX, provides meals prepared by local restaurants to front line medical workers. The program has donated over 20,000 meals through the end of May and plans to provide approximately 2,000 more before wrapping up at the end of June.

The WSCRF is also pleased to recognize a gift of $30,000 from Vanguard Charitable on behalf of Mr. William E. Franklin, a former Weyerhaeuser executive and past president of the Council (1985). His gift is highly appreciated and will be used to ensure the sustainability of the Council.

The Washington State China Relations Fund, with its charitable status, is able to import donated Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) from overseas duty-free. To date, WSCRF has imported three shipments of masks from China for medical workers and first responders in Washington State. In early April, WSCRF received a shipment of N95 masks donated by the City of Hangzhou destined for the City of Seattle. In May, the WSCRF served as the importer of record for a donation of masks from the City of Shenzhen also for the City of Seattle. This month, WSCRF will import a shipment of 200,000 masks donated by the Tsinghua University Educational Foundation to the State of Washington.

The Council welcomes donations which will be used to support programs in the effort to improve U.S.-China Relations. Tax Deductible Donations can be made on the Fund’s website www.wscrf.org.