Raising the Public's Compassion Quotient[a]

Raising the Public's Compassion Quotient

『爱心商数』　全民升级

本篇中英文节录自《台湾光华杂志》

九十九年一月第三十五卷第一期

『爱心商数』　全民升级

本社为尊重《台湾光华杂志》，中文原文注销，仅供参考，中英文如有不尽相符之处，敬请包涵。

The end of the year is the season for chilly winter winds. It's also the season for something warmer—compassion. For both individuals and profit-seeking corporations, it's the time of year for giving back. A "red envelope" given in the name of charity at the year's end embodies a hope for the prosperity of the island and the security of its people.

A 2003 survey by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics (DGBAS) shows that in years without a major natural disaster, Taiwanese people donated nearly $42.7 billion to charity, or about half the government's annual social welfare budget. The largest recipients of charitable giving, which excluded donations to political parties, were religious groups, who received more than 50 percent of the total amount. Another 37 percent went to social welfare organizations, and roughly 10 percent to educational, environmental, and arts-related groups.

The lack of well-developed legal structures and the impulsiveness of donors allowed some 213 charities—most with little verification of who they were and no operational experience—to spring up after the 921 Earthquake in 1999 and rake in an explosion of $31.5 billion in donations for earthquake-related relief. Thereafter, controversies emerged on a number of issues, including the too-rapid release of relief funds into the disaster zone by charitable groups, the use of donations to purchase satellite news gathering vehicles by news organizations, the use of donations to cover labor, farmers', and fishermen's insurance premiums by the government, and the misappropriation of millions of dollars in donations by fundraisers to purchase ads touting their own achievements. Such events finally made the public aware of the possibility that its compassion was being abused. As a result, in December 1999, the Ministry of the Interior drafted a Charity Donations Act, and private groups began giving serious thought to self-regulation.

　每到寒风飕飕的年关，也是爱心暖暖的季节，不论是个人做爱心，或者企业汲汲营营一整年，终于可以回馈，总之，送出红包好过年，但求国泰又民安！

　　根据行政院主计处 2003 年所做的社会调查，在没有重大天灾人祸的一般年头，台湾人每年的『爱心捐款』总额将近新台币 427 亿元，相当于中央政府每年社会福利预算的二分之一；除了政党不计算在爱心捐款之内，估计爱心大饼中，至少五成流向宗教团体，三成七集中在社福团体，其他如教育、环保、艺术类的团体则争取剩下的一成。

　　然而，正因为法令环境不健全，加上捐款者多属冲动型，当 1999年 921 地震发生后，打着 921 名号的项目募款金额一下子暴冲到 315 亿元，募款单位高达 213家，多数征信不足且没有执行经验；此外，引起争议的现象还包括：慈善团体在灾区发放急难慰助金过度轻率、电视台利用募款所得添购 SNG 车、政府把民间善款拿来支应劳农渔保保费、募款单位挪用百万捐款购买广告宣扬自家贡献等等，这才让大众惊觉自己的爱心可能遭到误用、滥用，从而促使内政部于当年 12 月底完成『公益劝募条例草案』，民间组织也开始省思自律的议题。

For Your Information

把握 6 原则，聪明做公益：

1  是否为合法立案组织？项目募款有无许可？

2  是否有清楚的年度工作计划或项目募款计划？

3  确认捐款机构的名称与账号。

4  主动索取捐款收据。

5  辨别街头募款是否合法？

6  捐款后持续关心追踪。

（数据源：台湾光华杂志）