What is Blessing Hands?
Blessing Hands is an American public charity with 501(c)(3) status in the United States of America. Being a nonprofit organization means our purpose is to give money to those who have educational needs - not make money as a business. We are incorporated in the State of Kentucky and our office address is: Blessing Hands, 106 Timber Lane, Morehead, KY 40351.
What is the meaning behind the name “Blessing Hands”?
We think that blessings, not luck, will help students progress toward a rewarding life. We also believe that anyone’s hands can bless others with help. We want to foster charity and compassion in our sponsors and students, empowering them to help themselves and others. It is not enough to succeed personally. Real success is when you are able to help others also succeed. We want our students to become blessing hands.
Are you associated with any religious group?
We are not a church or an evangelistic organization. We seek to help any poor students regardless of their belief system.
What is your purpose?
Our biggest purpose is to help students reach their full potential by offering educational aid to students and schools. In the long term, we expect our students to become blessing hands, passing their blessings on to many others.
Blessing Hands is an American public charity with 501(c)(3) status in the United States of America. Being a nonprofit organization means our purpose is to give money to those who have educational needs - not make money as a business. We are incorporated in the State of Kentucky and our office address is: Blessing Hands, 106 Timber Lane, Morehead, KY 40351.
What is the meaning behind the name “Blessing Hands”?
We think that blessings, not luck, will help students progress toward a rewarding life. We also believe that anyone’s hands can bless others with help. We want to foster charity and compassion in our sponsors and students, empowering them to help themselves and others. It is not enough to succeed personally. Real success is when you are able to help others also succeed. We want our students to become blessing hands.
Are you associated with any religious group?
We are not a church or an evangelistic organization. We seek to help any poor students regardless of their belief system.
What is your purpose?
Our biggest purpose is to help students reach their full potential by offering educational aid to students and schools. In the long term, we expect our students to become blessing hands, passing their blessings on to many others.
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How did Blessing Hands get started?
Betty Cutts, our founder, was teaching in a summer English camp in Yangshuo, China when she became interested in helping disadvantaged students continue in school. She saw many opportunities to touch students’ lives with long-term blessings. Charity dollars given in the USA go a long way overseas. Her husband, David Cutts, has retired from teaching physics at Morehead State University, and they have time to invest in others. |
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Who helped get Blessing Hands started?
Betty Cutts taught summer English camps in Yangshuo and Qinzhou and developed friendships with professional educators and teachers in both areas. She also made friends with visiting scholars from these areas of Guangxi province, who came for extended stays at Morehead State University. She was able to select proven administrators, who were outstanding in China, to be advisory board members for Blessing Hands.
Betty Cutts taught summer English camps in Yangshuo and Qinzhou and developed friendships with professional educators and teachers in both areas. She also made friends with visiting scholars from these areas of Guangxi province, who came for extended stays at Morehead State University. She was able to select proven administrators, who were outstanding in China, to be advisory board members for Blessing Hands.
How much aid actually goes to the students?
Blessing Hands depends on volunteer administrators to identify students in need and distribute student sponsorships. 100% of your sponsorship donation will go to the student you choose to sponsor. Many donors also give to the general work of Blessing Hands. From the general funds we make sure all our students without sponsors receive their sponsorship funds and also support our Blessing Hands staff. Blessing Hands currently strives to maintain a 10% expense on management in order to make sure we continue to support and sponsor as many students as possible each year.
Blessing Hands depends on volunteer administrators to identify students in need and distribute student sponsorships. 100% of your sponsorship donation will go to the student you choose to sponsor. Many donors also give to the general work of Blessing Hands. From the general funds we make sure all our students without sponsors receive their sponsorship funds and also support our Blessing Hands staff. Blessing Hands currently strives to maintain a 10% expense on management in order to make sure we continue to support and sponsor as many students as possible each year.
Who runs Blessing Hands and makes decisions?
Blessing Hands has an 7-member board of directors who have experience in international travel and teaching. Three of our board members, Eric Zhang, Malan Cai, and Xiaomin Mai Oney, are from China and give valuable insight into Chinese customs. We are directed by by-laws of our choosing and the charity laws of the USA and China. We file a 990 form with the US government every year which details our spending and financials. It can be seen on our website at this link. We also file reports and budgets to the Chinese Government as required for their Non-governmental Organizations. We are partnered with the Education Department of Guangxi Province.
Who runs your program in China?
Our three beginning administrators in China were distinguished educators and educational leaders in their locations. Two of them are now advisors only but maintain close ties with our charity. Two of them were visiting scholars at Morehead State University and developed personal friendships in Morehead. Two of them were administrators in their schools or educational departments. They have extensive knowledge of the educational system of China and have earned the respect of teachers, principals, and local education department officials. One of those first administrators, Anna Liu, is still helping our students.
We now have a full time paid Assistant Director in China, Tim Liao, who takes care of communication needs with volunteer administrators, the bank, sponsors, and students in China. He also writes reports regarding the work of Blessing Hands in China, translates, and assists with other duties as needed. Luo Huali is a part time director in China. She helps college scholarship students report grades and assists with translation needs.
Who supports Blessing Hands?
Clubs, churches, individuals, schools, and granting foundations support Blessing Hands, but individuals are the backbone we depend on. We want our students to know their sponsors and encourage communication between sponsors and their sponsored students. We hope you will become a sponsor.
How do you select which students to help?
Such information as family income and size, commitment to learning, grades, and academic performance is gathered by the teachers who know the students. Orphans and single-parent families are given special consideration. The local school authorities and Blessing Hands administrators check the authenticity of the teacher’s recommendation.
Volunteer teachers supervise students in their areas. Schools are dropped from the program if they don’t cooperate for the good of the children. Nearly all of our students are from rural areas, even if they go to city secondary schools, where they become boarding students.
Where do the children live?
Our students are in four areas of China, but we also have a project in Philippines, Thailand, and Myanmar. Most of our students over 12 years old, board at their schools due to distance from their home in rural villages.
Guangxi Province: Yangshuo, Wuxuan, and Du'an Counties, Guilin, Longsheng and Qinzhou Prefecture
Yangshuo is a tourist area with beautiful rock formations and rivers. Almost every American president who visited China traveled to Yangshuo.
Qinzhou is a southern port city on the Gulf of Tonkin near Vietnam.
Wuxuan is located between Longsheng, Guilin and Nanning.
Du'an is in Hechi Prefecture.
We have students from primary to college in these areas of Guangxi.
Who selects college scholarship students?
When our students graduate from secondary school, we try to find sponsors to send them to college. The Blessing Hands Board has final authority over the selection process. The students are selected based on college entrance exams common to all of China and their personal essay. Scholarships are given for one year and renewed based on passing grades, continued need, and funds available from willing sponsors. Sponsors are encouraged to fund their special student’s college tuition when they reach that age, but new sponsors are sought by featuring their essays and pictures online and in our newsletter.
Who makes decisions in China?
Our assistant administrator makes some decisions about programs in China and makes recommendations to our overall founder/director, Betty Cutts. They communicate by WeChat, email and video chat to keep up with happenings in China. We have advisers in China who give opinions and suggestions. The final decision, however, is made by the Blessing Hands Board or the Board Chairman, as authorized by the board, depending on the situation and the need for immediate action.
How does the money get to the students and how can I know that they actually get it?
Money is wired to China and distributed to the schools and students by our administrators. Betty Cutts, our founder and president, often travels at her own expense to China to check on programs and students. Tuitions are publicly received by students and schools. A signed receipt is received representing each student and school. Photos with the children holding their received aid are encouraged. Betty Cutts or other Blessing Hands representatives visit schools and talk to teachers and students. Sponsors are encouraged to write to their sponsored children to hear firsthand how they are doing and make sure they have received their school aid. Thank you letters are kept on file for most children.
The school where the student is studying sometimes assists in giving out the funds to the students if the schools are remote. Both the person who handled the matter and the student sign the receipt.
Blessing Hands has an 7-member board of directors who have experience in international travel and teaching. Three of our board members, Eric Zhang, Malan Cai, and Xiaomin Mai Oney, are from China and give valuable insight into Chinese customs. We are directed by by-laws of our choosing and the charity laws of the USA and China. We file a 990 form with the US government every year which details our spending and financials. It can be seen on our website at this link. We also file reports and budgets to the Chinese Government as required for their Non-governmental Organizations. We are partnered with the Education Department of Guangxi Province.
Who runs your program in China?
Our three beginning administrators in China were distinguished educators and educational leaders in their locations. Two of them are now advisors only but maintain close ties with our charity. Two of them were visiting scholars at Morehead State University and developed personal friendships in Morehead. Two of them were administrators in their schools or educational departments. They have extensive knowledge of the educational system of China and have earned the respect of teachers, principals, and local education department officials. One of those first administrators, Anna Liu, is still helping our students.
We now have a full time paid Assistant Director in China, Tim Liao, who takes care of communication needs with volunteer administrators, the bank, sponsors, and students in China. He also writes reports regarding the work of Blessing Hands in China, translates, and assists with other duties as needed. Luo Huali is a part time director in China. She helps college scholarship students report grades and assists with translation needs.
Who supports Blessing Hands?
Clubs, churches, individuals, schools, and granting foundations support Blessing Hands, but individuals are the backbone we depend on. We want our students to know their sponsors and encourage communication between sponsors and their sponsored students. We hope you will become a sponsor.
How do you select which students to help?
Such information as family income and size, commitment to learning, grades, and academic performance is gathered by the teachers who know the students. Orphans and single-parent families are given special consideration. The local school authorities and Blessing Hands administrators check the authenticity of the teacher’s recommendation.
Volunteer teachers supervise students in their areas. Schools are dropped from the program if they don’t cooperate for the good of the children. Nearly all of our students are from rural areas, even if they go to city secondary schools, where they become boarding students.
Where do the children live?
Our students are in four areas of China, but we also have a project in Philippines, Thailand, and Myanmar. Most of our students over 12 years old, board at their schools due to distance from their home in rural villages.
Guangxi Province: Yangshuo, Wuxuan, and Du'an Counties, Guilin, Longsheng and Qinzhou Prefecture
Yangshuo is a tourist area with beautiful rock formations and rivers. Almost every American president who visited China traveled to Yangshuo.
Qinzhou is a southern port city on the Gulf of Tonkin near Vietnam.
Wuxuan is located between Longsheng, Guilin and Nanning.
Du'an is in Hechi Prefecture.
We have students from primary to college in these areas of Guangxi.
Who selects college scholarship students?
When our students graduate from secondary school, we try to find sponsors to send them to college. The Blessing Hands Board has final authority over the selection process. The students are selected based on college entrance exams common to all of China and their personal essay. Scholarships are given for one year and renewed based on passing grades, continued need, and funds available from willing sponsors. Sponsors are encouraged to fund their special student’s college tuition when they reach that age, but new sponsors are sought by featuring their essays and pictures online and in our newsletter.
Who makes decisions in China?
Our assistant administrator makes some decisions about programs in China and makes recommendations to our overall founder/director, Betty Cutts. They communicate by WeChat, email and video chat to keep up with happenings in China. We have advisers in China who give opinions and suggestions. The final decision, however, is made by the Blessing Hands Board or the Board Chairman, as authorized by the board, depending on the situation and the need for immediate action.
How does the money get to the students and how can I know that they actually get it?
Money is wired to China and distributed to the schools and students by our administrators. Betty Cutts, our founder and president, often travels at her own expense to China to check on programs and students. Tuitions are publicly received by students and schools. A signed receipt is received representing each student and school. Photos with the children holding their received aid are encouraged. Betty Cutts or other Blessing Hands representatives visit schools and talk to teachers and students. Sponsors are encouraged to write to their sponsored children to hear firsthand how they are doing and make sure they have received their school aid. Thank you letters are kept on file for most children.
The school where the student is studying sometimes assists in giving out the funds to the students if the schools are remote. Both the person who handled the matter and the student sign the receipt.
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What kind of relationship do you have with the government of China?
Blessing Hands is an official registered foreign NGO in China registered is Guangxi Province as a partner with the Provincial Education Department. We have bank accounts in our own name and a charter to maintain programs. In June 2007, the provincial government of Guangxi gave a Certificate of Special Individual Contribution to Charity to Betty Cutts for service to the poor children of Yangshuo County. Blessing Hands is often featured in Chinese newspapers and on local Chinese TV. |
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How are financial matters handled in the USA?
Our financial records are available for inspection and our form 990 is placed online here for anyone to see. The board treasurer makes monthly reports at our board meetings, and we are guided by a budget. We use Quickbooks software to keep up with our financials with the aid of a Certified Public Account, Bryan Anderson. Our accounts in China are audited by an independent auditor. We have a Chinese accountant approved by the Education Department, Liafen Li.
Can I send a special gift to my sponsored student?
When Blessing Hands representatives travel to China, light-weight special gifts can be sent to a sponsored child. You can also mail gifts to your student personally, but money should not travel through the mail. Heavy gifts are very expensive to send to China. Busy Blessing Hands administrators are not usually asked to personally give special gifts to students.
Can a whole school be sponsored?
Yes, you can send gifts to a whole school. We have one donor who buys shoes for three rural primary schools each year.
Our financial records are available for inspection and our form 990 is placed online here for anyone to see. The board treasurer makes monthly reports at our board meetings, and we are guided by a budget. We use Quickbooks software to keep up with our financials with the aid of a Certified Public Account, Bryan Anderson. Our accounts in China are audited by an independent auditor. We have a Chinese accountant approved by the Education Department, Liafen Li.
Can I send a special gift to my sponsored student?
When Blessing Hands representatives travel to China, light-weight special gifts can be sent to a sponsored child. You can also mail gifts to your student personally, but money should not travel through the mail. Heavy gifts are very expensive to send to China. Busy Blessing Hands administrators are not usually asked to personally give special gifts to students.
Can a whole school be sponsored?
Yes, you can send gifts to a whole school. We have one donor who buys shoes for three rural primary schools each year.
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What does a sponsor do?
You support your chosen student with school tuition if they are over 15. If they are junior middle school age, you either give by semester or yearly for their non-tuition support (school supplies, books, etc...) As a sponsor, you are encouraged to interact with your student through letters or emails. Many of our students come from one-parent homes or are orphans. They benefit from contact with a caring person in their lives. Letters also encourage them to learn English. A sponsor is given a photo and other information about the child they support. |
Can I write to my sponsored student?
We encourage writing and email connections with the sponsored students. It takes quite some time for a letter to go and come from China. Some older students have email access, but they can’t write very often. Your communication with younger sponsored students will have to be facilitated by teachers, so be patient. Scholarship students can chat with their sponsors by the Chinese app WeChat.
Can I visit my sponsored student?
At your own expense, you can visit your sponsored student or school in China. Be sure and make arrangements ahead of time with Blessing Hands, so your visit will be a blessing to your student. The schools are closed during the month of July and near Chinese New Year. Be prepared to pay for transportation and an escort to schools. You will need permission to get into the schools.
Can I be a volunteer?
Yes of course! Email us for more info. We need Chinese volunteers to translate newsletters and other items for us. This can be done by email. We also need computer literate people willing to help us with pictures, data input, and files seasonally. If you are good at web page design and maintenance, we can use your skills. If you want to present a PowerPoint presentation or host a fundraiser, we would love to talk to you. We also welcome volunteers for our summer programs like camps or clinics.
We encourage writing and email connections with the sponsored students. It takes quite some time for a letter to go and come from China. Some older students have email access, but they can’t write very often. Your communication with younger sponsored students will have to be facilitated by teachers, so be patient. Scholarship students can chat with their sponsors by the Chinese app WeChat.
Can I visit my sponsored student?
At your own expense, you can visit your sponsored student or school in China. Be sure and make arrangements ahead of time with Blessing Hands, so your visit will be a blessing to your student. The schools are closed during the month of July and near Chinese New Year. Be prepared to pay for transportation and an escort to schools. You will need permission to get into the schools.
Can I be a volunteer?
Yes of course! Email us for more info. We need Chinese volunteers to translate newsletters and other items for us. This can be done by email. We also need computer literate people willing to help us with pictures, data input, and files seasonally. If you are good at web page design and maintenance, we can use your skills. If you want to present a PowerPoint presentation or host a fundraiser, we would love to talk to you. We also welcome volunteers for our summer programs like camps or clinics.
