Overseas China Education Foundation
Overseas China Education Foundation (OCEF) is an independent, non-political, non-religious and non-profit charity organization, founded in October 1992 by a group of Chinese students and scholars in California. Formerly known as SOS China Education Fund (SOSCEF), OCEF changed to its current name and was registered in Texas in April 2001 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. OCEF's sole mission is to help underprivileged children in impoverished rural areas of China receive education and improve the quality of education in rural China. Overview OCEF is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has local chapters in many cities across the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and UIUC. OCEF raises funds primarily via donations from individuals, corporations and foundations in the U.S., then distributes them directly to the students, teachers and schools in rural China, through the volunteers in China (run by OCEF's China Affairs group), without any interference by governments or other organizations. The distribution process is completely transparent and discussed in details on OCEF's BBS forum. Operated predominantly by unpaid volunteers, OCEF keeps operational costs minimal (3.4% of annual donation receipts in 2011). In its 20-year journey (1992 through spring 2012), OCEF has made continuous achievements