FAQs

Organization

1. What is the relationship between American Assistance for Cambodia and Japan Relief for Cambodia?
2. What percent of AAfC funding is used for administrative/fundraising expenses?
3. Where can I find a description of AAfC activities?
4. Where does AAfC raise money from?

How to Donate

5. How can I donate?
6. How do I make a wire transfer?
7. I want a tax deduction in the US? What should I do?
8. I want a tax deduction in Japan? What should I do?
9. I want a tax deduction, but live in a country other than the US or Japan. What should I do?

Rural Schools

10. I am interested in sponsoring a school. What should I do?
11. How much time will it take for a school to be built?
12. How are schools selected?
13. Can I choose the location of the school?
14. What types of schools can be built?
15. Who maintains the school?
16. What curriculum do the schools follow?
17. How many students attend a typical school?
18. How are school teachers paid?
19. How do I choose which school improvements to add? Do I have to add them all in Year 1?

Current School Donors

20. I would like to visit my school. How can AAfC help with my travel arrangements?
21. I would like to attend my school opening. Can someone help with my travel plans? Who can I get to attend? Who should be my local contact if I have logistical questions?What is the schedule of a school opening? Can I bring gifts?
22. I would like to hold a fundraiser for my school. How can AAfC help?
23. How often is the website and school list updated?

Organization

1. What is the relationship between American Assistance for Cambodia and Japan Relief for Cambodia?

Please see our About AAfC page

2. What percent of AAfC funding is used for administrative/fundraising expenses?
AAfC targets less than 10% of its expenses for administrative and fundraising. Over 90% of donations go directly towards our programs.

3. Where can I find a description of AAfC activities?
Please see our Programs webpage.

4. Where does AAfC raise money from?
AAfC receives donations from a number of sources. The majority of our donations come from individual donors and families. However, we also receive donations from foundations, corporations, international organizations, civic groups, and government agencies.

How to Donate

5. How can I donate?
AAfC accepts check, wire transfer, Paypal, and credit card donations. Please see our How to Donate page for more details.

6. How do I make a wire transfer. What is the bank number?
In the US, please send money to American Assistance for Cambodia, account number 648899, tracking number 226071033, at Ridgewood Savings Bank, Queens Blvd. and 108 Street, Forest Hills, N.Y. 11375

7. I want a tax deduction in the US? What should I do?
American Assistance for Cambodia is a certified 501(c)3 tax deductible organization in the United States. The Federal Tax EIN ID number is 51-0350058.

8. I want a tax deduction in Japan? What should I do?
Japan Relief for Cambodia is registered with the Keidanren Council for Better Corporate Citizenship. Donors should remit their donation (yen or dollars) to a bank account of the Council for Better Corporate Citizenship of the Keidanren and indicate this as a donation to the Rural Schools Project of Japan Relief for Cambodia. The CBCC will provide a receipt which is recognized by the Japanese Finance Ministry for a tax deduction.

9. I want a tax deduction, but live in a country other than the US or Japan. What should I do?
If you live in Canada, you can wire transfer to the US account listed on the website. A Canadian donating to a US charity can get a 75% deduction from their personal US-sourced income and they can carry the deduction forward up to 5years. We do not provide tax deductions for donations from other countries.

Rural Schools

10. I am interested in sponsoring a school. What should I do?
AAfC continues to look for sponsors to help build more schools in Cambodia for villages that currently lack a school. In order to officially adopt a school, you must first deposit at least $5,000, with the remaining payment within six months. After receiving a deposit, the donor will receive an exact location where the school will be constructed. If you are interested in building a school or learning more, please Contact Us.

11. How much time will it take for a school to be built?
Schools take approximately three months for construction. However, there is often a delay in the construction depending on the season and location, so a donor may wait up to 6-8 months after sponsoring a school.

12. How are schools selected?
Since the beginning of our Rural Schools Project, we have used screening criteria to choose the site of each new school. Our criteria are that schools must be in villages that are very remote, lack a school within the near vicinity, have sufficient young people to need a school, and where students are studying under the trees or in very old wooden school buildings. Currently, schools are selected by the Cambodian Ministry of Education with the support of the Asian Development Bank, who choose locations through a formal process in partnership with the Cambodia Ministry of Education.

13. Can I choose the location of the school?
Our project follows a schedule of priority construction sites carefully studied and designated by the Ministry of Education and Asian Development Bank. In any year, construction is limited to specific provinces, from which you can choose the location of the school. A donor can build a school in a village not part of our building plan, but they must pay the full construction costs.

14. What types of schools can be built?
Schools are 3-6 room concrete buildings. Our project offers sponsorship of schools in provinces where the Asian Development Bank and Ministry of Education program is currently working. The first 290 schools built were primary schools (grades 1-6), while new schools are currently lower secondary (grades 7-9). Donors have the option to build a school in a village that is not part of the Ministry of Education program, but the donor must pay for the full cost of construction. All AAfC schools are officially approved and managed by the Ministry of Education.

15. Who maintains the school?
All AAfC schools are official Cambodian state schools. The government are maintained the building and pays for state teachers. All AAfC improvement features – such as a computer/English teacher, a vegetable garden, or a generator – is maintained by AAfC Cambodian staff through the generosity of our donors.

16. What curriculum do the schools follow?
Aside from AAfC English and computer classes, all other curriculum is determined by the Cambodian Ministry of Education.

17. How many students attend a typical school?
Schools typically hold 200-400 students. Some schools are built on the same facility as a separate school (such as a primary school sharing a campus with a secondary school).

18. How are school teachers paid?
There are two types of teachers: AAfC full-time teachers and state teachers. AAfC full-time teachers are recruited out of university or an orphanage, trained by AAfC, and fully employed by AAfC. State teachers are employed by the government, but given an extra stipend and training by AAfC to hold additional computer and English classes.

19. How do I choose which school improvements to add? Do I have to add them all in Year 1?
We strongly encourage donors to add the basic Education improvements – teacher, computer, solar panels, and bookcase of books – at the time of school construction. Additional improvements can be added at any time, although some improvements can only be installed periodically.

Current School Donors

20. I would like to visit my school. How can AAfC help with my travel arrangements?
If a donor wants to visit a school, AAfC can help with transportation and lodging within Cambodia. The donor must pay for all hotel rooms and the cost of a personal driver. If you plan to visit, please Contact Us with the dates you will arrive and one of our staff will respond with details.

21. I would like to attend my school opening. Can someone help with my travel plans?
Who can I get to attend? Who should be my local contact if I have logistical questions?What is the schedule of a school opening? Can I bring gifts?

For a school opening, AAfC also invite local authorities and related provincial officials, villagers, teachers and children to join the ceremony. We can not predict how many villagers and participants will attend. A typical schedule for a dedication ceremony includes:
A. Introduction
B. Blessing from five Buddhist Monks
C. National Anthem
D. Speech by the commune chief
E. School director reports the school activities and history
F. Speech by the school donor
G. Speech by Chief of the provincial Department of Education
H. Dignitaries and donors cut the ribbon
I. Donors give gift to children

For the gift to distribute to the school children, the donor funding of the school will include a bundle of school supplies acquired by AAfC from the local market for each student. A set of school supplies costs between $1.00 and $1.50, and includes two note books, one drawing-paper book, two blue pens, and a pencil, eraser ruler, sharpener, and box of color pencils

22. I would like to hold a fundraiser for my school. How can AAfC help?
AAfC does not help with additional fundraising for sponsored schools. Donors are welcome to use materials on our website for promotional activities.

23. How often is the website and school list updated?
The website is updated for school donor names and construction progress every 1-2 weeks