Taobao Launches Online Public Welfare Channel

Chinese online auction website Taobao.com has formally launched a public welfare channel and a public welfare fund account.

Tao Ran, a representative from Taobao, says that Taobao is building up the channel as the most convenient platform for charity and relief activities online. Currently, all the public welfare activities of Taobao members are released in the channel, to aid the corporate social responsibility initiatives of both Taobao and the business members of the website.

Tao also points out that compared with many other social charity organizations, Taobao’s public welfare channel can direct the donation to the expected targets in a faster manner and this will help more people out of difficulties in the future.

Some charity foundations have reportedly already started to cooperate with Taobao. In January 2010, Centum Charitas Foundation from Hong Kong entered a cooperation with Taobao and the two launched an initiative in Hong Kong to help the disabled people there find work.