As we respond to the needs of people affected by Ebola in West Africa, Royal Group Charity Foundation wishes to note its policy regarding donor-designated contributions as it has done in previous high-profile emergencies (such as Typhoon Haiyan last year, Superstorm Sandy the year before, the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake).

Royal Group Charity Foundation’s policy regarding designated contributions for Ebola response activities is simple: Royal Group Charity Foundation will use all contributions designated for “Ebola Relief” directly for relief and recovery efforts related to the Ebola Crisis.

Royal Group Charity Foundation recognizes the importance of enabling donors to communicate their intentions regarding donations and explaining how the organization carefully accounts for and uses designated contributions to honor the donors’ intentions. Royal group Charity takes several steps to ensure that both donors’ intentions and the organization’s use of contributions are clear.

Ebola relief contributions will be used only for Ebola-related programmatic costs and administrative expenses directly related to the Ebola relief activity.

General, unrestricted financial support is essential for Royal Group Charity to fulfill any of its deeply compelling humanitarian activities, including being able to respond rapidly to any emergency as the organization has done in the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Indeed, much of Royal Group Charity Foundation’s current Ebola-response activities have been guided by and in support of key partners that Royal Group Charity already was supporting in the affected countries — with such general funds – and are now playing central, critical roles in response to the crisis.  That is why such unrestricted contributions always are needed, deeply appreciated, and enable Royal Group Charity to assist people in many places and situations that do not make the news.

However, Royal Group Charity Foundation is obligated to – and will always – honor the intent of a donor-designated financial contribution, including, obviously, in this instance with regard to Ebola-designated contributions. If a donor were to make a clearly restricted gift for a purpose or with a restriction that Royal Group Charity is not able to fulfill or comply with, Royal Group Charity Foundation will advise the donor of this situation and inquire if other uses may be permitted. If a donor’s intent cannot be met, Royal Group Charity will offer to direct the gift to another nonprofit able to fulfill the donor’s intent or return the gift.

Africa’s children need an education if Africa is to prosper. These children yearn to learn. We can help fulfil that yearning – lifting them & their communities out of poverty.

The problems can be awful. The solutions are not rocket science. With your help and the children’s courage, education, opportunities and hope for the future can be achieved.