China Charity Federation raised more than 6 billion yuan (about US$951 million) in donations of money and goods in 2011, the organization announced on Friday.

The figure equalled the amount raised in 2010 despite a series of scandals in the country's charity field.

In one prominent case, the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), China's largest charity, came under fire after "Guo Meimei," a young woman who claimed to be a general manager for "Red Cross Commerce," posted photos on the Internet to show off her lavish lifestyle.

As her actions roused speculation that she might have funded her purchases by embezzling money from the RCSC, the RCSC denied the existence of "Red Cross Commerce" and that it employed Guo Meimei.

"People have started to pay more attention to the country's charity cause, raise questions and give advice, which is good for charity groups aiming to improve their work," said Fan Baojun, President of the China Charity Federation.

Fan called for legislative efforts to further regulate charity groups and donations, with strengthened supervision from the government and the public.

Founded in 1994, the China Charity Federation is a non-profit public welfare institution with some 300 member units nationwide.