2009 One Foundation Philanthropy Grants Opens to Applications 2009/5/19/ Tuesday         2009 One Foundation Philanthropy Grants opens today to applications from NGOs. The application date expires on June 19, 2009.           As a firm advocate of philanthropy, One Foundation is dedicated to the communication of philanthropic culture, establishment of philanthropic platform and the promotion of philanthropic spirit. Thus born the One Foundation Philanthropy Grants. The grants started from 2008 and will announce winners annually and carried with it the standards of credibility, professionalism, execution and sustainability. One Foundation will select no more than ten “Philanthropy Stars” which are Non-Profit-Organizations that have well-established management and supervision structure, excellent operational capabilities, transparent financial system, outstanding sustainability and wide social impact. These star organizations will be given a support grant of RMB 1 million each.            The 2008 One Foundation Philanthropy Grants selected 7 NGOs in the field of environment, healthcare, education and poverty alleviation. The 7 winners were Beijing Stars and Rain Education Research Institute, Liangshan Yi Nationality Women & Children Development Center, Beijing Global Village Environmental Education Center, Fuping Development Institute, Beijing Cultural Development Center for Rural Women, Shaanxi Research Association for Women and Family and Tianjin Hetong Senior Citizen Welfare Association. Each organization received one million RMB from One Foundation for its projects and ability building.         This year, One Foundation created a category called “Future Philanthropy Stars”. It is an annual event starting this year. One Foundation will select five or less “Future Philanthropy Stars” which are Non-Profit-Organizations that have exceptional creativity, (potential) wide social impact, outstanding sustainability and extraordinary leadership. These future philanthropy stars will be given non-cash support including but not limited to training, leadership building, strategic consultation, social network integration, etc.          The 2009 One Foundation Philanthropy Grants is now open to application. Applicants can submit their materials on the website. The selection is comprised of preliminary, secondary and final evaluation, applicants or expert recommended candidates will go through application submission, telephone interview, reference check, on-site investigation, internet voting, judge interview and oral defense. The individuals in the judging panel will be listed on the website of the foundation and its partners. The judges come from all walks of life, including NGO experts, media, consulting, legal and accounting professionals and of course, founder of One Foundation Mr. Jet Li. The entire selection process will be transparent. Results will be announced by November 11, 2009.         One Foundation Philanthropy Grants aims at establishing a globally accepted standard for operation and appraisal of Chinese non-profit organizations to promote the growth of philanthropy in China. One Foundation hopes the funding will accelerate the growth of these organizations and provide valuable first hand experiences. Will the year of 2009 witness 10 outstanding Philanthropy Stars and 5 Future Philanthropy Stars? Well, it remains to be seen.