Results of the “Philanthropist of the Year” National Competition: 12 nominations and 6 special awards – 23 winners

20 December 2011

Ukraine learnt the names of the best philanthropists of 2011. The winners list of the Fifth Anniversary “Philanthropist of the Year” Competition was announced on December 13, 2011 during a joint press-conference of the competition’s Supervisory Council, Media-Council, the Organizing Committee and Jury.

Among the participants were the singer Maria Burmaka, Head of the Competition’s Supervisory Council, Larysa Mudrak, Deputy Chairman of the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Maksymchuk, Head of the Organizing Committee, President of the Philanthropists’ Association of Ukraine, Serhiy Letenko, Head of the Jury, President of the “Children’s World” Charitable Foundation.

The anniversary competition was launched at the end of March. It had a record number of entries – 160, twice as much as last year. “Surely we hoped that the anniversary competition would get lots of entries, still we never expected such a high level of activity, - said Oleksandr Maksymchuk. – We got the whole range of charitable causes. We are especially pleased that so many entries came from the regions. We are very thankful to everyone who told about their own charity and about the good done by others”. Oleksandr Maksymchuk wished everyone a happy Charity Day. In Ukraine it’s marked on December 11.

“Together we had another year of philanthropy, - said Head of the Organizing Committee. – I believe this was a successful year. We not only learnt to engage in doing good, but we learnt to inform about it. We wish to unite our efforts to take on the problems of the society together”. “When the good is done together, then it’s more efficient”, - added Mr. Maksymchuk.

Before announcing the award winners, Head of the Jury Serhiy Letenko told about this year’s jury members. Each year the Jury includes experts on social development and philanthropy, who comply to the competition terms and are well-experienced to chose the best examples of charity in accordance to the competition terms. The jury membership is only made public after the evaluation procedure is finished.

The Jury meeting to elect the award-holders was held on December 6, 2011. The “Urzovnishservice” company monitored the procedure as an independent auditor. The company’s representative Julia Novikova attended the press-conference where she confirmed that all the procedures were carried out in compliance with the statute of the “Philanthropist of the Year” Competition.

“We chose the Jury members with great care, - said Mr. Letenko. – We wanted competent experts who are experienced in charity work on our team. This year they had twice as much work and it was twice as hard to do it, for this anniversary year we received high quality entries”. “We can be proud of this years winners”, - Mr. Letenko added proudly.

The award winners in 12 nominations whose charity work was recognized as the most efficient this year are:

1. Transnational company – McDonald’s Ukraine Ltd.
2. Domestic company – big business –Galnaftogaz Concern.
3. Domestic company – mid-sized business – Obriy Ltd
4. Domestic company – small business – Co Ltd “Agrofirma Zemlia”.
5. Natural person-entrepreneur – Olha Rodchenko.
6. Businessman – Yuriy Kohutyak.
7. Corporate charitable foundation– Khmelnytsky Charitable Foundation “Strengthening Communities”
8. Charitable organization – International Charity Foundation “Father’s House”
9. Mission of an international charitable fund - International Charitable Foundation of Natalia Potopaeva in Vinnytsia Region.
10. Private person – 2 winners: Viktor Tupilko and Dmytro Shpenov.
11. Community, team and non-formalised group – National University of Banking of the National Bank of Ukraine.
12. Children’s, youth team– Student Council of Cherkassy Institute of Banking of the National Bank of Ukraine.

Special awards went to:

• “For novel approaches in philanthropy” – “Planet of Support” International Charity Fund
• “For adult learning to improve their lives” – “Welfare of the Communities” International Charitable Organization.
• “For advancement of philanthropy in rural areas” –“Terra Dei” Charitable Foundation, Zakarpattia Agricultural Consulting Center.
• “For charitable initiatives in culture” – Serhiy Terechak Charitable Foundation.
• “Media and Philanthropy” – “Vikna Novyny” program of the STB Channel, department of educational and cultural programs of the National Radio Company of Ukraine, department “People” of the “Segodnia” newspaper for the “The Kid in Search of Parents” special project and the news agency Korespondent.net.

Special “Media and Philanthropy” award winners were announced by Larysa Mudrak, member of the Media Council. “There are 1703 broadcasting companies in Ukraine, thousands of hundreds of press-editions, tens of thousands well-cited internet-media. Yet philanthropy issues are not quite popular with the media”, - she said. One of the tasks of the “Philanthropist of the Year” competition is advanced promotion of charity. This year’s record number of entries proves that charity work becomes more and more urgent. “We should not forcefully encourage the media to highlight charity work, rather should the media and the society unite to do the good together –, - she emphasized. – We hope for more extensive coverage of charity next year so we will have a bigger choice”.

The winner of the “People’s Philanthropist” award, established by the Philanthropists’ Association of Ukraine, became known during the press-conference. Oleksandr Maksymchuk stopped the online voting in real time and announced the winner – the “Orphans’ Future” Ternopil Regional Foundation with 3559 votes. The second place went to the “KROHA” Foundation of Aid to Parents from Donetsk with 2896 votes. All in all over 11,5 thousands people voted online.

“I have confidence in every single member of the Jury and fully support their choice”, - said Maria Burmaka, Head of the Competition’s Supervisory Council. She congratulated the winners thanking them for their hard, but much needed work. The singer herself devotes a lot of time to charity. To do good is the vital need of everyone, she believes. “A person who feels the need to help others is inherently pure”, - Maria Burmaka pointed out.

The “Philanthropist of the Year” official award ceremony will be held on December 15, 2011 at the “Mystetskyi Arsenal” National Museum Center of Culture and Art at 19.00. (Kyiv, 12 Lavrska Str.).

The “Philanthropist of the Year” Competition was launched in 2007. It’s purpose is to promotion and advancement of charity and philanthropy in Ukraine through public recognition of the most efficient philanthropy initiatives aimed at challenging urgent social problems.

Members of the Organizing Committee include the “Children’s World” All-Ukrainian Charitable Foundation, “Ukraine 3000” International Charitable Foundation, the Center of Philanthropy, the “Civic Space” Center for Information and Analysis and the Institute of Professional Fundraising. The All-Ukrainian Charitable Organisation “Philanthropists’ Association of Ukraine” provides the organizational support of the competition.