Rinat Akhmetov: The problem of orphanage is counting its last days

On 19 December, FC Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov along with the composer Igor Krutoy visited orphans from the Dnipropetrovsk region. During the visit, Rinat Leonidovich answered the questions from children and journalists.

– Rinat Leonidovich, what was the most difficult choice that you had to make in your life and what factors helped you make the right decision?

Bill Gates: Part-time Microsoft, full-time charity

Bill Gates spurns a full-time return to Microsoft, the company he founded, preferring to spend the rest of his life working for his foundation.

Bill Gates today ruled out ever returning to the helm of Microsoft and dismissed harsh barbs by his former arch-rival Steve Jobs.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, Gates said Jobs was driven by the fact that “Microsoft machines outsold his machines by a lot”.

This month Fortune reported rumours that Gates was considering a comeback to Microsoft, the company he founded in 1975 but stepped back from in 2006 to focus full-time on philanthropy.

But speaking in Sydney today, where he is on holiday with his family, Gates said he had made the transition to work full-time at his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation “and that will be what I do the rest of my life”.

“I’m part-time involved with Microsoft, including even being in touch this week to give some of my advice but that’s not going to change – the foundation requires all of my energy and we feel we’re having a great impact.”

A possible comeback was loosely compared to Jobs, who took the reins at Apple in the late 90s after a decade in the wilderness and saved the company.

Steve Ballmer, who has been Microsoft’s CEO since taking over from Gates in 2000, is widely considered to have missed the significance of what Jobs dubbed the “post-PC era” and Microsoft is now an also-ran in smartphones, tablets and music players.

Gates, who plans to donate nearly all of his money to charity when he passes away, may be just as culpable as Ballmer for missing the new era in computing as he has been quoted questioning the viability of Apple devices like the iPod and iPad.
via smh.com.au

Elton John and Elena Pinchuk announced their second joint project in Ukraine

On November 9, 2011 in Kiev the founders of the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and the Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation (EPAAF) presented to journalists their second joint charitable project. Its goal is to help girls and young women who are spend most of their lives on the street and so are highly vulnerable to HIV, to gain access to HIV testing and to receive vital social, medical and legal assistance.

The project is implemented by the global health and human rights organization HealthRight International, with the generous financial support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which is supported by the Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation.

Paul G. Allen: A philanthropist from Seattle

Named one of the top philanthropists in the nation, with lifetime giving exceeding $1 billion, Paul G. Allen uses a range of philanthropic strategies to advance his vision. His family foundation, established with co-founder Jo Lynn Allen, focuses much of its grantmaking in the Pacific Northwest region. His philanthropic “venture” projects include the establishment of public museums which celebrate popular and creative art forms. He also initiates charitable projects that apply technology in innovative ways to solve scientific challenges.

Investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen creates and advances world-class projects that improve the way people live, learn, work, and experience the world through arts, education, entertainment, sports, business, and technology. He co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, remained the company’s chief technologist until he left in 1983, and is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc.

Allen’s multibillion dollar investment portfolio includes diverse holdings in real estate, technology, media, and other companies. In 2004 Allen funded SpaceShipOne, the first privately backed effort to successfully put a civilian in suborbital space and winner of the Ansari X-Prize competition. Allen also owns the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League, the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association, and is part of the ownership group for the Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle’s Major League Soccer team.

With lifetime giving exceeding $1 billion, Allen has been named one of the top philanthropists in America. In July 2010, Allen made public his intention to leave a majority of his estate to philanthropy. That philanthropy takes many forms today. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation supports nonprofits working to strengthen communities in the Pacific Northwest. In 2003, Allen pledged $100 million to create the Allen Institute for Brain Science, a research facility dedicated to performing innovative basic research on the brain and disseminating its discoveries to researchers around the world. Researchers at the Institute have developed an online interactive atlas of the human brain that shows the activity of the more than 20,000 human genes. Work at the Institute continues to lead scientists to new insights and propel the field of neuroscience dramatically forward.

Allen is also founder of Experience Music Project, Seattle’s critically acclaimed interactive music museum; the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame; the Flying Heritage Collection, an assemblage of rare World War II aircraft restored to flying condition and shared with the public; and Vulcan Productions, the independent film production company behind several PBS series, including This Emotional Life, Evolution, the Emmy Award-winning Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge; and the Peabody Award-winning Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, and The Blues, executive-produced by Martin Scorsese in conjunction with Allen and Jo Lynn Allen.

Yuriy Logush: Indifference is the main obstacle for philanthropy

Yuri Logush, vice president of Kraft International, chairman of the company “Kraft Foods Ukraine” told about the reasons that make him and his wife Tatyana support the literary contest “The Coronation of the Word“, about achievements and the innovations.

The idea of ​​establishing “The Coronation of the Word” (All-Ukrainian contest of manuscripts. – “Delo”) appeared in the late ’90s, when me and my wife Tanya came to Kiev bookstores searching for Ukrainian books, but we hardly found any!

And those that still were available, were gathering dust in the far corners of the shelves. Then we set a goal that each Ukrainian family was able to read in Ukrainian. At the time of Stalin’s purges about 250 writers were killed. We want to return to Ukraine the same number of new names.

And for today about 180 books were published – the winners of the contest.

And after we have established a literary contest, we wanted to share our achievements: to deliver new books to libraries, orphanages, boarding schools. That is how the idea of ​​creating the Fund “Art Skarbnitsya” (Art Treasury) appeared, meant to revive, promote and support еру Ukrainian culture and art. During the past five years, the Fund, leaded by Tatyana, has been holding annual charity masquerade ball “Carnival”, aimed to promote not only the noble entertainments, but also a noble tradition of philanthropy. Thanks to Fund “Art Skarbnitsya”, over 10 thousand books arrived to young readers from all over the country: Kiev, Zaporozhye, Sevastopol, Poltava.  We donate books to public libraries, orphanages, schools; we publish the books by the contest winners, and the readers buy them. Movies are made by works of authors of “The Coronation of the Word”   (“Button”, “They throw away the withered flowers” by I. Rozdobudko, “Dark Water” “The snake is crawling” by A. Kokotyukha), plays are staged (“Sweet Darusya” by M. Matios). I am extremely pleased to see how the competition is stimulating the authors for creative development: A. Kokotyukha, I. Rozdobudko, N. and A. Shevchenko are the novelists and screenwriters, A. Gavrosh combines the talents of the playwrighter and children’s writer, S. Mirny is as well both the screenwriter and novelist.

During the year the writers’ marathon is held inUkrainian cities, and every time our writers gather the full audience. It is already the promotion of reading in general – and this new level, which we didn’t even dreamt of, but have achieved.

In 2011, we will continue development of both “The Coronation of the Word” and “Carnival.”  The first one will introduce a new subnomination “The best work for children”, which will be awarded in each of the existing nominations: the best song for children, best screenplay for the children movie , best play and  novel for children. “Carnival” is now considering proposals for cooperation with other regions of Ukraine.

I believe, indifference is the major obstacle to the development of philanthropy in Ukraine, and, whether the lack of time, or opportunities to consider carefully the philanthropy matters. All of us should finally get rid of indifference to ourselves;  we should be open to the good, be prepared to do good personally.

Yuriy Logush for delo.ua

 

 

Rinat Akhmetov paid for Mariupol development

Metinvest, vertically-integrated mining and metal company, in September 2011 invested UAH 1,2 million into development of Mariupol city in the framework of bilateral agreement on social and economic cooperation between Azovstal Iron and Steel Works and Mariupol city council. Totally, the support to the city since the beginning of 2011 made over UAH 3,9 million, as the press office of the company reported.

In September 2011 UAH 500 thousand  allocated in the city hospital No 4 for updating fluorography equipment of the hospital, day patient departments, for repair the heating system in surgery unit. Since the beginning of the year, Azovstal invested into hospital more than UAH 1,4 million. Funds allocated allowed making major overhaul of clinical laboratories, surgical unit and an x-ray department of the hospital, as NGO.Donetsk reported.

Also in September, UAH 700 thousand were allocated for improvement, development and support of Ordzhonikidze district, mostly for housing repairs. Earlier, in August 2011, Azovstal provided over UAH 180 thousand for establishment of eight new playgrounds in the Ordzhonikidze district.

“For our enterprise, as well as for all Metinvest enterprises, it  is very important to conduct an open and constructive dialogue that helps to direct resources to address the most significant issues in the regions where we work. That is why we actively participate in the implementation of targeted urban social programs aimed at the development of urban infrastructure and support health and education, caring for the younger generation of Mariupol, “- said Enver Tskitishvili, Director General of Azovstal Iron and Steel Works.

via ngo.donetsk.ua and regionews.com.ua

The Victor Pinchuk Foundation becomes partner of the National Project “New Life”

Continuing implementation of the “Cradles of Hope” program, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation has become a partner in the national project “New Life”, focusing on the opening of perinatal centres in all regions of Ukraine. This announcement was made by the founder of the Foundation, Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Victor Pinchuk during presentation of the “New Life” national project.

Through this partnership the Victor Pinchuk Foundation will equip neonatal intensive care departments in all 27 perinatal centres opened under the project. For these purposes, the Foundation will allocate UAH 100 million.

Victor Pinchuk referred to the “Cradles of Hope” program as his “most successful investment”. The program started in 2006. Since then intensive care units supplied with modern medical equipment to care for newborns, were opened in 22 Ukrainian cities and towns. Thanks to these centres, doctors managed to save lives of more than 8,000 infants.

Victor Pinchuk: “The “New Life” project ‘hits the mark’, as they say. It is a powerful lever that would help reduce infant mortality rate in Ukraine substantially. And so the decision to join forces in this project was natural for us. We have suggested the President of Ukraine to equip neonatal intensive care departments within the framework of the project “New Life”. The President has accepted our offer. And I am glad that today we are moving into an active phase of the project.”

via pinchukfund.org

Charity Foundation AVEC

For more than a decade the foundation has been working to protect the rights of children, help develop science and culture, preserve our heritage and spirituality.

Back in 1997 Alexander Feldman founded AVEC Kharkov charity foundation that implemented social projects in the city and province of Kharkov.

Rinat Akhmetov Holding votes UAH 1m to each family of miners killed in mine accident

The leadership of Krasnodonugol coal group (Lugansk Oblast), to which Sukhodolskaya-Vostochnaya Mine (Sukhodolsk, Lugansk Oblast) belongs, mourn deeply for the death of people caused by an accident at Sukhodolskaya-Vostochnaya Mine on 29 June 2011 and express condolences to the injured miners and their families. Each family of miners killed in the accident will receive financial help of UAH 1m. Everything possible is being done today to save people and eliminate the damage.

Reference:

Krasnodonugol is one of the biggest coal groups in Ukraine that produces and enriches coking coal of «Zh» and «К» grades. It consists of seven mines and colliery administrations, two enrichment plants, and service divisions. The group employs 15,000 people. Krasnodonugol is included into the Coal and Coke Division of Metinvest. 

Charitable Programmes of Petro Poroshenko Foundation – interview with Petro Poroshenko

Why did you decide to go in for charity? What was the first impulse?
Every man, who has grown and been brought up in a proper family and society, cannot remain indifferent to problems that people around are facing. The realisation that there are people who desperately need your help gives you power and fosters the desire to help. It may sound pretentious, but if you are still capable of perceiving the pain of people as your own, you won’t be able to run charity.

What do you think of the opinion that the “charity is better done in secret”?
Charity should not be done in secret, but it also should not be done for advertising. In my opinion, the charity must become a standard for normal people. My Foundation has been operating for ten years, and we have tried not to demonstrate our activities, but just do what we have to do all this time. The idea has been to provide targeted aid, and we have been doing it not for someone to write about it or to show it, but to help. I believe that if you have done something good, then you have not spent in vain this very minute or hour or day at least.

Who makes decisions to grant funds for a programme?
The Supervisory Council of the Fund decides which programmes to fund.

Which programmes will be funded in the future?
All major programmes of the Fund will be continued. As regards new programmes, I can tell you that a contract is being prepared for the construction of a riverside quay in Vinnytsia. This is going to be our challenge to the crisis: we would like to demonstrate that the life is not stopping. Vinnytsia is a very precious city for me, and I would like it to be beautiful and attractive for its inhabitants, guests and tourists.

Did crisis influence your philanthropy?
Unfortunately, the crisis affected everything: the economy, the charity, the culture. However, it must not make us despondent, afraid or depressed. The crisis opens up new opportunities for everyone, for companies, for the country.

What is needed to develop philanthropy in Ukraine?
Look at the attitude to philanthropists before the revolution. Hospitals, schools, churches, houses of mercy and the best museums were built thanks to Tereshchenko, Brodsky, and Khanenko. These initiatives stirred up serious public support. Unfortunately, the memories of these kind and nice initiatives were destroyed in the 20th century.
Today, the business must be engaged into the charity in addition to paying taxes and salaries in order to return the respect to people and revive the nicest and most human feelings, the faith in goodness and mutual help. We need to restore the trust in entrepreneurs as a class, which keeps up the state with its labour. Entrepreneurs, rather than officials are the pillars of the state. They pay taxes and feed officials, and not vice versa. Latest polls point out to the increasing trust in entrepreneurs who are ahead of politicians and state authorities by a big margin. I consider this to be a good omen. People start realising the extent, to which an efficient businessman is important for the state.

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