The Top Corporate Philanthropist Award is a model of recognizing and promoting business giving, applied worldwide. In Central and Eastern Europe, the Czech Donors Forum, umbrella organization for donors has awarded corporates´ public benefit initiatives in several categories since 2003; Slovak Donors´ Forum since 2005, Bulgaria the TOP Corporate Philanthropist in Financial Sector and newly this is to be announced in other countries within the CEENERGI network (Hungary, Romania, Russia and Poland). CEENERGI countries will be using the same matrix of questionaires which will ensure the quality benchmarking on the regional level as well.

In the United Kingdom, the Guardian, a reputable economic edition is publishing the Top 100 Giving List each year since 2001; in the USA, Forbes magazine is announcing the Top 10 of Giving Companies on an annual basis. All lists and awards, including the newly introduced “Top Corporate Philanthropists” in the CEE countries represent the financial volume of annual corporate community investment (corporate giving) and basically aim to:

The Top Corporate Philanthropist Award is entirely based on quantitative data. Ranking is being done in several categories: absolute amount of donations; relative amount of donation as a percentage of gross income prior to taxation; volume of in-kind giving, top giving in communities. Locally in respective countries special awards may be given.