Tencent Charity Foundation is Tencent’s charitable foundation in China, created to connect technology and philanthropy. It is known for digital giving infrastructure, 99 Giving Day, and science-support initiatives.
The organization prioritizes user value while integrating social responsibility into its technologies and services, advancing innovation and cultural development, supporting digital transformation across industries, and contributing to long-term societal sustainability.
Tencent Charity Foundation was established in June 2007 as Tencent’s dedicated charitable vehicle. Tencent states that it supports the foundation through annual contributions from a portion of company profits. Official Tencent materials also describe it as a China-registered independent legal entity, and a 2007 Tencent article says it launched with an initial RMB20 million endowment after receiving approval to begin operations. Tencent’s official company profile lists co-founder Chen Yidan as the founder and honorary chairman of the foundation. Over time, the foundation’s role expanded from direct philanthropy to technology-enabled public giving, including the creation of an online fundraising platform and later the launch of 99 Giving Day.
Tencent says it contributes part of its yearly profits to support the foundation’s charitable work. The foundation combines funding with technology tools: it built and operates an online public fundraising platform, described by Tencent as the first of its kind in China, and makes that platform available free to eligible charitable organizations. Its approach appears to mix ecosystem-building, campaign-based fundraising, direct donations, digital capacity support for nonprofits, and flagship initiatives run with outside partners. Recent official materials also show support for unrestricted grants, digitalization training, and donor-engagement tools for NGOs. A general open grant cycle is not publicly described on the cited sources.
Tencent’s official materials position the foundation as the first charity foundation established by an internet and technology company in China. It also built an early large-scale digital fundraising platform that helped thousands of charities and tens of thousands of projects reach donors online. Through 99 Giving Day, the foundation helped mainstream digital giving at mass scale. Tencent’s 2025 annual report adds that its Giving for Good campaign drove more than 530 million philanthropic acts in 2025, while the Xplorer Prize and New Cornerstone Investigator Program together have supported over 430 scientists. These achievements show influence both in public fundraising infrastructure and in long-term research philanthropy.
Tencent’s official sources show partnerships with a wide mix of charities, NGOs, and institutions. Early Tencent materials cite relationships with China Children & Teenagers’ Fund, China Youth Development Foundation, China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, and the Jet Li Foundation Project. In Hong Kong, Tencent identifies Heart to Heart Joint Action, Po Leung Kuk, The Community Chest, WeChat Pay HK, Orbis Hong Kong, Oxfam Hong Kong, UNICEF Hong Kong, Save the Children Hong Kong, and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals among its collaborators or participating organizations. Tencent also highlights NGO-facing support that includes digitalization training and tools for donor engagement.
Tencent’s official descriptions consistently frame the foundation as a technology-enabled philanthropy institution rather than a traditional grantmaker alone. Its model centers on using Tencent’s digital platforms, social networks, payments ecosystem, and product design capabilities to connect charities, donors, companies, government actors, and the public. Tencent says this includes improving project transparency, increasing operational efficiency for nonprofit organizations, and broadening participation in everyday charitable action. The foundation’s work spans direct giving, public campaigns, digital tools for nonprofits, and thematic initiatives in science, rural development, disaster response, and community welfare. Official sources also show that Hong Kong has become a more visible part of this strategy, with localized 99 Giving Day campaigns and joint activities with local welfare groups. Because the cited materials do not publish a standalone current asset figure, staff count, registration number, or a general open grant application process, those fields are listed here as not publicly available rather than inferred.