Researchers have launched a database for Chinese foundations to provide a clearer overview of the country's nonprofit organizations.
The Research Infrastructure of China Foundations (RICF), online since Wednesday, includes the names, addresses, starting funds and other details of more than 3,000 Chinese foundations.
It is one of the most comprehensive databases of Chinese foundations available to the general public, said co-founder Yao Yanran, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Hong Kong.
Currently, a website run by China Foundation Center, a registered public charity, also maintains a database of China's foundations.
To establish itself as an alternative to the CFC, the RICF has promised its structure will be clearer and its raw data will be freely accessible for academic purposes.
Data quality is continuously being improved by a volunteer community through online collaboration, said the RICF.
"By unveiling this [database], we intend to enable better public involvement in supervising China's foundations," said Yao.
