The recently approved “Zhongshan Charity Cause Promotion Methods,” policy has been put in place by the Municipal Government during its executive meeting. It will take effect on April 7, 2019.

This document spells out in detail the obligations of different functional departments and mass organizations regarding charity issues.

Additionally, the Methods document proposes that the municipal government shall issue “Charity Medals” and release the Philanthropy Ranking list to the public during each year’s Lantern Festival.

For those individuals and their families who have shown great philanthropic contributions, the related functional departments shall provide assistance to them when they are in need and have applied for bailouts, the document adds.

The new policy also encourages enterprises and other organizations to give preferences to job applicants with good philanthropic records.

Charity organizations will now be required to submit a work report and a financial statement within 6 months after the end of each year to the civic affairs department, according to the Methods document. “This will make Zhongshan philanthropy more transparent,” said Luo Dong, Deputy Director and Secretary-general of the Zhongshan Charity Federation.