The Via Bona Awards for Philanthropy are annual awards presented by the Via Foundation

Via Foundation

The Via Foundation, Nadace Via, is a charitable foundation located in Prague, Czech Republic.The Via Foundation provides small grants and expertise to non-profit community initiatives in the Czech Republic...

 to acknowledge exemplary philanthropy

Philanthropy

Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...

 of companies and individuals who have a history of strong support of the work of non-profit organizations in the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

.

The Via Bona Awards are one of the two major annual awards in the Czech Republic to honor philanthropy and philanthropists. The other major Czech philanthropy award is the TOP Corporate Philanthropists Award presented by Donors Forum to award companies which have given the highest total monetary amount to charitable causes over the course of one year.

Since 1997, the Via Bona awards are presented each September at a ceremony held at the Residence of the United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic

United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic

Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918 at the end of The Great War, the Bohemians, Moravians, and Slovaks united to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia...

 in Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

. The Via Bona Award is given to those who serve as an example to others through their material and financial support, as well as their willingness to tread untried paths.

The Via Bona Awards are nominated by Czech nonprofit organizations and are chosen by an independent jury. In 2010, the panel included Lenka Čábelová (PricewaterhouseCoopers Česká republika s.r.o.), Antonie Doležalová (University of Economics, Prague

University of Economics, Prague

The University of Economics, Prague, is a public university located in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest university in the field of economics, business and information technologies in the Czech Republic with almost 20,000 students in its bachelor, masters and doctoral programmes.-Schools...

), Martin Frýdl (AC&C Public Relations), Jitka Chocová (T-Mobile Czech Republic, a.s.), Matěj Lejsal (Domov Sue Ryder, Tomáš Skřivánek (E15), Tomáš Vyhnálek (People in Need at Czech Television), and Jiří Wald (http://www.mucos.cz/MUCOS Pharma CZ).

In 2010, the Via Foundation established a new award category, the "Journalists' Award", which is selected by representatives of Czech media. In 2010,this panel included: Dalibor Dostál (Česká krajina), Petr Dudek (Český rozhlas), Tomáš Feřtek (Media Pro Pictures), Irena Jirků (Sanquis), Pavlína Kvapilová (Česká televize, Miroslav Motejlek (motejlek.com), Jan Můller (Strategie/Marketing Magazine, Michal Musil (Mladá fronta Dnes), Jan Punčochář (Prima TV), Lída Rakušanová ( Deníky), Michal Růžička (CSR Forum), Petr Skočdopole (Instinkt), Tomáš Skřivánek (E15), Karel Směták (Lobby), Marek Šálek (Týden), Lucie Tvarůžková (Hospodářské noviny), Pavlína Wolfová (Reflex), and Jiří Závozda (Lidové noviny).

From 1997 to 2008, the Via Bona Awards were made possible with the support of Citibank

Citibank

Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...

 and the Citigroup Foundation and in partnership with the Foundation for a Civil Society.

List of Award Winners

2010

• Corporate Award (large companies): Ogilvy Group
• Corporate Award (small- and medium- sized companies): College of Economics and Management (VŠEM)
• Individual Award: Lubomír Kohout
• Award for Innovative Projects: e|n|w|c Natlacen Walderdorff Concola v.o.s
• Award for Employee Involvement in Philanthropy: PricewaterhouseCoopers Česká republika s.r.o.
• Award for Long-term Partnership with a Nonprofit: Ogilvy Group
• Journalists' Award: Lubomír Kohout

_{http://www.nadacevia.cz/cz/aktuality/vitezove-via-bona-2010)}/>

2009

• Corporate Award (large companies): Československá obchodní banka, a.s.
  Ceskoslovenská obchodní banka
  Československá obchodní banka, a.s. is a commercial bank which operates in Czech Republic. It is one of the largest bank domiciled in the Czech Republic. As a universal bank, it offers a full range of banking services to individuals and companies...
  
  
• Corporate Award (small- and medium- sized companies): Josef KVAPIL, a.s.
• Individual Award: Marek Stanzel
• Award for Innovative Projects: Jaroslav Sklenář
• Award for Employee Involvement in Philanthropy: T-Mobile Czech Republic, a.s.
• Award for Long-term Partnership with a Non-profit: Pavel Cindr

<sub>Via Bona Press Release (In Czech)

Coverage of the 2009 Via Bona Awards by Česká Televize</sub>


2008

• Corporate Award (large companies): Telefónica O2 Czech Republic
• Corporate Award (small- and medium- sized companies): Bisport, spol. s.r.o.
• Individual Award: Mr. Milan and Mrs. Marie Sourada
• Award for Innovative Projects: Poštovní spořitelna
• Award for Employee Involvement in Philanthropy/Volunteerism: Citibank Europe plc
• Award for Long-term Partnership with a Non-profit: Kocián Šolc Balaštík
• Honorary Award: Mrs. Marka Bednářová and Mr. Donald Hamer

_{2008 Nadace Via Annual Report In Czech}


2007

• Corporate Award (large companies): Isolit – Bravo, s.r.o.
• Corporate Award (small- and medium- sized companies): Orbit, s.r.o.
• Individual Award: Countess Mathilda Nostitzozová
• Award for Innovative Projects: Vodafone Czech Republic
  Vodafone Czech Republic
  Vodafone Czech Republic is a member of the mobile telecommunications group Vodafone. The Vodafone Group established in 1982 and operates in 27 countries across five continents, not to mention partners in a further 33 countries.-History:...
  
  

<sub>2007 Via Bona Awards Press Release

2007 Via Bona Awards Press Release In Czech</sub>

2006:

• Corporate Award (large companies): Metrostav a.s. press release
• Corporate Award (small- and medium- sized companies): Hobra - Školník
• Individual Award: Vlastimil Venclík
• Award for Innovative Projects: Skanska CZ Corporation
• Honorary Award: Vaclav and Marie Hora

• Honorable Mentions: Marten,s.r.o; Československa obchodní banka

_{2006 Via Bona Awards Press Release}

2005:

• Corporate Award (large companies): Stavební spořitelna České spořitelny, a.s.
• Corporate Award (small- and medium- sized companies): Casta a.s.
• Award for Innovative Projects: ECE Projektmanagement G.m.b. H & Co. KG
• Individual Award: MUDr. Eva Hvížďalová
• Honorary Award: Silva and Oldrich Vasicek
  Oldrich Vasicek
  Oldrich Alfons Vasicek a Czech mathematician, received his master's degree in math from the Czech Technical University, 1964, and a doctorate in probability theory from Charles University four years later....
  
  

• Honorable Mentions: Mrs. Marie Šenfeldová, Mr. Luďěk Zýka, Mr. Milan Havránek and Mr. Čeněk Zlatohlávek; Connex Morava, a.s.

_{2005 Via Bona Awards Press Release}

2004:

• Corporate Award (large companies): Eurotel Praha, spol. s.r.o press release
• Corporate Support for Regional Activities: Osram Bruntál, s.r.o.
• Award for Innovative Projects: Ing. Libor Holub
• Long-Term Partnership Award: The Safari Family and the Roesel-Krum Family
• Honorary Award: Dr. Alfred Bader
  Alfred Bader
  Alfred Bader CBE is a Canadian chemist, businessman and collector of fine art.-Early years:Bader's father's family was of Czech Jewish descent; his mother was a Catholic Hungarian aristocrat. He fled from Austria to England in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution...
  
  

2003:

• Corporate Award (large companies): Nokia ČR press release
• Corporate Support for Regional Activities: Plzeňský Prazdroj, a.s. press release
• Award for Innovative Projects: GlaxoSmithKline, s.r.o.
• Long-Term Partnership Award: Mucos Pharma CZ
• Individual Award: Mrs. Lada Martinézová
• Honorable Mention: Česká Televize press release in Czech

2002:

• Corporate Award (large companies): Philip Morris, a.s.
• Corporate Support for Regional Activities: MEKS - Červenák
• Award for Innovative Projects: Kateřina Dubská Vydavatelství ERA
• Long-Term Partnership Award: Jaromír Křivohlavý - Renesance, Třebenice
• Individual Award: Jakub Blatský

2001:

• Corporate Award (large companies): Veba, a.s.
• Corporate Support for Regional Activities: MESIT Holding, a.s.
• Award for Innovative Projects: Altik, s.r.o.
• Honorable Mentions: Ladislav Čerych; Milan Horvát

1999:

• Main Award (large companies): Dopravní stavby Holding, a.s.
• Runner Up: Ing. Jiří Rous Pireo
• Runner Up: HK Shoes - Dobříš
• Runner Up: Czech-o-dog Ltd.
• Honorable Mentions: Leo Burnett Advertising, Ltd.; MEKS - Červenák; Healthy Food J.O.D.

External links

• Česká Televize program "Události, komentáře" September 25, 2007 television interview with Via Foundation Executive Director, Jiří Bárta (in Czech).
• Helping Hands October, 2007 Prague Post article about the Via Foundation's Via Bona 2007 Awards for Philanthropy by Brooke Edge.
• Helping Hands September, 2006 Prague Post article about the Via Foundation's Via Bona Award for Philanthropy by Kathleen Kralowec.
• "Metrostav získal Via Bonu" September 25, 2006 Strategie Magazine article about the Via Foundation's 2006 Via Bona Awards (in Czech).
• Cenu VIA Bona v kategorii malých a středních firem získala Hobra - Školník s.r.o. September 19, 2006 Broumovsko Regional Server article about 2006 Via Bona Awards (in Czech).
• Cenu Via Bona dostal Philip Morris za pomoc obětem domácího násilí October 2, 2002 Radio Praha Český Rozhlasarticle about the 2002 Via Bona Awards by Vilém Faltýnek (in Czech).