China Children Insurance Foundation (CCIF) was named 'Most Influential Charity' at the sixth Annual China Charity Awards on Friday. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to non-profit charitable work in China.

Most charitable organizations operating in China collect and distribute cash donations and supplies to needy people. Normally such assistance only occurs in response to natural disasters, epidemics or other calamities.

However, CCIF invests donor contributions into specially designed insurance policies that cover some of China's neediest children. In this way, CCIF acts before disasters strike rather than passively responding to them afterwards, providing perpetual coverage for beneficiaries.

The cost of health insurance coverage for children is much lower than the cost of medical treatment for critical illnesses. Thus, lower barriers to participation have attracted more donors. With a large donor base, CCIF has been able to provide timely financial support to help more children prevent critical illnesses.

Under CCIF's plan, it only takes 50 yuan (US$7.72) to make a donation and thus help a child in need. CCIF is able to provide up to 100,000 yuan (US$15,470) of protection towards a needy child each year against 12 types of critical illnesses, including malignant tumours and acute hepatitis (see full list below).

More than 400,000 orphans and underprivileged children have benefitted from CCIF's innovative insurance coverage program since the organization's establishment in 2009.

Dr. Heidi Hu, managing director of CCIF, said the goal of CCIF is to cover all needy children in China, including the country's large population of orphans, in the next couple of years. "We have still a lot to do, and CCIF's capability is limited," Hu said.

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs puts the country's current number of orphans at 712,000, according to its latest statistics.

Full list of critical diseases covered in CCIF's program:

1. malignant tumours (including leukaemia)

2. organ and stem cell transplant

3. acute kidney failure

4. aplastic anaemia

5. benign brain tumours

6. acute hepatitis

7. meningitis

8. infantile paralysis

9. juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

10. Kawasaki disease

11. Myasthenia Gravis

12. insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.