Founded by Dutch international Clarence Seedorf, Champions For Children is a non-profit Foundation born to protect and support the conditions in which children and young people grow up in developing countries. In particular, Champions For Children gives aid to those countries where natural disaster, war or economic hardship have made it difficult for human beings to develop with dignity. The projects undertaken by Champions For Children are inspired by the recognition of fundamental rights for every child, and characterized by their focus on education rather than on mere emergency assistance. For this reason, a good part of the funds are earmarked for the construction of schools, sports centers and infrastructures where children can acquire an education and develop their individual potentials.

The Foundation Objectives
Champions For Children focuses its intervention on the following areas:
- The support, the promotion and the development of projects and activities in the fields of assistance, health, sport, education, scholastic and professional training and study rights. To focus all efforts on aid those children and youths who are disadvantaged for economic, social or other reasons.
- The support and the promotion of long-distance adoptions, scholarships, training, trips and stays and/or jobs abroad.
- The development of events and initiatives with the aim of spreading and increasing the awareness of the needs of children and young people whose lives are in difficulty.

Web site: www.chforch.com

Fondazione Milan was created on February 20th, 2003 on the initiative of A.C. Milan, that has always been active and sensitive towards those who are in need. The club's will was to form a dedicated, recognizable, long-lasting and reliable structure to support regularly and constantly the social realities that are of primary importance for the welfare of the whole community. In the foundation Board of Directors Adriano Galliani, Paolo Berlusconi, Leonardo de Araujo and Paolo Maldini are involved personally, which testifies to the deep sense of responsibility that Milan has towards the foundation and to the complete participation of all the club (from the team to the management and to the Progetto Giovani) and of their supporters. Since when it was created, Fondazione Milan has supported 21 Projects and raised 1,400,000 euros. Among the different initiatives realized: Fondazione Milan for Unicef - more than 16,000 children vaccinated against six "killer" diseases in Congo; the rebuilding and enlargement of the public kindergarten at the Maré favela in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil; Filippo Inzaghi for the cardiopath children, a sensitization campaign in favour of the World Cardiopath Children Association; a new playground realized for the Lega del Filo d'oro at Osimo (Italy) to give assistance to deaf-blind and psychosensory pluri-disabled children and kids. Since Novembre 2004 Fondazione Milan has undertaken the renovation and enlargement project of the Emergency Unit of De Marchi children's hospital in Milan. The estimated expenditure to realize all the necessary works is 770,000 euros. Thanks to the contribution of Fondazione Milan, on May 4th, 2005 the renovation works started and are expected to be finished by the end of 2005.

2004 Edition

The Goal project was initiated by FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and ratified at the FIFA Extraordinary Congress in Los Angeles on July 9, 1999. After a long history of development work at FIFA, the launch of the Goal project heralded a new era, coinciding with the new millennium. Goal offers tailor-made programs that are cut out to suit the individual country's needs and then implemented by FIFA experts in close cooperation with the national associations. Depending on each national association's priorities, Goal will offer help in the areas of infrastructure: construction and renovation of football pitches, training and tuition centres, office premises, etc.; administration: set-up structure of national and regional associations, staff, etc.; education: administration, coaching, sports medicine, refereeing, etc.; youth football: training of youth coaches, talent promotion, football schools, etc.; other areas based on the needs of the national association. The 2004 Golden Foot event raised funds to support Cook Islands project. On 16 April 2003, the foundation stone for the Goal project, partially funded by money from the FIFA Financial Assistance Programme, was laid in Matavera on the island of Rarotonga. Less than a year later, on 2 April 2004, the football centre opened its doors. A football academy comprising two pitches with official dimensions will have been completed by the end of 2004, ready for inauguration early next year. Prime Minister Dr Robert Woonten ceremoniously cut the first turf to symbolise the start of building work. Lee Harmon, President of the national association, praised the event as a historic milestone for the development of football on the Cook Islands. The centre will be the focal point of all football activity, especially as the association's administrative offices will be integrated in the new building. Development programmes in a variety of areas, new competitions at every age level and basic programmes for youngsters (boys and girls) are already in the pipeline. In addition, women’s football will be promoted. The inauguration of the academy will solve one serious drawback, namely, that the Cook Islands football family will now be centralised in one place. This was until now practically impossible, given the many scattered islands and the dearth of facilities.

Web site: www.fifa.com/goal/index_E.html

2003 Edition

The famous Brazilian Champion Carlos Dunga has been helping poor children of Porto Alegre (Brazil), his town, for many years. Thanks also to the Rio Grande do Sul State Government and to the Young Men's Christian Association Dunga is realizing the Restinga Olympic Village where children from favelas aged to can be put up for the day. A center providing food, sport, culture, leisure, school follow up and professional initiation. The success of this project is important because it could give the green light to the carrying out of other similar villages for other favelas in Brazil. It is an initiative of the Porto Alegre YMCA and of the Dunga Institute of Citizen's Development, it's a team of natural persons and legal entities, whose objective is to overcome social disparities, shortage of resources and lack of action of those who have the will, but do not know how to help.