The Ford Foundation is a founding donor of Project Pengyou. The foundation provided a seed grant of $300,000 paid over 3 years to help launch our online platform. February 2013, we were awarded a new three-year grant to enable us to mobilize grassroots networks in support of the 100,000 Strong Initiative. Totaling half a million dollars, this grant will fund bottom-up engagement programs and complement the efforts of the new 100,000 Strong Foundation and our online network on Project Pengyou.

Deloitte made a $30,000 contribution to the development of Project Pengyou.

The Committee of 100 is an international, non-profit, non-partisan membership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, and the arts that works to promote US-China relations and also addresses important issues concerning the Chinese American community. The Committee has similar missions to Project Pengyou and in October 2014 made a $50,000 contribution to the Project Pengyou Leadership Fellows Program.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke

The U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke, gave the opening speech at the launch of Project Pengyou in December, 2011 in Beijing. In his remarks he stated:

"I may hold the official title of US Ambassador to China but you are the everyday, real ambassadors for our country. And by studying and working in China you’ve developed a very unique set of skills, tools as well as perspectives for diplomacy and engagement with the people, the businesses and the government of China. Regardless of what professional field you pursue now or will pursue in the future, your deep knowledge and understanding of China will serve you and America very, very well. And that’s what Project Pengyou is all about."

Letter from Hillary Clinton, Former U.S. Secretary of State

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote a thank you letter to the founder of the Golden Bridges Foundation, and made remarks about Project Pengyou (video) during the Inaugural Meeting of the Advisory Committee for the 100,000 Strong Initiative in Washington, D.C.