The Ministry of Civil Affairs has given its nod to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd for its establishment of a charity foundation with an initial capital of 50 million yuan ($7.9 million), Beijing Times reported.

The Alibaba Charity Foundation will be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The foundation's charity activities are expected to be carried out by volunteers at Alibaba. Jack Ma, chairman of the board of directors of the group, will be the No 1 volunteer of the foundation, the report said.

"The purpose of the foundation is to create a good public atmosphere among employees and to increase their awareness of environmental protection," said Jin Yuanying, secretary-general of the foundation. The foundation will initially select 10 employees from Alibaba staff members as examining and appraisal members of the public projects that the foundation will implement in the future. It aims to have Alibaba employees fully involved in the whole process of the foundation's charity projects.