‘Friends of MacDonald • The Dutch Connection’ is a non-profit organization for the benefit of the common good. The prize is financially based on the legacy of Dr. T. Dijs (1923-1999), inhabitant of Europe, working in international business, with a great love for both Asia and North America.

The foundation ‘Friends of MacDonald • The Dutch Connection’ closely cooperates with a group of people in North America and Japan, trying to keep the memory of Ranald MacDonald (1824-1894) alive. The group is called ‘Friends of MacDonald’, abbreviated FOM. The group’s website gives an outline of their activities. The doyen of the ‘Friends of MacDonald’, Bruce Berney from Astoria, Oregon, christened the cooperation with the Dutch Friends of MacDonald ‘The Dutch Connection’.