In a Newsweek article, Li cited his personal experience with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami as a source of inspiration for starting the foundation.

Through pilot regulations on public fundraising enacted in the Shenzhen special economic zone, the One Foundation was able to register as an independent public fundraising foundation on December 3, 2010, thus ending its affiliation with the government-run Chinese Red Cross and becoming the first Chinese NGO not affiliated with the government or a government-sponsored organization.

Li cited the lack of independence as a motivating factor for the One Foundation to end its cooperation with the Chinese Red Cross in 2010.

[7] Director of Operations Rob Hemsley successfully took charge of limiting fallout from the Guo Meimei connection.

Notable volunteers include Yao Ming, Andy Lau, Michelle Yeoh, Kang Xiaoguang, Jack Ma, Xu Yongguang, Zhuang Ailing, Li Bingbing, and students of Beijing Normal University.