Earlier this year (2013), I made a 3-month trip back to China, where I met with a wide range of people from nonprofits, foundations, government and business. It was a very enlightening trip. I summarized my observations at the end of the article about an interview with Mr.Cheng Gang, “What I have learned kept bringing me back to my study on Chinese economic sector before the opening reform. Despite the distinct differences between the social sector now and the economic sector then in wealth level, societal background and access to the outside world, they share one thing in common: the spirit and practice of exploring and experimenting. “
Needless to say, such explorations often create uncertainties, confusions, and even anxieties and frustrations. However, in my opinion, it’s exactly the exploration stage that makes today’s social sector in China absolutely exciting, where traditional thinking and practices are challenged, but new norm is yet to form. This is also the stage where support from the global philanthropy community can play a profound impact. Meanwhile, I also believe the kind of support that can make a real impact needs to be different from that in the past. While help on charity programs are always needed and appreciated, greater impact will derive from supporting Chinese philanthropy to navigate through this exploration stage, and from connecting Chinese philanthropy with the global network of learning and sharing. When Chinese philanthropy is able to reinvent itself, it will have the potential to touch lives of 1/5 of the world’s population.
After coming back from China, I embarked on a new journey. I set up PhilanSci Advisory to give my full support to those who have a vision for Chinese philanthropy, and launched a Chinese web site to bring the wisdom and good work of global philanthropy closer to China. The current English website will continue to serve English readers with curated information on Chinese philanthropy.
I very much look forward to sharing the new and exciting journey with all of you in the years to come. Please feel free to contact me if you have ideas or projects to work together on anything related to Chinese philanthropy.
