Chinese and Chinese American Philanthropy Summit: Beyond Charitable Giving

The world’s largest economies, the United States and China, make up 36 percent of the world’s economy and have the highest number of billionaires. As their economies grow, so too does the practice of giving — despite significant differences in how this is conducted. Philanthropy, in different cultural contexts, takes on different forms. The act of giving is well established in the West and part of the cultural fabric, with entrenched practices. Meanwhile, philanthropists in Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) have become increasingly involved in giving, although in China philanthropy accounted for just 0.1 percent of its gross domestic product in 2014, significantly lower than 2 percent in the U.S. In China, philanthropic concepts are less familiar to both donors and charities, while the operation of a not-for-profit organization is still at a gestation stage. China and the U.S. have enormous potential to collaboratively address the most pressing issues and create impactful philanthropic partnerships. With increasingly interconnected economies, interaction among Chinese and Chinese-American philanthropists can lead to positive exchanges of ideas and best practices. Join philanthropists, scholars, experts, and foundation representatives to explore the future of philanthropy among Chinese and Chinese Americans.