Asian American Giving

Philanthropy News Digest + Jobs in Philanthropy

 - by Andy Ho

Some recent articles of interest: 

Forbes 2013 China Philanthropy List - Billionaire real estate developer Hui Ka Yan for a second consecutive year has topped the latest annual list of China’s top philanthropists published by Forbes China, the licensed China-language edition of Forbes.

Coverage of the 2013 Council on Foundations Annual Conference from April 6-9 - good summaries from Gene Takagi, Michael Seltzer, and Jenny Chan. 

"After Quake, Donors Shun Aid Groups Run by China" -  A New York Times article on the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Sichuan province. 

Jobs in Philanthropy...Asian Americans are encouraged to apply!

Vancouver Foundation - President & CEO (Vancouver, BC)

W.K. Kellogg Foundation - Vice President for Learning and Impact (Battle Creek, MI)

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation - Vice President of Programs (Lansdowne, VA)

Patrick Soon-Shiong, "Richest Man in L.A."

-by Andy Ho

Earlier this week The Los Angeles Times published a lengthy profile on Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, one of the more prominent Asian American philanthropists.  He discusses his thoughts on philanthropy, making a difference in medicine and healthcare, and collective impact on the fight against cancer.  

"We’re all about making an impactful change in people’s lives in ways that we can touch and feel right now. Whether that is exercised through our philanthropic mission or through our entrepreneurial, for-profit mission—in a funny way I’m really indifferent. All I want is to get it done. And that sort of speaks to what I’m doing with our philanthropy. We’re not about putting our names on buildings. We’re not about shouting from rooftops about what we’re doing. We’re also not about a handout; we’re about a hand-in, which is a different concept. We want to figure out how we can change people’s lives in real time."

 

 

Related articles

Richest Man In LA Talks About Taking Risks

Kordant Philanthropy Advisors Launches

I am pleased to announce the launch of Kordant Philanthropy Advisors, a global advisory firm serving families and leading businesses and institutions in the U.S. and Asia.

Our boutique philanthropic firm addresses two general needs in the field – help clients problem solve and provide opportunities in the right context that clients and charities can use to achieve more. We believe clients have ideas of how they want the world to be. They also have the intentions and resources to bring about that change. We serve as an ally and guide clients through complex issues, provide them with access to leaders and information to make decisions, and turn their ideas into reality.

But being an advisor to clients is not enough. A rising tide lifts all boats and so we must also use our knowledge, networks and leadership to build the capabilities of philanthropic enterprises and initiatives. As such, we will continue to chronicle trends and our thoughts on the sector on Asian American Giving and Asian Philanthropy Forum. One exciting aspect of launching the new firm is that we will be in a better position to try new tools and roll out new concepts for advancing philanthropy in the Asian American community and in Asia.

Our team is composed of leaders from diverse cultures and professional backgrounds – all bound by a shared passion to problem solving and making an impact on some of the world’s pressing issues. While our headquarters is in San Francisco, we are also in Seattle, New York, and Washington DC. Over the next few months, we hope to grow our presence in Asia.

Kordant Philanthropy Advisors is a for-profit firm but we are committed to creating social impact and have a special partnership with Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, a U.S. public charity that helps donors engage in creative philanthropy. Philanthropic Ventures Foundation is led by my mentor and maverick grantmaker Bill Somerville, author of the book “Grassroots Philanthropy.” We are in the process of vetting partners in Asia and will expand our networks in the region.

The Asian American Giving community played a significant part in creating the business model and values behind Kordant Philanthropy Advisors.  I hope you will continue to share your thoughts as we collaborate to advance philanthropy in the Asian American community.

High Income, Low Charity

- by Andy Ho

A recent article in The Atlantic highlighted a fact that many of us in the ‘industry’ have known for some time: the people who can least afford to give to charity in America donate the greatest percentage of their income.

In 2011, the wealthiest Americans—those with earnings in the top 20 percent—contributed on average 1.3 percent of their income to charity. By comparison, Americans at the base of the income pyramid—those in the bottom 20 percent—donated 3.2 percent of their income. The relative generosity of lower-income Americans is accentuated by the fact that, unlike middle-class and wealthy donors, most of them cannot take advantage of the charitable tax deduction, because they do not itemize deductions on their income-tax returns. 

The article goes into the reasons why this is the case – one of them being exposure to the poor, or, a lack of exposure, more accurately. “Wealthy people who lived in homogeneously affluent areas—areas where more than 40 percent of households earned at least $200,000 a year—were less generous than comparably wealthy people who lived in more socioeconomically diverse surroundings. It seems that insulation from people in need may dampen the charitable impulse.”  

 I think this is also true of much of the successful Asian Americans.  It is ironic, in some ways, that achieving the American Dream most of us seek to pursue, often isolates us from the people that haven’t yet achieved the dream, and could use some help to do so.  It takes particular motivation and action to continually break out of our comfort zones, surround ourselves with others in different socioeconomic circumstances, and stay grounded in humility with the attitude that all that we have ultimately isn’t ours to hoard but rather to share.  

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a fundraising dinner on behalf of Asian American LEAD – a nonprofit in the metro DC area that provides after school programs for underserved Asian American youth.  The testimonies from some of the kids were very powerful – how AALEAD was like their second family, how it provided them the pathways and belief that they could achieve a better life for themselves through community and education.  It reminded me how much more we as philanthropists, regardless of the amounts we give, can truly make a difference for others when the money is used to genuinely help others in need.  It was a good reminder that beyond the rose-colored communities where there are significant Asian American populations of comfortable middle-to-upper class metro DC suburbia (Potomac, Rockville, McLean, and Fairfax, just to choose a few), the Asian immigrant struggle is still there, in our community, if we choose to see it.  

Internship Opportunity with Federal Government

CAPAL  (Conference on Asian American Leadership) will help place students in internships within the federal government in DC. Opportunities in regional offices, including California and Texas, may be possible. Interns are placed in program management, legal and finance positions.  These internship positions are open to ALL MAJORS, and are suited for individuals looking to gain real-world federal government experience. CAPAL has partnerships with Federal Agencies including Agricultural Research Services and Forest Service.

Each CAPAL intern will be awarded a $3,000 stipend to support the successful completion of their internship plus $500 for travel reimbursement. Depending on your interests and placement, your duties could vary from policy or scientific research, project coordination and management, business, law, communication, and more. Applicants are asked to specify their preferences on the application, and those selected will be placed based on their interests and skills. Agricultural knowledge is not required. These internships are suitable for all students interested in government and public policy.

CAPAL will also mentor all selected interns and provide guidance in transitioning to Washington, D.C. including how to locate housing, how to navigate the city, and how to make the best of their summer in the nation’s capital.

The early deadline to apply is generally mid-February. The final deadline will be early March. Applicants will be asked to provide a resume, transcript and 2 letters of recommendation. Click here to apply.

"It's Only a Beginning."

- by Andy Ho

This week's New York Times front page article on Asian American philanthropy provides an excellent overview of increasing philanthropic interest from Asian Americans.  It zeroes in on philanthropy going back to the community, while also increasing influence in philanthropy through more 'mainstream ' organizations like universities and museums.   

The Times covered this topic six years ago as well, then focusing on the generation gap and class divide in the Chinese American community in New York City.   That class divide still exists, and not just within the Chinese American community but across many Asian ethnic communities across the country. The blind spots are still there thanks to the perpetuation of the model minority myth.  But thanks to efforts of data disaggregation by the Census bureau on the Asian population, we are making progress in identifying where and who the underserved and underrepresented Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are. 

What's also changed in the last six years is a significant increase in the organizing of communities of givers, in part to an increase in understanding and attention to philanthropy within the Asian American community.  We (Asian Americans) have had wealthy individual donors; we've had donors giving to mainstream organizations.  What we have now, and something to build upon, are many more communities of givers -- Asian American giving circles, community foundations focused on Asians, such as the Chinese American Community Foundation, and growth of giving vehicles like the American India Foundation.

As philanthropy continues to grow in our Asian American communities across the country, it truly is only the beginning of real transformational change in the communities we seek to see in the months and years to come.  Dien and I look forward to another great year ahead of tracking the pulse of Asian American philanthropy!    

What It’s Like to Give Away a Million Dollars

- by Andy Ho 

I recently caught up with a fellow Asian American friend whom I grew up with and is now a programmer with Facebook. Facebook went public as a company earlier this year, and many of its employees did very well as a result. 

My friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, had the fortune of receiving company stock worth $1 million as part of the Facebook IPO [initial public offering].  What is more remarkable is him and his wife's decision to give all of it away to the charity International Justice Mission (IJM), and in the process, making a personal dream come true.  While his philanthropy is not exactly on the scale of Mark Zuckerberg, it’s still amazing and inspiring to see someone who didn’t grow up with wealth to be able to give away such a large sum of money. My Facebook friend (FBF) was generous enough to share his story and insights with Asian American Giving.   

AAG: When did you first realize that you were motivated to one day give away a million dollars to charity? 


FBF: The million-dollar dream happened to be during late high school, after my experience with the Navajo. The exact figure was chosen randomly; "a million" just seemed to me like a ridiculously large amount, like something I could spend a lifetime trying to achieve. At the time, I told only two people: my soon-to-be wife, and my youth pastor. My youth pastor counseled me not to get ahead of myself, to take things one bit at a time.

AAG: How were your values of generosity informed as a young person?


FBF: One of the pivotal moments of my life occurred when helping the Navajo on a reservation in Arizona during a summer short-term missions trip with my youth group in high school. I had until that point not encountered real poverty on a personal level. My memories of the Navajo in mud huts serve as a reminder that, in a way, most of us are the 1% -- not just a select few. One other major influence in my own thinking about generosity was my experience at Microsoft, where employees give regularly and passionately to a variety of causes. I once attended an ad-hoc lecture that Bill Gates delivered to a set of employees where he talked about his concerns around world health. In those 90 minutes, I remember being deeply impressed by the depth of his understanding into the issues and the possible solutions. It inspired me to further think about the difference that each of us can make in the world both through our finances and through being evangelists about the causes we support.

AAG: What led you to decide to give now in your thirties, versus later in life when you are done working or when your children are grown up?

FBF: There's an opportunity cost to everything we do. For instance, you can spend a lifetime planning all the great travel you'll do once you're retired, and only find out late in life that you don't have the energy and the physical ability to do so. Giving is analogous, in a way. While it's true that there will always be needs, and that it's safest to put off the giving until you know for sure that you don't need the money, waiting has its opportunity cost on real people. We gave now because we had a windfall of money that we weren't expecting; we gave now because we are so very grateful for how well things are going in our own lives. When my wife and I were newly married, we gave IJM $25,000, which for us back then was the entirety of our savings. It felt great then, just as giving away the million dollars feels great now. We're sure that others need the money much more than we do, and we hope to help where we can.

AAG: How did you go about choosing IJM as your charity of choice?


FBF: My wife and I had been supporting IJM for over a decade. The thing that appealed most to us about IJM is that it embraces the cause of social justice -- the idea that the world isn't fair for many people, and that we can do something to help right the world. The enormity of global suffering is crushing -- the weight of it all. But each individual that IJM helps is tangibly, permanently changed in such a dramatic way. Whenever a slave is freed, or a child is saved from sex trafficking, it's a life permanently revolutionized. This potential for radical life change is what drew us to IJM. 

AAG: What difference do you hope to make with your gift?

FBF: Though a million dollars is far more money than I ever expected to see in my lifetime, it's a mere 3% of IJM's annual budget. And IJM's a tiny charity compared with most. It's humbling to realize that, in a way, even a million dollars will hardly make a dent on the scale and scope of the problem at hand. Our hope is to encourage others to give generously and to give early. Philanthropy, in the end, will really only work if we all choose to participate.

AAG: What would you tell others who have received or will receive a significant windfall of money?

FBF: Giving is a very personal thing, influenced by upbringing, circumstance, faith, and personality. It's hard to know what to say to someone who might suddenly find themselves with a lot of money. I'd wish for everyone to empathize with the weight of suffering in the world, and to be motivated to give; but it's not clear to me that clever words or persuasive argument will make a difference here. I guess what I would say is this: there are very few major decisions in life that you can be sure, absolutely sure, are right. In the case of my wife and me, we've always found charitable giving to be one of those rare, absolutely right decisions.

AAG: Thanks for sharing your insights!  Your generosity will bless many others.   

Women Give 2012: Older Women Give More

by Ann Hoang

The Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center for Effective Philanthropy at Indiana University has just released its third research report on women donors. The series, namedWomen Give, builds on a growing body of research about the role and behaviors of female philanthropists. We all know giving motivations are shaped by personal experiences and values, so it should be no surprise that some differences between men and women, such as average income and life expectancy, might also produce different philanthropic behaviors.

While the 2010 report confirmed that there were significant differences between the giving patterns of single men and women in general, the focus of the 2012 report is placed on Baby Boomer and older women. Before this, little research had explored the ways that gender andage might affect giving preference, so the findings of this report provide some valuable insights for our work in philanthropy. These findings include:

- Baby Boomer and older women are more likely to give than their male counterparts in all giving levels. Of those who give, Baby Boomer and older women give 89% more (almost twice as much) to charity than men.

- Baby Boomer and older women in the top 25% of permanent income are more likely to give than their male counterparts. Of those who give, Baby Boomer and older women in the top 25% of permanent income give 156% more (more than 1.5 times more) to charity than men.

Interestingly, the study also lists constraints on giving by Baby Boomer and older women. It’s within this context that the findings are even more remarkable: despite income-limiting factors like risk aversion in financial decision-making, a longer life expectancy (thus higher likelihood of outliving their savings), and less time in the labor force, for example, older women still demonstrate a higher propensity to give to charity. The study doesn’t give much in the way of theories or conclusions on why this trend exists, but the results are no less enlightening.

At the very least, it is certainly affirming: because senior women age 50 and older own more than ¾ of the nation’s financial wealth (MassMutual Financial Group), this does bring some good news for the field of philanthropy.

How to Help Asian American Groups Affected by Sandy

Along with most residents and businesses in lower Manhattan, Hurricane Sandy last week wreaked havoc on many Asian-American communities in Chinatown and beyond. Our friends at the Asian American Federation of NY are responding through their Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund, which will direct donations to organizations providing crucial relief and recovery services to those severely impacted by the hurricane.  

All fundraising efforts will be effectively and specifically used to serve those in need. The Asian American Federation will charge no administrative fees. If you would like to make a gift, please click here.

The Asian American Federation provides leadership and resources to address community needs. They undertake research to increase the knowledge of and to shape policies affecting the Asian American community. Established in 1989, the Federation is a pan-Asian non-profit organization representing a network of community service agencies in the Northeast. These agencies work in the fields of health & human services, education, economic development, civic participation, and social justice.

Asian American Philanthropy Event Update

Update on Asia Society Event: Giving Gap? Connecting Asian American Philanthropy and Community Needs - date has been changed to October 30th. See the Asia Society site for more details.

Diaspora Fundraising Group Shares Their Approach

Anh Ton wrote a very informative article for IdEA (International Diaspora Engagement Alliance), Four Ways to Improve Your Diaspora Organization's Fundraising Strategy. She encourages fundraisers to re-frame their question of “How do we get the diaspora to give?” to “How do we prove that we’re worth your investment?” Below is an excerpt of the four principles her organization, VNHELP follows in engaging the Vietnamese-American community in philanthropy. While the article is focused on engaging diaspora donors, I think any organization that is working with donors can easily apply these principles to their fundraising strategy.

1. Relate: Everything starts with relationship building. With diaspora donors, relationships are particularly important because these individuals tend to be accustomed to one-on-one connections rather than institutional support. As a fundraiser, you have to learn how to make the institutional personal. You’ve got to earn their trust and prove that your organization’s mission is in line with a prospective donor’s personal values. Remind them that it’s not about a donor writing a check to an organization; it’s about like-minded people combining resources to create positive change.

2. Educate: Once you’ve built a solid relationship with a donor or potential donor, begin to educate them. We don’t mean pulling out the pen and projector to go over organizational history or proposal writing cycles (although both are certainly conversations you should eventually have); we mean helping donors understand the role of organizations in charity and social development. Remind donors that you’re not just an intermediary; you’re providing value-added services like donor reporting, scheduling site visits, tax benefits and ensuring fiduciary responsibility—services that informal or peer-to-peer giving mechanisms might not be able to provide. And most importantly, show new donors how collective action through organizations can create sustainable impact beyond a single charity project.

3. Assure: Finally, assurance, which is really just another part of relationship-building. If philanthropy through institutional giving is still new to a donor, keep them updated, let them know what’s going on and let them get involved in the organization whenever possible. Never close the door just because you’ve received the contribution.

4. Engage the Next Generation: For American-born diaspora members, the engagement process is similar, but crafting the message may be a little different. Most young Asian-Americans make charitable contributions, but many do see philanthropy as a way of connecting with their cultural roots. 

Event: Asian American Philanthropy and Community Needs

 

- by Andy Ho

The Asia Society of Northern California is hosting a panel discussion on October 30th in San Francisco on the topic of Connecting Asian American Philanthropy and Community Needs.  The panel features AAG's Dien Yuen, among others.  

As the fastest growing demographic group in the United States, Asian Americans are today one of the leading forces in giving – not only to their countries of origin, but increasingly to their local U.S. communities and across the globe. Many believe that as more and more Asian Americans—a group with an enormously varied national, ethnic, and religious backgrounds—take leadership roles in business, politics, and civic life, they are also are changing the face of U.S. philanthropy, making it more inclusive, impactful, and accountable.

How are patterns of giving in the U.S. changing as Asian Americans become wealthier and increasingly woven in to American society? How do persistent “model minority” stereotypes distort the reality of Asian American giving and community needs? How do other trends led by this community – e.g., the culture of rapid innovation in Silicon Valley – shape patterns and modes of giving?  

Join ASNC, in partnership with Give2Asia, for a panel discussion featuring leading experts from the philanthropic community to address these and other questions.

Speakers:

Buck Gee (moderator) Co-founder, Chinese American Community Foundation; ASNC Board Member

Robbie Fabian, President, ABS-CBN Foundation

Naren Gupta, Co-founder, Nexus Venture Partners; ASNC Board Member

Audrey Yamamoto, President & Executive Director, Asian Pacific Fund

Dien Yuen, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Give2Asia