Give2Asia is pleased to support initiatives and opportunities that promote philanthropy in Asia. We believe these engagements will help donors and philanthropic leaders learn from each other and work together to solve pressing issues in Asia. On November 3, Give2Asia in partnership with The Asia Foundation hosted leaders from the private philanthropy sector in China and the U.S. to share experiences and discuss recent trends in philanthropy.
Mr. Barnett Baron, Executive Vice President of The Asia Foundation moderated the discussion. Mr. Xu Yongguang, Deputy Director of the Board and Secretary General of the Narada Foundation led the Chinese delegation. Mr. Bill Somerville of the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, Mr. Sean Stannard-Stockton of Tactical Philanthropy Advisors, and Mr. Antony Chiang and Mr. Thomas Chow of TechSoup Global also joined in the discussion.
The visit was part of a week long program organized by Mercy Corps China’s Social Innovator Leadership program to engage with the future leaders of China through open dialogues. The delegation had visited philanthropic groups in Boston, NY and DC. The Bay Area was their last stop. Representatives of the delegation included trustees and directors from the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, Beijing Western Sunshine Rural Development Foundation, Sun Yafang Foundation, Vantone Foundation, Beijing Ren Ai Charity Foundation, China Social Entrepreneur Foundation, Huaxia Center for Economic and Social Development Research, XinPing Foundation, and Nonprofit Incubator (NPI).
Ms. Jennifer Lofing, Vice President of Programs at Give2Asia spoke about Give2Asia’s programs and how it works with individual, corporate and foundations here to support charitable projects in China. Since 2001, Give2Asia has invested over $130 million in Asia with China receiving over $33.1 million in grants. Give2Asia, in partnership with private donors, provided over $14 million to support disaster and recovery efforts of the 2008 Sichuan (Wenchuan) earthquake.
The delegates were interested in Give2Asia’s due diligence process and learning about what causes U.S.-based donors prefer to support. A discussion on whether donor-directed giving was strategic and met long-term needs followed. Mr. Bill Fuller, Vice Chairman of Give2Asia then provided the representatives a framework of Give2Asia’s long-term vision and growth in working with private philanthropy, especially within China and Asia itself.
Mr. Baron stated that in the U.S., philanthropy does what the government cannot do. He asked the delegates to share their thoughts about how philanthropy could help develop civil society in China. The delegates pointed out that philanthropy in China is new and that there are many challenges, amidst opportunities. One barrier was the lack of training in the sector and the need for professional development. Another barrier was the lack of transparency in the overall field. A delegate pointed out the need for information-sharing and the desire to start a formal entity like the Foundation Center in the U.S. that could capture relevant data and be useful for other groups. Another delegate mentioned that social entrepreneurship is gaining momentum and wished to explore how these entrepreneurs could connect with the entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.
Mr. Bill Somerville of the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation and author of the book, Grassroots Philanthropy, then shared his many years of experience working with community foundations and why he coined the term ‘venture philanthropy’. He mentioned that philanthropy is about taking risks and that failure is part of the process. According to Mr. Somerville, foundations in the U.S. do not like criticism or failures and thus they stick to safe investments. His research found that many foundations in the U.S. are “paralyzed by bureaucracy of their own making” and urged leaders to “step out of their comfort zone” by visiting the people and projects they support. Mr. Somerville believes that donors should not fund problems but ideas. He prefers to invest in people.
Mr. Sean Stannard-Stockton, founder of Tactical Philanthropy Advisors and author of the Tactical Philanthropy blog, spoke about the importance of working with individual donors. He said that in the U.S. charities receive $300 billion each year. 82 percent of the funds come from individuals. There is a growing interest in supporting the philanthropy of everyday donors. Bill Gates inspired a different way to think about philanthropy and we even have a TV show in the U.S. called “The Philanthropist.” Many media outlets are interested in philanthropy stories, and the Financial Times even has a philanthropy reporter.
The foundation sector has been professionalized in the U.S. Mr. Stannard-Stockton worries that foundations have removed the “heart of giving.” As an advisor to philanthropists, he says we should not worry whether donor-directed giving is strategic or not. Instead, philanthropic advisors should help individuals figure out what they want to do with their philanthropic dollars. Individuals are not constrained like foundations. Individual donors focus not on accountability but on impact.
The discussion then led to what smart giving meant. Mr. Stannard-Stockton shared the three things he believes were part of the philanthropic agenda. First, donors need to be proactive. Many donors give because they are asked. Instead, donors should ask themselves, “What do I want to do with my money?” Second, donors need to be engaged. Site visits and direct communication are important and help donors understand how an organization is progressing with their goals. Third, donors should be passionate and giving should be a joyful experience.
Comments