China Philanthropy

China's Elderly Population: 167 Million and Counting

When you think of population growth in China, one phrase may come to your mind: one child policy. But, the number of babies joining China’s citizenry is not the only population figure the country is concerned about. The elderly population is seeing a boom in longevity and their numbers are set to rise exponentially over the next four decades.

Population
Chinese over sixty make up 12.5% of China’s population--that’s 167 million people, and the number isn’t set to peak until 2050 when it will reach an estimated 400 million. In 2009, the elderly population grew at its fastest pace ever, adding 7.25 million to its number (Office of the China National Committee on Aging). While the current life expectancy is 73 years, the number of octogenarians is also on the rise. According to the government, this age category will also grow by 1 million annually, ultimately raising the country’s life expectancy rate as China’s poverty decreases and quality of healthcare increases.

Links That Make You Go Hmmm…for the week ending August 27

 

Shanghai Is China’s Most Generous City: MasterCard International released a study this month, which found that Shanghai’s citizens are at the top of giving for Mainland China. Sixty percent of Shanghai residents say they will give to charity this year compared to 45 percent in Beijing, 43 percent in Guizhou, and 36 percent in Wuhan. The study found that men are 3 percent more likely to give than women. Nationwide the average was 46 percent with almost half of those planning to give 1 to 2 percent of their yearly salary.

World Expo Buildings Help Charity: As the Expo enters its final months, some countries are making plans to use the buildings (which have to be removed under World Expo official rules) to benefit the country’s poor.

Half of UK’s Trafficked Women are Chinese: A year-long investigation found that over half of the women trafficked for the sex industry in the UK are Chinese. Women from Thailand and Eastern Europe also make up a large percentage of those trafficked to the UK. Thirty-thousand women were found to be trafficked, but a spokesperson from Eaves, a charity that works with trafficked women, said the reports’ estimates are likely higher than the study indicates.

Is “Non-profit” Outdated?: Phil Buchanan at The Center for Effective Philanthropy defends the use of “non-profit” to describe the sector versus “community benefit organizations”.

A Visit with China’s Private Foundation Forum

This week we have our first post from SVG’s newest addition, Zoey Liu who serves as our Project Manager.

Last week Nora and I were in Beijing and met with Mr. Qiao Dong, Secretary-General of the China Private Foundation Forum (CPFF) to understand the current situation of China’s private foundations. SVG has been watching this field with great interest (you can read more here and here).

CPFF was established in May 2008, after the Sichuan earthquake, with a mission to enhance communication and cooperation among Chinese private foundations and to improve the development of philanthropy in China. Under the supervision of the National Non-governmental Organization Bureau, CPFF was co-founded by the China Social Organization Promotion Bureau, Narada Foundation, Peking University Educational Foundation, and Beijing Vantone Foundation.

CPFF organizes an annual forum for private foundations and publishes an annual report on the activities of China’s private foundation sector, including statistics, research on regulations and rules, existing issues, and ongoing trend forecasting. The first forum was held in July 2009 with the theme of “The Rise of Chinese Private Foundations.” Over 110 Chinese private foundations, 10 public foundations, 10 overseas foundations and organizations, as well as, various institutions and NGOs in China attended the forum.

Links That Make You Go Hmmm…for the week ending August 20

Job Opening—Ashoka China Representative: Ashokais one of the world’s largest associations of social entrepreneurs and is currently looking to expand to China. They are looking for a highly entrepreneurial individual with strong strategic thinking skills, solid business/social sector experience, and a deep commitment to helping resolve major social challenges in China. Only candidates fluent in both Mandarin and English will be considered, ten + years of experience required.

“Asia’s Challenge 2020” Essay Prize: What is the most important challenge facing Asia over the next decade? Why? What should be done about it? Time and the Asia Business Council want to know. Asian nationals 32 and under are invited to submit their thoughts. There are cash prizes, too. If you don’t qualify, you can still share your opinions on Asian Philanthropy Forum. 

Beijing’s Hukou Lightens Up: The Global Times reports that Beijing’s government has announced plans to soften their hukou residency requirements to allow the best and the brightest an opportunity to contribute to the city’s development. This change will also allow those considered to be the most creative and talented to move unrestricted between the capital city, Tianjin, and Hebei Province as the government tries to foster areas in the city akin to the U.S.’s Silicon Valley, Wall Street, Manhattan, and Hollywood.

Billionaires and Their Philanthropy: Bill Gates and Warren Buffet’s campaign to get billionaires to invest half their wealth in philanthropy has come under heavy doses of praise and criticism. CSR Asia has comments on the latter.

Yushu Donations Get Regulated: Caixin Online comments on the government’s recent recommendation to direct all donations to victims of the Yushu earthquake to the Qinghai government and the public’s response.

SVG at the 2nd Annual Asian MBA Conference

SVG’s Managing Director Grace will be speaking next week at the 2nd Annual Asian MBA Conference at the Javits Center in New York City, August 26-28th.  She will be speaking on a panel entitled, “Social Responsibility: 21st Century Corporate Social Responsibility Landscape.” The panel includes:

Moderator Craig Hooks, Assistant Administrator, Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Panelist: Grace Chiang, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Social Venture Group

Panelist: David Stangis, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Campbell Soup Company

Panelist: Chhavi Ghuliani, Manager, Advisory Services, BSR

Panelist: Aman Singh, Editor, Corporate Social Responsibility, Vault.com

We hope to see some of you there!