In China’s cities, migrant workers and their families are undervalued, underpaid, and undereducated. They are marginalized and have little stability in their working and living environment. Compassion for Migrant Children (CMC) is one organization working to change that. This Beijing based NGO, offers tutoring and training for migrant children, their parents, and teachers through community centers strategically located in migrant neighborhoods. I spoke with Jonathan Hursh, the founder of CMC, to learn more about their work.
Recently, the China Charity and Donation Information Center released the 2009 First Half-Year Report on Charitable Donations in China. The report provided macro data of philanthropy given to Chinese charitable causes including the total size of donations, the portion of donations received from overseas sources, a breakdown of donations received by each charitable sector, and a demographic of donors. Below I summarize some important findings from the report.
Recently, I was invited by one of SVG's nonprofit partners to be part of the live studio taping of the popular Chinese show "No Free Lunch" which airs on the Shanghai television station here. If you watch carefully, I make a brief cameo in the audience at about 23:18, wearing black and sitting with one of our SVG donors! The format of the talk show usually targets young Chinese entrepreneurs in a sort of wacky version of American Idol in which contestants are judged on their business models rather than musical ability. In each episode, two contestants go head to head on their particular revenue model and strategy, all while critiqued by a committee of judges led by the "The Boss," an influential entrepreneur in the business world. The committee of judges vote for their choice, but, in the end, the final winner is determined by the Boss. I have long been a big fan of "No Free Lunch" because I really appreciate the sharp and challenging questions raised by the team of judges, especially as I am also working in a startup.
Calling all
Shanghai-based basketball players out there, we’re getting the word out for CAI
director Judy Shen, friend of SVG.CAI
is a leading volunteer-based nonprofit working to improve the lives of migrant
children in China.They are using the
power of team sports to promote gender equity and foster leadership skills
among underprivileged migrant girls.
CAI is looking for energetic and dedicated individuals with a love for basketball and
a heart for the underprivileged to join its team of volunteer coaches for the
2009-2010 Basketball Program in Shanghai.
Volunteers will coach girls in grades 4 and 5 at migrant schools
throughout Shanghai in basic basketball skills and rules.
An Interesting finding from a survey of Internet usage of Chinese NGOs
(Blue – Eastern China, Green – Central China, Brown – Western China) Source: Social Venture Group
Recently, I have come across several foundations and individual donors who stated that they were only willing to give to NGOs in western China. Their reasons for this choice are quite similar: NGOs in western China are the most in need of funding support as they are located in underdeveloped areas. But is it true? A recent survey report (the report can be downloaded here) released by ngocn.org's blog gives some valuable information about the general funding status of NGOs in different regions of China.
Keeping up with all the latest in Chinese philanthropy is now just a tweet away. Crossroads just posted a list of China's "socialpreneurs" that he follows on Twitter. We've reprinted the list below, but he's asked readers to submit more so check back on their site for additions to the list.
The rich and the famous are as much in
the headlines for their red carpet fashion as they are for their scandalous
behavior. Increasingly, however, they are in the news for “giving back”. Even as
philanthropy has grown in Hollywood with celebrities, extending the spotlight
to hurricane relief in the southern United States, clean water and healthcare
in Africa, and tsunami cleanup in Southeast Asia, few famous do-gooders have set
their sites on China in the recent past. Now it seems that the country is
finally getting some attention from a few homegrown and international
celebrities.
Jet Li’s One Foundation (壹基金),
currently in its third year of operation, began as a result of the 2004 tsunami
in which Li and his family survived with the aid of local people who responded
to his call for help.
Created
in 2001 as the philanthropic branch of United Family Hospitals (UFH)
the United Foundation for Chinese Orphans
(UFCO) offers underprivileged kids one of the most basic, but also most
important aspects of human life—health. Partnering with local organizations,
UFCO provides medical services, modern healthcare, and training through UFH, as
well as, funding for medical services that the cannot provide. UFCO currently
operates in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. They partner with organizations
like Baobei
Foundation and BethelTraining
Center for the Blind which have been featured in SVG newsletters and blog
posts. New York native Ellen Luo
recently came on as UFCO’s Executive Director. She discussed UFCO’s mission,
goals, and CSR with us.
I’m in
Beijing this week, and on Tuesday I had the distinct privilege of spending time
with Xu Yongguang at the Narada Foundation,
one of China’s first private foundations.We have written about the emergence of China’s private foundations as
well as Narada previously
on this blog. I’d recommend reading that
post for some background on the landscape of private foundations in
China.
One of
the values that SVG shares with Narada is a focus on helping Chinese grassroots
nonprofits organizations to thrive.Narada sees itself as a “supporting” organization, helping with funding
and programs for capacity building for grassroots groups in China, who are
often overlooked by the general public and the corporate sector for funding and
assistance.
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