China Philanthropy

A 5 Minute Guide to Mental Health in China

In the past year new information has emerged concerning the state of mental healthcare and the mentally ill in China. According to the World Health Organization, mental illness supersedes heart disease and cancer as the most taxing health concern in China’s healthcare system. An estimated 100 million people in China have some type of mental disorder although some say this number is likely higher due to the dearth of information available and the lack of public awareness regarding mental illness. Xinhua reports that “twenty percent of all ailments and injury-led disabilities in China” are caused by mental illness. Dr. Huang Yueqin, director of the National Center for Mental Health, told Telegraph that she estimates only about 5 percent of those with illnesses are aware of it and receive treatment. (It is important to note the range of illnesses covered under these statistics, which include anxiety and Internet addiction as well as depression and schizophrenia.)

CSR in China: Past, Present, and Future

Today we bring you a guest post from Plan China's Zheng Wei. Zheng is primarily responsible for implementing the organization’s corporate-community partnership strategy with multinational companies and foundations and advising companies on effective community programs. Having worked both at Plan’s fundraising offices in Canada as well as the field offices in rural China, he has gained a good understanding about the needs from both the donor and the field.

When we look at the present state of China we can see two distinct faces. The first is one of rapid economic development and continuous prosperity over the last two decades. The other is that of the rural areas, which lag far behind the developed cities especially in environmental and social challenges. Over one hundred million people in China still live on less than a dollar a day. Other challenges for the country include large-scale migration, a declining child population, approximately thirty-four million children living in poverty, and if it remains unchecked, the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Reflections on the Hong Kong Social Enterprise Summit 2009

Social Enterprise (SE) is becoming a sector to watch in the Greater China context. On November 13 and 14, I attended the Social Enterprise Summit (SES) 2009 in Hong Kong. Organized by the Hong Kong Policy Research Foundation (PRF), this year’s theme was “Development Strategies, Partnerships and Investment opportunities.” Participants came from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao and Mainland China. The purpose of the event was to create a platform for further dialogue among social enterprises, governments, investors, as well as, academic institutions in the Greater China region. For me, the two-day conference was a precious opportunity to get connected with others outside of just the Mainland context. It was also great for catching up with the latest thoughts and developments in the social enterprise stratum.  Here are some of my key takeaways from the time:

Attitudes of China’s Newly Wealthy: 2009 China Private Wealth Study

I’m reading now an interesting study released by Bain & Company and China Merchant Bank in June 2009 about the growth of private wealth in China and the market opportunities for private wealth management firms. You can click here to read the full report. A report like this is great in that it puts concrete data behind a good deal of anecdotal evidence we have seen about the growth in China’s high net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and their habits.  It also gives specific recommendations for potential private wealth management (or in our case, philanthropy advisory) firms. 

Microfinance in China: Past, Present & Future

Compared to other Asian countries, the Chinese microfinance sector has developed slowly. Even though the first Microfinance Institution (MFI) was introduced to China in 1996, MFIs have had a difficult time. Government regulations have stilted their progress and, much like NGOs, they have had difficulty gaining enough legal status to develop effective programs. Much is changing, however, in China’s microfinance sector. In September, famed microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus of Grameen Bank and Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba, announced plans to create Grameen China. A recent article in China International Business Magazine (CIB) discusses the evolution of microfinance in China including new laws that signify a significant shift in the sector.

2009 First Half-Year Report on Charitable Donations in China

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.

China Offers Relief to Taiwan: A review of Typhoon Morakat

On August 8, Taiwan was hit by a severe typhoon with initial newscasts reporting a death toll of fifteen in Taiwan but final reports approximating more than 600 killed. Typhoon Morakat, which is Thai for emerald, had already caused the death of 21 people in the Philippines the previous week and as it swept through East Asia hundreds were missing due to severe floods, mudslides, and landslides. As reported in the New York Times, Taiwan's president Ma Ying-jeou said the storm which thrashed the island with rain for three days, had cost the country USD1.5 billion and destroyed the homes of 7,000 citizens. With a record 8 feet (244cm) of rain hitting southern Taiwan, the typhoon was the worst one to hit Taiwan in fifty years and left the country in severe distress.

Philanthropy as a New Measuring Stick

This week Grace was interviewed for a piece in the New York Times on China's corporate philanthropy. The article discusses new developments in how corporations and wealthy business people are approaching philanthropy, including a new collaboration between Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus to start Grameen China. The article titled, "In China, Philanthropy as a New Measuring Stick" is out today!

--Georgia

中文

2009 Hurun Report: Thousands with Millions

China's wealthiest are being counted. The 2009 China Rich List, published by the Hurun Report, is the yearly digest of the mainland's biggest earners and biggest spenders. This year's statistics show significant growth in the number of the country's high income individuals despite the financial crisis. Here's a brief comparison: In 2008 there were 800,000 people with wealth over 10 million RMB (1.46 million USD) versus 825,000 this year. This year there are a total of 51,000 individuals with over 100 million RMB up 1,000 people from last year. One person in 25,000 has 100,000 million RMB. Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong are the cities with the most multimillionaires; however, second and third tier cities also have a growing number of rich residents.

No Free Lunch! China’s NGOs Duke It Out on Reality Television

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.