Asian Philanthropy Forum

Give2Asia Trustees: Weili Dai, Kai Fu Lee & Ta-Lin Hsu

Give2Asia named two prominent global business and philanthropic leaders to its board of trustees - Ms. Weili Dai and Mr. Kai Fu Lee. Give2Asia is a U.S. based nonprofit that works with donors to support charitable programs throughout Asia.

Ms. Weili Dai is the only woman co-founder of a global semiconductor company and one of the leading and most-recognized women business leaders in the world today. As co-founder of Marvell Technology Group Ltd., Ms. Dai has been a cornerstone of the company's success since operations in 1995. Weili Dai, her husband Sutardja, and brother in law, Pantas, made a $20 million gift to the University of California at Berkeley to create the Sutardja Dai Hall. The Hall is home to the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS). Weili is originally from Shanghai and the Suhas brothers are from Jakarta.

Mr. Kai Fu Lee was also named as trustee. He serves as Chairman & CEO of InnovationWorks, an early-stage fund and incubator for high-tech start-ups. InnovationWorks is based in Shanghai. Having held senior positions within Google, Microsoft and Apple, Mr. Lee is one of the most prominent figures in China's internet sector. Mr. Lee's philanthropic activities include the establishment of the Chinese Youth Development Fund in 2006 to address the difficulties faced by China's youth in academic and career development. The fund has created an online resource and virtual community, www.5xue.com, which fosters professional development in young people. He also created a university lecture series to engage 500,000 young college students across China. 

In addition, Mr. Ta-Lin Hsu, H&Q Asia Pacific Founder and Chairman, was featured in the San Jose Business Journal. He is the Vice Chairman of Give2Asia and is known for establishing the first American-style VC model in Asia. Mr. Hsu was an overseas student from Taiwan who came to the US and earned a Ph.D. at UC Berkeley in electric engineering in 1970. H&Q Asia Pacific has built a $2.7 billion private equity business with a portfolio of 300 companies. 

He says his work at Give2Asia is similar to his private equity endeavors. You have to have direction and demonstrate good performance to build your donor base. You still have to prove yourself. Its always about credibility.

OneVietnam Network Prepares For Beta Launch

As an advisor to OneVietnam Network, I am pleased announce that our beta launch is on June 17th!

Vietnamese communities worldwide will soon have a unique platform for communication and connection with OneVietnam.org. Founded by 1st and 2nd generation Vietnamese-Americans, OneVietnam is an online network that acts as a nexus between individuals, communities, and philanthropic groups serving Vietnamese communities worldwide. Its interface uses the latest in Web 2.0 technology for easy accessibility and instant connections to causes most relevant to its members. Starting June 17, those interested in reconnecting to and strengthening the community can log onto OneVietnam.org for an invitation to preview OneVietnam’s beta site.

OneVietnam came into being when a group of recent UC Berkeley and Harvard graduates perceived a growing disconnect between Vietnamese communities worldwide. Since the post 1960s Vietnamese diasporas, Vietnamese have spread out across over thirty countries around the globe. With generation gaps widening and geographic barriers present, cultural identification languishes and philanthropic organizations lose what should be a strong support system. 

Using social media and Web 2.0, this group of college graduates developed OneVietnam with community, philanthropy, and online innovation in mind. Rather than creating another social network, the founders focused their network on cultivating ties between Vietnamese communities and providing an outlet for later Vietnamese future makers to get their voices heard. OneVietnam has already managed to get the conversation flowing between individuals worldwide through its Facebook Page with 6,000 supporters and Vietnam Talking Points blog with over 200 original articles.

U.S. Philanthropy Transforms Developing Countries

The 2010 Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances was released by the Hudson Institute earlier this month. The Index shows that U.S. philanthropy in 2008 to developing countries held steady at $37.3 billion, compared to $36.9 billion in 2007. The Index defines philanthropy as contributions from foundations, corporations, private and voluntary organizations, individual volunteers, religious organizations, and colleges and universities.  Private philanthropy remains the most important sources of funding in the developing world.

Foundations $4.3 billion (12%)

Corporations $7.7 billion (21%)

PVOs $11.8 billion (32%)

Volunteerism $3.6 billion (10%)

Universities & Colleges $1.7 billion (5%)

Religious Organizations $8.2 billion (22%).

The Index documents how private philanthropy is transforming developing countries. In essence, private philanthropy is more effective than foreign aid in addressing issues. So why is private philanthropy more effective than foreign aid? Is it  the overheads and indirect costs, bureaucratic and drawn out processes, and non-collaborative and top-down approaches? Does it lack measurements or perhaps it is that foreign aid implementation methods do not foster innovative programs? What do you think?

I had written a piece on Philanthropy in China for Tactical Philanthropy and it was quoted in the Asian philanthropy section of the Index.

Philanthropy in Asia has registered significant growth in the past few years, largely due to increased engagement by individuals in China and India. A report conducted during 2008 by the UK-based Charities Aid Foundation shows that 41% of Indians and 80% of Chinese gave money to charitable causes during that year.  Another report prepared for Give2Asia’s Beijing Philanthropy Forum showed that in the years leading up to 2008, charitable donations in China had sustained annual growth above 65%. In 2008 giving increased to three times that level as a result of the humanitarian response to the Sichuan earthquake that killed 70,000 people and left five million homeless. Dien Yuen, Director of Philanthropy at Give2Asia, wrote recently that the humanitarian reaction to the earthquake “fast forwarded China’s charitable sector development and activated ideas of how and what Chinese philanthropy could become.”

The philanthropic environments of donor countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Japan are significantly ahead of China and India. The Charities Aid Foundation in Australia reports that the amount given by individual donors has increased by about 88% since 1997—12.5% on average per year. On the other hand, New Zealand’s $1.2 billion philanthropic sector receives proportionately few funds from private individuals. Only 20% of nonprofit funding comes from direct individual donations. 

Ninety percent of Japanese individuals give, with an average donation of about $30 per household per year. Most of those donations go to community organizations. There are only about 1,000 organizations in Japan that enjoy tax exempt nonprofit status, a consequence of Japanese policy that makes it difficult to achieve nonprofit status and difficult to keep it. It is also culturally prohibited to solicit donations from the public. As a result, individual philanthropy represents a very small percentage of society’s engagement in social issues.

Thinking About an Internship at a Non-profit?

Charles Ostertag started as an intern at Give2Asia and then went on to become even more.  He left for law school last month and it is only now that I am beginning to acknowledge his absence.  For those wondering if he or she should apply for an internship at a non-profit, I highly suggest that they read Charles' farewell post.  Here is an excerpt; for the full post, please visit Give2Asia Forum:

During my undergraduate studies a few years ago at UC Berkeley, I distinctly recall a fellow student explaining to me she wanted to use her degree to work in the nonprofit field. Nonprofit? Nonprofit. How will she pay her rent and bills? I remember thinking to myself as I gave an enthusiastic, unknowing nod in response. Originally coming to Give2Asia in September 2008 as a part-time programs intern, I am taking my leave as an in-house, full-time philanthropic initiatives consultant to begin law school this fall. As my transformation in title suggests, Give2Asia over the past eleven months has solidified for me into a place (and an experience) of exceptional entrepreneurship and opportunity interlaced with diversity, friendship, fun and profound personal growth.

Philanthropy in China, part 2

Cross-posted on Tactical Philanthropy by Dien S. Yuen. Part 1 can be found here.

Philanthropy during the Sichuan (Wenchuan) Earthquake

Even before the Sichuan Earthquake, charitable giving was becoming a trend in China. Social needs, shifts in government policies and the existence of new private wealth contributed to the growing trend. During disasters, the outpouring of assistance from individuals and corporations were beginning to increase and the number of donors making large donations was rising. Newspapers report that more than 11 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion) was collected for philanthropic purposes during the Yangtze River’s catastrophic flood in 1998. In addition to domestic giving, Chinese donors were also interested in supporting disaster relief overseas. US$18.11 million was raised from individuals and corporations in China to support the Asian tsunami relief efforts.

In a report prepared by the China Charity & Donation Center for Give2Asia’s Beijing Philanthropy Forum, the amount of China’s charitable donations had sustained an annual growth rate above 65%. In 2007, the top 50 donations from individuals totaled RMB2.58 billion (US$377 million), representing 62% of total donations by individuals. Contributions that year supported education (37%); poverty alleviation (14%); disaster relief (12%); medical treatment and public health (9%); culture, sports and the arts (6%); and environmental protection, women and children (22%).

A Brief Look at British Asian Philanthropy

- by Dien S Yuen

I was in London several weeks ago and had the opportunity to learn about British Asian philanthropy and the work of the Asian Foundation for Philanthropy.  

In the U.S., the term Asian American is often used to refer to those of Asian origin, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, etc.  On the other hand, the British Asian refers to those of South Asian origin, particularly Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis.  The other groups are lumped into 'orientals' and in the ethnic section of UK's census forms, the Chinese are treated separately, i.e., not as "Asians."

There are approximately 2,331,423 British Asians, constituting about 4% of the population of the United Kingdom (UK) (Indians are 2.7%; Pakistanis 1.5%; Bangladeshi's 0.5% and other Asians (0.4%)).  British Asians make up 50.2% of the UK's non-European population, according to the 2001 UK Census.  The South Asian diaspora accounts for 10% of UK's economic output.   According to a 2002/2003 study, there are 71 Asian millionaires, with 47 of them under the age of 40.

In the past, I have blogged about the lack of information, resources, and studies about Asian American philanthropy.  It seems as if the same case also applies to the UK as well.  There are virtually no studies or research on Asian giving patterns in the UK.  If you know of any, please let me know.

The new face of corporate philanthropy in Asia

The global economic crisis is hitting U.S. nonprofit organizations hard.  In Asia, APPC recently published the article,Philanthropy in Challenging Times: The Financial Crisis and the Future of Corporate Philanthropy.  Below is an excerpt of the article from the 41st edition of APPC Post:

In Asia, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF warned that "tens of thousands of young children… could die as a result of the food and economic crisis." According to a report quoted in a Chinese website, mortality for children under the age of five, in East Asia and the Pacific, could "increase by up to 11 percent in countries severely affected by the crisis."

As of this writing, several multinational corporations based in Southeast Asia have already closed their operations. Even economic China is experiencing a slowdown. For organizations heavily reliant on corporate philanthropy, the closures, shutdowns, and mergers and acquisitions could mean not only budget cuts; it could also mean program closure altogether.

In a Joint Breakfast with the Coordinating Committee of the Worldwide Initiative for Grantmakers’ Support (WINGS) in late November, some APPC Board Members shared how non-profits in Asia are changing due to the crisis. In Singapore, the government has challenged the non-profit sector to raise the number of volunteers as it seeks alternative resources for programs. A rise in corporate volunteerism and knowledge transfer is also predicted in the Philippines and corporate giving efforts will focus more on enterprise and community development.

India is also gearing up for more employee engagement in community initiatives, with CAF India partnering with companies such as RBS, Barclays and Pepsi to launch “Give as You Earn” Program. This kind of involvement is a way to increase morale especially in this time of crisis.

Photo courtesy of stuck in customs

Seeing is believing: A look at a volunteer's experience in Myanmar, Part III

“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” – Desiderius Erasmus

This is the third and final installation in our story from the field. Some of the best and brightest students in Myanmar take a fieldtrip to a school for the blind. Their reflections on the experience reveal that perceptions can change based on personal interactions.

Field trips at our program always include reflection of some sort. For this trip, we had a discussion afterwards where students shared their impressions and experiences. All of the students agreed that it had been a positive experience. When I asked how their impressions changed over the course of the afternoon, one student admitted to initially feeling “scared by the kids’ eyes,” but by the end, he had forgotten that their eyes looked different from his own. Another student said, “At first I felt sad, but not anymore. I realized that they can cope and do things that I can’t do. They’re very intelligent.” Another added, “I feel we can learn a lot from the children. They know how to not give up.”

For most of my students, this was the first time they had interacted with blind people for any length of time. They came out of this experience with greater awareness of the challenges that blind people face on a daily basis in Myanmar, but also of how with the right support and environment they can overcome these challenges and develop unique abilities and skills. Perhaps, most importantly, my students discovered that the children they met are not defined by their blindness; it is, instead, just a part of who they are.

Seeing is Believing: A look at a volunteer's experience in Myanmar, Part II

This is part two in a three part story from the field. The author – a teacher in Yangon, Myanmar – describes a field trip his students take to a school for the blind, where the blind students teach their sighted counterparts a lesson.

Before our field trip, my students discussed what they knew about blindness and organized some games to play with the children. Most of my students had never worked with blind children before and did not know what to expect. Several expressed that they were nervous about the field trip and were afraid that the games they organized would not work because the kids were blind. In general, the students underestimated the capabilities of the kids they were about to work with.

When we arrived at the school we were greeted in an old auditorium by a group of about thirty kids ranging in age from about 8 to 14. To break the ice, my students each introduced themselves. To my students’ surprise, the children then sang several Christian songs in Burmese, harmoniously accompanied by an older student of the school playing the guitar. I overheard one of my students expressing surprise that the guitarist could play so well without seeing the strings. The sound of the children’s voices was radiant, and judging from the expression on my students’ faces, the power of the moment was not lost on anyone.

Seeing is believing: A look at a volunteer's experience in Myanmar, Part I

While I was visiting Myanmar a few weeks ago, I met a teacher working at a school in Yangon. He told me an inspiring story about his a service learning component to his school’s curriculum, and the profound interactions his students had during one field trip to a school for the blind. The story left a deep impression on me. Those of us who work full-time in philanthropy each have our own motivations for why we do what we do. Every once in a while, it’s nice to be reminded about how the work we do impacts the lives of individuals. (Names have been omitted to protect the author and organizations inside Myanmar.)

I started working in Yangon shortly before Cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar’s southern coast in May 2008. I work for a small school in which all of the students are Myanmar citizens. My students have excelled in their high schools and are now trying to earn scholarships to study abroad. They intend to come back after studying abroad to participate in civil society and help develop their country. An important part of our academic program is experiential learning in the form of field trips, service learning, and internships. My job is to coordinate service learning and internships. For the academic year which just began my students will volunteer once a week at local organizations.