Chinese philanthropy evolving in the right way
Despite having the second largest number of billionaires, China, unlike nations such as the US, is generally not known for charity and volunteer work. This philanthropy deficit does not have to do with Chinese culture being parsimonious, but more or less how new the money is. Unlike foundations in the West which have years of history under their belt, China does not have much to boast of. This is not to say that there are no charitable foundations here or that every business cares more about profits than fulfilling corporate social responsibility. When it comes to age, being older tends to make one more generous. However, one can’t say that most billionaires in the US are older than their Chinese counterparts.
For China, philanthropy is relatively new. However, there is a tendency for charity and more involvement in areas such as environment protection, education and social networks. An UNDP report stated that there was a 66 percent increase in the total amount of donations between 2009 and 2014. Major corporations such as Alibaba have established charitable trusts and companies have earmarked a percentage of profits for charitable activities. It is also heartening to see a combination of technology and mobile internet helping charities to manage and modernize operations.
China benefits from philanthropy by her own people. Not only can this be used to help those in need, it can also play a part in proper management of this non-profit sector. Charities and foundations are too unlikely to be corrupt. A new philanthropy law in the offing would ensure greater transparency, help to boost training, infrastructure and legal framework to ensure that those with money are able to find a way of donating it.
In every gap lies an opportunity for a rise, and truth be told, we have been seeing more philanthropic activities from the privileged few in China. It is good to see them giving back to society where they grew up. I hope those given the opportunity to amass wealth could see themselves not as owners of their money but the guardians of their wealth. I hope that once charity is done, there is no desire of getting something in return since philanthropy comes from the heart with no strings attached.
I also hope that with a sustained gap between the rich and poor, billionaires could mould their thoughts about the nature of wealth and how to treat it, especially focusing on long-term social issues such as arts, culture, public policy, education research, teaching and other initiatives. Charity should be sustainable, systematic, much like an ecosystem.
Chinese culture and teachings of Confucius and the Buddha have for centuries highlighted virtues and benevolence. Stingy is not the word to describe Chinese culture since stories and teachings of help and care for others have been there for thousands of years. In addition, China has a history of charity, mostly carried out through temples and shrines. It is time to build a modern culture around proper philanthropy that lasts for generations.
The number of billionaires, the rising middle class and changing attitudes as well as governmental support in the form of the new charity law point to one thing: there is immense potential for proper philanthropy in China.
I have had some great and not-sopositive experiences with starting my own personal charity in countries I’ve traveled to. Often, I’m asked, “What are you doing? Why would you? What do you want out of it?” I hope that eventually, regardless of which country we are in, philanthropy is not seen as having hidden motives but simply a small act that we can all do as global citizens. China can lead the way in this.