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Global Chinese Philanthropy Initiative

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Initiative Overview
The Global Chinese Philanthropy Initiative (GCPI) is a unique bilateral research project that examines the contributions of Chinese and Chinese American philanthropists in the U.S. and Greater China. This study shows dramatic increases in charitable giving among both Chinese and Chinese American philanthropists.

A combined analysis of Chinese and Chinese Americans allows for a focused review of related giving to similar causes, such as in higher education, health, and international giving. The combined approach also enables considerations of similar motives based on shared cultural and historical experiences as well as geographic proximity.

Through academic and applied research, the initiative also examines the philanthropic ecosystems in both the United States and Greater China. The goal of GCPI is to stimulate and facilitate constructive dialogue among philanthropists, practitioners, researchers and policymakers in both the U.S. and Greater China, and ultimately, to create awareness and foster an environment for increased giving, effective institutions to strengthen communities and improve lives.

Purpose and Mission

  •  Developing the role of philanthropy for the next generation of Chinese and Chinese American leaders, in both business and social sectors
  • Improving U.S. – China relations through the actions and impact of philanthropists
  • Advancing Chinese Americans and Chinese as positive, contributing role models in the U.S. and Greater China

Project Components

  •  Applied social science research reports will offer comparative analyses of giving trends, emerging patterns, and sector-specific challenges.
  • Philanthropist Profiles. A central component of the project is to highlight prominent philanthropists and to illustrate philanthropy in action.
  • Conferences and Exchanges. Bi-lateral conferences will be held both in the United States and in Greater China.

Unique Contributions

  •  Focus on Chinese AND Chinese American giving. Whereas other studies may have only focused on China or the U.S., this effort will consider both. The study and complementary dissemination and outreach activities will generate deeper understanding and cooperation among cultural and regional networks.
  • Findings and recommendations for action will inform reports and conferences. Recommendations will be grounded in examples of philanthropists in action as well as applied research.
  • Ongoing Dialogue. The project will use study findings as a basis for outreach activities such as conferences and study tours as well as a range of publications over multiple years.
Founding Partners
Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles (Advancing Justice - LA) is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (NHPI). Founded in 1983 as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Advancing Justice - LA serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year. Through direct services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, leadership development, and capacity building, Advancing Justice - LA focuses on the most vulnerable members of Asian American and NHPI communities while also building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice.

UCI Long US-China Institute

UCI Long US-China Institute

UCI Long US-China Institute

The UCI Long U.S.–China Institute at the University of California, Irvine, aims to enhance and facilitate knowledge about the opportunities and challenges of China’s rise. As a premier academic platform to understand and formulate opinions about these opportunities and challenges, the UCI Long U.S.–China Institute engages with scholars and practitioners in the United States and in China around four key areas: (1) economic growth, trade, and investment; (2) social development and justice; (3) philanthropy and wealth management; and (4) risk and regulation.

UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

At the convergence of the fields of social work, urban planning, and policymaking, the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs identifies and develops emerging areas of research and teaching, cultivating leaders and change agents who advance solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Founded in 1994, UCLA Luskin incorporates the best practices in scholarship, research, and teaching in the fields of social work, urban and regional planning, and policymaking. Faculty are engaged in research that addresses pressing national and regional issues.

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Founding Benefactors
Lao Niu Foundation

Lao Niu Foundation

Lao Niu Foundation

The Lao Niu Foundation was set up in late 2004 by Mr. Niu Gensheng, founder and former chairman and president of China Mengniu Dairy Company, and his family with all of their shares and part of the dividends from the company. With the guideline “Improving ourselves by helping others and always being grateful; undertaking global responsibilities to educate people and protect the environment,” the Lao Niu Foundation is dedicated to “promoting education, protecting the environment, and practicing philanthropy for all.” By focusing on environmental protection, culture and education, and sector development, the foundation is striving to create a healthy and equitable environment for mankind and to “sustain the foundation to its 100th year and beyond.” By the end of June 2017, the Lao Niu Foundation had completed 208 philanthropic projects in partnership with 161 agencies, organizations, and individuals, covering 30 provinces in China as well as cities in the United States, Canada, France, Nepal, and Africa. Its total charitable expenditures exceeded USD 200 million (RMB 1.202 billion).

Long Family Foundation

Long Family Foundation

Long Family Foundation

The Long Family Foundation is a private foundation that was established in 1992 by John and Marilyn Long. The foundation aims to promote and support religious, educational, cultural, and research endeavors that align with their family’s values.

Wallace H. Coulter Foundation

Wallace H. Coulter Foundation

Wallace H. Coulter Foundation

The Wallace H. Coulter Foundation was established in 1998. Its benefactor, Wallace H. Coulter, was known for inventing the Coulter Principle, an electronic method of counting and classifying microscopic particles suspended in fluid. The principle was incorporated by Mr. Coulter in an apparatus to count and classify blood cells. The apparatus, which came to be known as the “Coulter Counter,” revolutionized the practice of clinical laboratory medicine and touches people’s daily lives with immeasurable impact. The foundation, led by Sue Van, its CEO and president, continues Mr. Coulter’s Wallace’s practice of providing risk capital for innovative initiatives through its grant programs. The Coulter Foundation has been a leading contributor to the advancement of biomedical innovation and is currently the largest funder in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the United States.

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