One should not overlook China’s presence on the world stage in the 21st century. It is not only its population that is major, but its military and economy are too. With all that power, there are sure to be people who are using it to do good. Thankfully, there are. The China Global Philanthropy Institute (CGPI) is the nation’s first independent institute to focus on philanthropy education. The organization has global connections — wealthy benefactors like Bill Gates and Ray Dalio and educational partners like Harvard University.

About the China Global Philanthropy Institute

Since its founding in 2015, the China Global Philanthropy Institute has been promoting the country’s interest in philanthropy. The goal of looking to the future is realized by focusing on education. The organization offers certificates, scholarships and short-term courses. The teachers are not only from China but from across the Western world. The Institute works with global organizations like the United Nations and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In 2021, the Institute had more than 6,000 graduates from 31 provinces and 20 countries.

The China Global Philanthropy Institute has four primary educational programs:

• Executive Management in Philanthropy (EMP) 
• Global Philanthropy Leaders (GPL) 
• Global Social Entrepreneurs (GSE)
• Philanthropy Online Academy (POA) 

About the Programs

Of the four, the EMP program is the one most students begin with. Many come from backgrounds in charitable organizations and nonprofits. It teaches management, theory and social innovation. 

Meanwhile, the GSE program teaches those with experience in business to use their entrepreneurship to help those in poverty. 

One program that has partnered with the CGPI is Harvard University’s Ash Center. The educators are using the global reach to focus on two major projects. The first is a database of China’s philanthropists and recipient organizations. This is followed by researching the current generation of China’s wealthy and looking towards the future. The project will look at other growing economies as well. The school hosts events for interested people to congregate and learn.

About two-thirds of the Institute’s alumni are female, and the philanthropic expenditure exceeds $1 billion. Eighty percent of alumni have focused on poverty alleviation and fighting against the pandemic. One alumna, Liu Xin, was selected as Davos’s Global Outstanding Youth. She wishes to launch her philanthropic efforts at the same time as her financial ones, rather than focusing on gaining wealth first. Another, Hui Ruoqi, was not a businesswoman but a former captain of the Olympic women’s volleyball team, who wishes to go into philanthropy full-time. She is using her training to open athletic schools in underserved communities. 

These are just some of the stories that can give an idea of what the China Global Philanthropy Institute will do in the future.

– Josh Sobchak
Photo: Flickr