Asia Foundation

1. Law and governance. The Foundation works with various Chinese partners to strengthen public participation and transparency in government lawmaking and decision-making, exploring innovative public participation mechanisms, training public officials, supporting provision of legal aid, facilitating open government information, and assisting with efforts to codify administrative reforms.
2. Disaster management. In cooperation with governmental and non-governmental organizations, the Foundation works to build capacity for effective disaster management in China, with a particular focus on enhancing public-private partnerships, strengthening leadership and coordination, and fostering community-based disaster risk reduction.
3. Empowering women and disadvantaged groups. With public and private partners, the Foundation facilitates the integration of migrant women workers into their communities, supports their access to legal rights, enhances their occupational safety awareness, and supports entrepreneurship and other professional development opportunities for migrant women.
4. Strengthening China’s charitable sector. The Foundation supports research, training and exchanges targeted at improving the sector’s regulatory framework, as well as strengthening nonprofit organizations’ governance practices and transparency.
5. Environmental protection. The Foundation is working with organizations and research centers at the national and local levels to improve environmental information transparency and increase public participation in environmental decision-making in cities with varying economic and geographic conditions.
6. Bilateral exchange and regional cooperation. The Foundation facilitates more cooperative and multifaceted relations between China, its neighbors, and the United States, including through fellowships in the U.S. for emerging Chinese foreign policy leaders, fellowships in China for young American scholars, and research and dialogue on issues of regional governance (e.g., disaster management, foreign aid).

Through its Books for Asia program, the Foundation has, since 1980, supplied more than 3.8 million English-language books and journals to colleges, universities, and public libraries across China.

The Asia Foundation has been partnering with nongovernmental organizations, universities, government agencies and research centers across the Asia Pacific region since 1954. It now has 17 offices in Asia and funds regional and country level projects.