KUNMING, China – November 25, 2025 – At the closing of the China Foundation Forum (CFF) Annual Conference, a stark image captivated the audience: a digital word cloud representing the collective mood of China’s philanthropy sector. While words like “innovation” and “warmth” floated at the edges, one word anchored the center in bold text: “Hardship.”
For Gao Rui, Founder and CEO of That Spark Ltd. (Yuexiang Xinzhi), this moment was a validation. In a keynote address entitled “Seeing a Group of People Building a Sectoral Ecosystem,” Gao shifted the focus from macro-policy to the individuals behind the work, unveiling findings from the “Foundation Secretary-General Observation Report.”
Image: Gao Rui, Co-founder and CEO of That Spark
“We talk constantly about the ‘industry’ or ‘ecosystems,'” Gao noted. “But if we strip away the titles, who is left standing there? We needed to see the person behind the role.”
The Dilemma of the “Critical Few”
The research paints a vivid portrait of the typical non-profit leader in China today: she is, on average, over 41 years old and female. Most critically, 81% of these executives lead teams of fewer than ten people.
This small scale creates a heavy burden. According to Gao, these leaders must manage a vast spectrum of responsibilities—from high-level governance and strategic compliance to the daily demands of project management and fundraising.
“There is a tension between the complexity of the issues we tackle and our ‘low-spec’ organizational forms,” Gao explained. “Our research shows that the primary concern for these leaders is no longer just funding—it is their own physical and mental health.”
A Crisis of Value
Gao also identified a “crisis of worth” plaguing the sector. Beyond the tangible exhaustion, many leaders face a quiet, gnawing anxiety about the value of their work.
“We are constantly asked—by stakeholders, even by our families—’Does this industry really exist? What is the point?'” Gao said. “Over time, these external doubts become internal questions.”
This is compounded by “high-intensity emotional labor.” As Gao remarked, “We are not only providing professional services, but also demonstrating profound empathy… This demands a conscious effort to maintain a specific state of being, which requires immense labor.”
Moving from Plight to Promise
While the conference theme was “Creating Sustainable Value Together,” Gao argued that true sustainability begins with the individuals driving the work. She outlined three specific paths forward:
1. See the Person Behind the Title
Gao urged the audience to view colleagues not just as “donors” or “managers,” but as whole human beings. “We must invite each partner, as an individual, to give themselves ‘permission’—permission to be vulnerable, and permission to be human,” she said.
2. Create Space for Value Validation
Organizational leaders must create internal spaces to explicitly discuss and evaluate the positive changes they create. Gao noted that a clear understanding of the collective value they build together, alongside their individual contributions, helps practitioners better understand their roles and find stability.
3. Invest in the Sector’s Actors
Echoing national policies on “investing in people,” Gao called for a shift in philanthropic focus. “We should not only focus on beneficiaries, but also on the actors in the sector,” she stated, “regardless of their role, gender, or location.”
“When I look at that word cloud, I see ‘Hardship,’ yes,” Gao concluded. “But surrounding it, I also see ‘Hope,’ ‘Concern,’ and ‘Innovation.’ That is the true face of our sector.”
“I wish for every non-profit professional to be seen, feel supported, and envision a promising future.”
About the China Foundation Forum (CFF)
The China Foundation Forum Annual Conference is one of the largest and longest-running industry gatherings in the Chinese non-profit sector. The 2025 event, held in Kunming, focused on the theme “Creating Sustainable Value Together.” The event was hosted by the Beijing Jiye Evergreen Social Organization Service Center, with support from the Yunnan Provincial Department of Civil Affairs and China Association for Non-Profit Organizations (CANPO). The Yunnan Association of Social Organizations served as the event organizers.
About That Spark (Yuexiang Xinzhi)
Founded in 2019, That Spark is dedicated to providing tangible, scalable, and sustainable development support for professionals in the public welfare sector. Guided by the belief that “every life is a hero’s journey with infinite potential,” the firm operates on its “Strategy 3.0”: supporting individual growth within organizations while collaboratively building a sector-wide ecosystem that prioritizes human well-being.
