CDB Reports

Analysis

In-depth analyses on the issues facing Chinese civil society. Most of these articles have been written by CDB’s staff or translated from Chinese sources, while others are guest contributions from academics and NGO practitioners inside and outside of China.

Spotlight on Philanthropic Support Organizations

Philanthropic Support Organizations are increasing the efficiency of philanthropy for the third Sector. This article features two such organizations, CDB and CAF Russian, to shed some light on this field.

Philanthropy or Social Development?

The author of this article, a project manager of Marie Stopes International China, challenges the currently dominant discourse by replacing “philanthropy” with “social development”, and “social organizations” with “social development organizations”. He also analyzes imported words such as “empowerment” from a Chinese perspective in the hope that these terms will evolve and thrive in the local environment.
||||||

One Way to Think About Philanthropy

The author provides a unique view on philanthropy that derives from his experience “on both sides of the table” - five years as president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and six years as president of the University of Chicago.
||||||||||||||

Charity Law for Dummies

The Charity Law is China’s first national-level legislation governing its charitable sector. Want to know how the Charity Law will affect you? Read on!

Summary of the CDB Report on Frontline Project Officers in Private Foundations

Guo Ting delivered a report on CDB’s six-month project- Frontline Voices, revealing five core findings on project officers’ basic profile, their participation in foundations’ decision making process, their views towards grant-making and operation, their career development and training expectations, and their compensation satisfaction and future plans.

Floating bridges: the disadvantaged position of fund-granting officers

In this article Nan Yizhi, a young project officer, describes herself as being a bridge connecting grassroot NGOs on the one side and grant-making foundations on the other. The limitations and problems of the sector render both sides unstable, and the bridge is thus in a disadvantaged position.

What do the secretary-generals have to say in reply to “Frontline Voices ”?

Since the release of CDB's Frontline Voices column, have the voices of these grant-making officers been heard by the management? Will there be any measures to address the issues mentioned in the articles? In this interview, eight secretary-generals of private Chinese foundations give their own answers to these questions.

Returning from Abroad to Work in China’s NGO Sector

After gaining her degree in Sweden, a Chinese girl followed her passion for the NGO sector and joined a private foundation in China. She tells us about the doubts and expectations she went through while the foundation shifted from operating projects itself to providing grants.

Community Development: Discover, Think and Act

A girl who works in the Zhenro Foundation talks about how her first experience of urban life in Shanghai and a visit to Taiwan stoked her interest in projects to help urban communities.

My Journey through the Charity Sector

In a far-ranging reflection on China's charity sector and its society as a whole, a young man looks back at the experiences which set him on course for his work in a Chinese philanthropic organization.