Nonprofits in China Domain Event


Being a Social Entrepreneur in China:
Policy, Philanthropic Environment and Beyond

A Panel Discussion With:
Dr. Ailing Zhuang: Founding Chair and Executive Director, NPO Development Center Shanghai
Prof. Hanlong Lu: Professor, Institute of Sociology, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences; Director of Shanghai Center for Charity Studies
Ms. Zhaomin Jin: Executive Director, NPO Development Center Shanghai
Dr. David Brown (Moderator): Senior Research Fellow of Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations

Time: Sept 30, 2009, 12:00 - 1:30 pm (Lunch will be provided)
Location: Weil Town Hall, Belfer L1, Harvard Kennedy School
Organized by: the Nonprofits in China Domain of Practice at Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations

The nonprofit sector in China is at an unprecedented historical moment. With the outburst of public philanthropic awareness and actions unleashed by the 2008 earthquake and the Olympic Games in Beijing, and corresponding government reforms, the year of 2008 has been called the First Year of the Philanthropic China. As a well-known leader and pioneer in China’s nonprofit sector, Dr. Ailing Zhuang will share with the audience her path of starting up and scaling the NPO Support Center Shanghai since 2004, telling about the challenges and opportunities in getting her organization registered, getting funding and talents. Then, Prof. Lu Hanlong and Ms. Jin Zhaomin from China will each present from their expertise a certain aspect of the macro environment in China for social entrepreneurs: Prof. Lu will present the latest development of China’s social policy on philanthropy and nonprofit organizations, and Ms. Jin who worked with Shanghai Charity Foundation for more than a dozen years will present about government sponsored foundations in China. Dr. David Brown of Hauser Center, who has done research of and training for the nonprofit sector across the world, including China, will moderate the discussions.



Short Bio of Dr. Ailing Zhuang

Current position:
Founding Chair and Executive Director, NPO Development Center Shanghai
Board Member, Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium
Member, Shanghai Municipal Committee of Social Organizations Evaluation
Member, 13th Shanghai Municipal Women Federation Conference (representing NGOs)

HKS Mid-Career MPA alum 2003.

Dr. Ailing Zhuang was trained a university teacher. After years of teaching English and Literature in a teacher college, she turned her career to the nonprofit sector since 1990. In the past 18 years, she has served several NGOs, including Amity Foundation (as Director of Program), CBMI (as China Program Representative), and Orbis International (as Deputy Country Director for China). In 2004, Ailing founded the first support NPO in Shanghai and the second in China, the NPO Development Center. She was a co-founder of several other NGOs, including the Crime and Prevention Research Center, Nanjing University (CPRC) in 2002, Xintu Center for Community Health Promotion, HKS China Alumni Association. And she sits on the board of the boards at the Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium since 2004 representing China, on the board of Association of Aging Care Promotion, Pudong, Shanghai as Vice Chairwoman, on the Adviser Committee for the NGO Association of Jin An District, Shanghai. She also sits on the Shanghai Municipal Committee of Social Organizations Evaluation, and Member of the 13th Shanghai Municipal Women Federation Conference, representing NGOs.

Ailing has rich experiences in development work, including rural development, elder care, health, education and rehabilitation, relief and reconstruction. She has deeply involved in managing and implementing about 600 development programs, raised over about 8 million US dollars for China from overseas.

Ailing is a very few pioneers in China starting the capacity building efforts for NPOs. She has been the principal trainer of over 80 training courses, and consultant for over a hundred NGOs, corporate, government, INGOs, IGOs. Her expertise is extensive, including governance, leadership, strategic planning, program management, program evaluation, fundraising, volunteer management, finance management, communication, teambuilding, CSR, social enterprise, etc. And she has facilitated dozens of NPO exchanges and research projects. More 20 articles and a book have published. Her doctoral dissertation on the capacity building of foundations in China was the first one in this field then. She is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences on the topics of her field. She is the first Chinese invited to speak at World Bank HQs in 2005 and Harvard’s KSG in 2008 talking about NGOs in China.

Ailing is a recipient of the China Philanthropy Award presented by the national government in 2008, first time ever since the nonprofit sector emerged in 1981. She has a doctoral degree in sociology from Nanjing University，a Master Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School, Harvard as well as a Mason Fellow, and a Master of Art in American English and Literature from Nanjing University. She has a son of 15 years going to high school this year and her husband is a senior consultant in software working for IBM China.



Short Bio of Dr. Hanlong Lu

Current positions:
Professor, Institute of Sociology, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS)
Director of the Board, NPO Development Center Shanghai
Director of Shanghai Centre of Charity Studies.
Vice Chairman, Society of Sociology China

Prof Lu is also a former Dean of the Faculty of Social Development Studies at SASS (2003-May 2009), and former Director of the Institute of Sociology at SASS (1994-March 2009)

His studies covers many areas, including social policy, civil society organizations, social stratification, income inequality, social indicators and quality of life, etc,.

He is the chief-editor of Market Transition Studies Books, author or editor of more ten books, most recently the Changing of Shanghai Residents (2008, SASS Press), Focus on Social Policy ( 2007, Social Science Academy Press). He was visiting scholar in the Institute of Social Development at UK(2001) and universities at US including Cornell University, Yale University, and Duke University Between 1995 -2007).

He has been connected with NPO Development Center Shanghai since 2005 and committed as Director of the Board of NDC ever since 2006.


Short Bio of Zhaomin Jin

Current positions:
Executive Director, NPO Development Center Shanghai

Professional Experience:
• 1996 – 2009 Program Director, and starting 2006, Deputy Secretary General for Fund-Raising, Shanghai Charity Foundation
• 1994 – 1996 Associate Prof. Pudong Normal College, Shanghai
• 1993 – 1994 Dean, Department. of English, Huabei Teachers College


Short Bio of Dr. L. David Brown

Current position:
Senior Research Fellow, the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Harvard University.

Prior to coming to Harvard Dr Brown was President of the Institute for Development Research, a nonprofit center for development research and consultation, and Professor of Organizational Behavior at Boston University. His research and consulting has focused on institution building, particularly for civil society organizations and networks, that fosters sustainable development and social transformation. He has written or edited Creating Credibility: Legitimacy and Accountability for Transnational Civil Society,Transnational Civil Society: An Introduction (with Srilatha Batliwala), The Struggle for Accountability: NGOs, Social Movements and the World Bank (with Jonathan Fox),and Managing Conflict at Organizational Interfaces. He has been a Fulbright Lecturer in India and a Peace Corps community organizer in Ethiopia.