China’s Most Generous: Examining Trends in Contemporary Chinese Philanthropy

This report on elite philanthropy presents the latest findings from the Harvard Kennedy School Rajawali Foundation Institute’s China Philanthropy Project and provides insight into current trends among China’s major donors and recipients. Our research team reviewed reports and articles covering over 7,000 foundations, over 1,200 charitable organizations, and nearly 3,000 universities in China. Throughout this process, we collected data on more than 17,000 donations made in 2020, accounting for 44 percent of China’s total estimated national giving. We then focused on the nearly 6,000 donations valued over RMB 1 million (USD $0.14 million),1 resulting in over 4,000 unique donors and the following analysis.