Engaging Chinese American Philanthropists Overview This document has been developed as a companion to For Generations to Come: Chinese ameriCan PhilanthroPy in the san FranCisCo Bay area, a report commissioned by Silicon Valley Community Foundation, sponsored by the Chinese American Community Foundation and developed by senior social scientists at LTG Associates. The main report is an exploration of the concept and practice of philanthropy as explained in interviews by a group of Chinese American donors in the San Francisco Bay Area. This document is intended to provide direction for those wishing to successfully engage and work with these donors. Everything in this document, unless otherwise indicated, directly reflects what was described by participants in the study as important to them in planning their philanthropic engagement. This document is organized into categories that were revealed by the interviews as being of special value and importance to those wishing to work with Chinese American donors. The key disclaimer is that the group interviewed is small and should not be considered representative of Chinese American philanthropists overall. Nevertheless, the participants were clear and direct in their responses to questions, and a number of concrete themes emerged that can provide useful direction for encouraging engagement by this population. Throughout this document, “China” will be used to refer to the geographic region encompassing Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Where an observation or a statement refers to a particular area, it will be identified by name; for example, Mainland China or Taiwan. Definition of Philanthropy Participants in this study define philanthropy as giving to do good in order to support the community, benefit society and make the world a better place. Philanthropic giving was defined broadly to include: ■ ■ ■ Financial contributions and equivalents; Time and energy, through volunteering and board membership; and Expertise, such as offering business and fundraising advice. For the majority of participants, philanthropy was defined as giving without expectation of personal gain that is directed outside of immediate family. As such, it stands in contrast to what many described as an important traditional value of retaining wealth within the family and passing it on to one’s children. 2 SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 3