Community Foundation commissioned this report, sponsored by the Chinese American Community Foundation in
which active Chinese American donors were asked about their giving practices and preferences. Interviews were
conducted with 33 Chinese American individuals who encompassed a range of ages, origins, and counties of
residence in the Bay Area.
and 10 percent over 70. They live and/or work in five counties of the Bay Area: San Francisco (27 percent), San
Mateo (27 percent), Santa Clara (18 percent), Alameda (18 percent) and Contra Costa (10 percent). Participants
were mostly male (73 percent).
Taiwan and 6 percent were from Hong Kong. More than half (55 percent) were born in the U.S., and the rest were
roughly evenly divided among Hong Kong (9 percent), Mainland China (12 percent), Taiwan (15 percent), and all
other countries (9 percent). Most who immigrated to the U.S. ("first generation") arrived as adults to attend school.
Of the 55 percent born in the U.S., 36 percent are second generation (one or both parents born overseas), and
the rest were third generation or beyond.
guide their charitable giving. They spoke about their appreciation for the opportunities they had, and their desire
to give back by making the world a better place. Linking the past to the future, they voiced their aspirations for the
next generations, especially of Chinese Americans, that they may have those same opportunities and eventually
contribute to the community through their leadership and philanthropy. Their efforts emphasize creating
opportunities for all, but especially for children, youth, and young adults, by supporting schools (both locally
and in China), creating university scholarships, and serving on boards of universities and leadership development
organizations. In addition to their focus on the future, participants spoke of their passion for a wide variety of
causes that contribute to the community, society, and the environment in the present.
and their own values and practices, followed by their thoughts on Chinese American philanthropy, and concluding
with their ideas for shaping its future. Each topic or subtopic is introduced with a descriptive summary or overview
of the participants' thoughts on the topic, followed by a more detailed review of their comments.
quotations are intended to demonstrate the range of responses provided by participants.
differed in their perspectives, comments were selected that highlight the range of viewpoints.