For Generations to Come: Chinese American Philanthropy in the Bay Area Page 7

Vision and Values of Chinese American

Philanthropists in the Bay Area

Defining Philanthropy

As understood by the participants, philanthropy is an outward-focused process of giving of money and time that
benefits their community and society at large. Participants generally agreed that the term implies a substantial
commitment of personal time and resources characterized by a lack of expectation of return to the donor.
However, their comments reveal that philanthropic giving can take many forms.

Described by the participants, philanthropy is about doing good through giving of resources, time, and expertise.
Respondents mentioned seeking to support causes and organizations that they feel are serving their communities
and are working for the betterment of society overall. This is thought of as an investment to benefit future generations.

Philanthropy is the act of consciously deciding what causes you contribute your effort and

resources towards with the intention of generally making the communities and the world a
better place.

I think of it more as an investment in people so they can better their circumstances and lives

to help improve themselves and others and society in general.

Characteristics. Many participants consider philanthropy to involve an elevated commitment of personal
and financial resources over time. Philanthropy is characterized by sustained engagement and significant
financial commitment.

My personal philosophy is about getting a lot more involved than just writing a check.

I think it's generally a significant, sustained commitment to responsible citizenship.

The other important characteristic of philanthropy is that there is no expectation of a personal return to the donor.
The benefits are expected to accrue to individuals in need of assistance or to causes that support the community.

Philanthropy is any act, whether it's with your time or your money, doing something that is

not necessarily beneficial for yourself.

However, as will be noted in the following sections, donors still benefit from the satisfaction engendered by helping
others when they give to causes that are meaningful to them and support organizations whose missions they
appreciate.

Forms. When asked to discuss what philanthropy means to them,
most participants initially mentioned monetary giving, then went on
to describe several forms of non-financial giving that they also
consider philanthropic. Donating time and expertise by serving on
the board of a charity or educational institution or offering fundraising
advice to a start-up community-based organization is considered
an equally important form of philanthropy as giving cash. Under this
definition, important philanthropic contributions can also be made
by those who are not financially well endowed.

I would define philanthropy as providing resources

financial capital and intellectual capital to causes
and entities that are established to help people or
organizations that are trying to make a broad
societal impact.

I really believe that prejudice and fear come from

a lack of information, or a lack of understanding.
So I like to donate to multicultural causes. That's what
I like about the Chinatown Community Development
Corporation. The name says Chinatown, but two-thirds
of the properties and the tenants that we serve are
outside of Chinatown. It's all over San Francisco.

Amy Chung

Amy Chung takes an engaged approach
to philanthropy in order to ensure the
effectiveness of her organizational choices
and contributions. "I want to make sure
that whatever I put my effort into, whether
it is in terms of my volunteering or my
money, ... that it's actually doing some
good. So when I am participating in that
kind of activity, I try to make sure I do it
with an organization that has a good track
record, and that what they're hoping to
do is actually what they are doing."

Raised in Chinatown, Ms. Chung is trained
as an attorney and has worked in both the
public and private sectors. She views her
giving choices through the lens of personal
experience, focusing on education,
poverty alleviation services, music, and
culture. Her support for music helps
engage people in classical music and
ensures that those with talent are able
to pursue their dreams.

SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION