Yenching Impact Lab
Kick Off: Global & Local Perspectives on Philanthropy
Inequality in China is persistent and rising. How can the country’s third sector — namely, NGOs and non-profits dedicated to social causes — combat this trend? And what role can philanthropy play in helping organization leaders create a more equitable society?
Last Thursday, PIM kicked off this year’s Impact Lab at Yenching Academy, a six-week course of expert-led seminars and hands-on training in venture philanthropy, due diligence, and other skillsets for social change.
The Impact Lab participants are undergraduate and master’s students from Peking University and Yenching Academy, selected via a competitive application process based on their passion for social innovation and previous community service experience. Many of them attended PIM-organized site visits to Beijing social enterprises in November and December 2017.
On each Thursday evening over the next five weeks, these students will convene for two hours in PKU classrooms to engage with practitioners, acquire new skills, and evaluate a chosen partner organization using PIM’s RAISE framework.
This year, the five partners are Yibao, Xixi Garden, Easy Inclusion, MyH2O, and Beijing Farmer’s Market. Their missions range from poverty alleviation and educational equity to environmental protection. For example, Xixi Garden provides sex education for migrant children left out of the traditional school system, whereas Easy Inclusion helps advocate for disability rights and workplace inclusiveness.
“When the session started, I couldn’t stop looking around to see the faces of all the people who are as interested as I am to make a difference. I’m so thankful to Impact Lab for gathering us and giving us the chance to make change.”
Andrea Zambrano Fajardo (Yenching Academy, Mexico)
At the end of the six weeks, Impact Lab students will launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise a grant for an organization of their choice. In the last two years, grants exceeding $20,000 USD have aided organizations such as Smart Air, a social enterprise that sells DIY (do-it-yourself) air filters as a low-cost solution to indoor air pollution in china.
The first 2018 Impact Lab module also featured a guest lecture from Peter Liu, Executive Director of China Development Brief (the earliest platform for philanthropy, awareness-raising, and non-profit support in China). Mr. Liu is the former Country Director at Action Aid, with experience spanning Plan International, Habitat for Humanity, UNDP, and UNICEF. His 45-minute talk delved into GONGOs (government organized NGOs) in China, recent yet important laws such as the Charity Law and Foreign NGO Law (passed in 2016 and 2017, respectively), and the evolving role of Chinese NGOs in addressing inequality.
He emphasized, for instance, that while private non-profit organizations have become bigger and more important players in China, the great majority of Chinese NGOs still exist in a “limbo” legal status since they are not registered with the government.
“I found Peter Liu’s talk particularly interesting because he gave an insightful perspective on the development of state-society relations in China, which relates to my interests in the rise of NGOs in China.”
Ludovica Meacci (Yenching Academy, Italy)
A brief Q&A with Mr. Liu also examined how future political and legal reforms could shift the status quo by greatly expanding Chinese NGOs’ resources and capacity. In all, students left Mr. Liu’s talk equipped with the context and clarity to begin making an impact in China’s social sector.
“Mr. Liu spoke of the increasing financial and social power of the Chinese government relative to international NGOs. This made me realize how crucial it is to have an opportunity to study the nuances of China’s social sector and its rapid development.”
Bradley Wo (Yenching Academy, United States)
The module concluded with PIM facilitators leading groups of students through a hands-on activity. Teams brainstormed inequalities in China, shared what they believed were the most effective approaches to solving social issues, and reflected on their personal charity and values.
Both Yenching Scholars and Peking University students will continue working together in small teams for the rest of the Impact Lab, visiting and interviewing their partner organizations on the path to creating impact.
“Along with my own personal interest in learning more about the social innovation sector in China, I want to also use my time to give back to the local Beijing community, a city which has become my second home.”
Anthony Marchese (Yenching Academy, Canada)
Philanthropy in Motion
Philanthropy in Motion (PIM) is an internationally-recognized social enterprise that empowers millennials with the funding, training, and networks to become mission-driven leaders and amplify their social impact. We guide individuals through a comprehensive process of identifying their missions, investigating social issues, and leveraging collective resources to advance social innovation in Greater China. Combining world class curricula with an experiential learning approach, our education programs have empowered hundreds of young people to take a strategic, venture capital model to philanthropy, deciding how to best allocate funding and resources to impactful social ventures. Our partners include of World Bank to Peking University, and we have been recognized by Forbes, The Economist, and other news media for our work in the social impact space.
To learn more about Philanthropy in Motion, please click here.
Written by Carl Hooks: Yenching Academy, Philanthropy in Motion
