2008 China Charity National Conference and China's new development in Charitable Secto

Grace Li
President of Chinese Philanthropy Global Partnership Inc.

China's president Hu, Jing Tao met honoreesThe China National Charity Conference was held in Beijing on December 5 & 6, 2008. This is the second China National Charity Conference since the first one in 2005.

The conference was co-hosted by the Chinese Civic Department, China Charity Federation, Chinese Red Cross Foundation, Chinese Youth Development Foundation, China Anti- Poverty Foundation, Foundation for Disabled Persons, China Children's Foundation, Li Ka Shing Foundation, Bill Gates and Malinda Foundation, Clinton Foundation etc. Over 400 participants from Chinese Charity organizations, major donors, professional and media attended the conference.

Major corporate and individual donors who made significant contributions to the May 12, 2008 Sichuan Earthquake Relief Efforts were honored at the conference. China's president Hu, Jing Tao met honorees and encouraged collaboration among government, non-profit sectors, volunteers, corporate and individual donors to support charitable efforts in China. China's Vice Premier Hui, Liang Yu, State Civic Department minister Li, Xue Ju and China Charity Federation President Fan, Bao Jun made keynote speeches at the conference. China's Charity system reform, charitable organization's capacity building, fairness and effectiveness, accountability and transparency, information sharing and collaboration, service oriented charitable organizations and professional management were among the hot topics in the conference forums.

China's charitable donations reached a historic high in 2008 after the Sichuan Earthquake in May. Total donations reached 100 billion RMB in 2008, compared with 30.9 billion RMB in 2007, 10 billion in 2006 and 3.1 billion in 2005. This is the first year that donations from individual donors were more than the corporate sector in China. China is in the process of building a modern charity sector in line with its rapid economic development. Law makers are working with professionals, major non- profit organization leaders and volunteers to issue new laws in order to encourage charitable donations and to develop a healthy charitable system in China.

For more information about the conference, please visit http://www.gongyishibao.com/csdh/index.html

For information about the Chinese Philanthropy Global Partnership, Please visit www.GivingChina.org