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Asian philanthropy is not well understood, says author Shapiro, head of the Center for Asian Philanthropy and Society. Although charity has existed for millennia, only recently has it developed as a systematic practice, and the “Asian Way” of giving has not become a duplicate of that in the West. Shapiro details its differences—the importance of working with government, the central role of relationships, the challenging “trust deficit” seen by potential donors—and illustrates her points with dozens of case studies. This, the first chapter of , offers a guide to the motives of philanthropists and business leaders, and to the progress made by the social delivery organizations they support.

Is Asia less generous than the West? Asia’s charitable landscape remains “relatively immature” and Western philanthropists like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates encourage Asian peers to donate larger portions of their wealth. But Asia has a long record of giving, says author Heesu Jang. China’s clan-based charity, inspired by Confucianism, dates back a thousand years. Muslim Indonesians donate to fulfill annual duties of (almsgiving). Hinduism exhorts leaders to share wealth with the people, and now India has the world’s first law mandating corporate social responsibility (CSR), directing to charity 2% of all net profits. This chapter, part of , gives context to the region’s rich history of doing good.

New laws in Asia have a significant impact on charities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), hindering or encouraging donations and the works they sponsor. Shapiro, head of the Center for Asian Philanthropy and Society, explores the gap between government support for projects complementing official agendas and the crackdown on efforts to challenge them. India now directs firms to donate 2% of net profits to officially endorsed charities, yet it also aims to restrict advocacy by foreign non-profits. China’s new laws increase accountability in the philanthropic sector and expand government contracts for social delivery organizations (SDOs), but they do so while cementing official oversight of charitable activities. In this third chapter of , Shapiro reveals changes to the legal landscapes of the region and explains their potential effects on Asian giving.

As Asia’s wealth rises, so do charitable contributions by its financial leaders. Yet its philanthropists point to a trust deficit resulting from uncertain political support, lack of transparency, scandals at non-profit organizations, and a tendency for “the best and the brightest” to go into more lucrative careers. Shapiro, author of , also identifies a fifth hurdle, the confusing term “non-governmental organization,” which does not distinguish between government-approved social services and government-discouraged political advocacy. To navigate this trust deficit, donors employ several tactics. They support faith-based and internationally reputable organizations. They apply managerial expertise to their own foundations. And above all, they rely on trusted networks of friends and family, in a virtuous circle where relationships enhance giving and vice-versa.

In Asia, successful non-profits cultivate relationships to get things done. Many do so from the start, like Hong Kong’s Lifeline Express, whose founder had the political and community connections necessary for launching railway delivery of eye care services to rural China. Others use existing relationships to support efforts underway, as CARD did in the Philippines when a business contact chose them to apply their microfinance expertise to educational loans. In this fifth chapter of , Shapiro and co-author Manisha Mirchandani illustrate how the networks of Asian charities play a role even more important than for their Western counterparts. Good relations—what the Chinese call —lend credibility to social delivery organizations, encourage additional donors, and even provide sources of managerial and operational expertise.

Working with government has become all but essential for success. Some pursue direct partnerships, as with educational outreach by the non-profit Bainian Vocational School and the government-run China Youth Development Foundation. Others provide a service that receives official support, as with Tree Planet’s green efforts in Korea and the water-saving offerings from Landwasher, a maker of environmental toilets in China. They even act as advisors, as with the Council for Environment, Energy, and Water, an NGO providing research in India. This chapter shows how these and many social delivery organizations collaborate with government as they pursue philanthropic goals, using public endorsements to broaden their funding, their support, and the reach of their efforts.

Family influence matters greatly in Asian economies, and when it comes to charitable support, many corporations follow the pattern of family patronage. In Asia, traditions of a familial benefactor provide a level of comfort with corporate paternalism, and author Shapiro explains the strategies companies choose. Firms give directly, they steer their employees toward volunteerism, and they establish alliances and partnerships with local non-profits. Many companies develop their own foundations. Some even pursue “social business,” foregoing profits in favor of a social goal, as when Grameen Uniqlo established factories in Bangladesh to create affordable clothing, sold locally. Firms employ the family model to create long-term value, both for them and the communities in which they operate.

Social entrepreneurship—applying corporate rigor to a social problem—has spread to the East. It takes many forms in Asia, from social enterprises promoting a charitable end to hybrid nonprofits supporting business models aligned with their mandates. This chapter of explains why certain methods lag in Asia, like “impact investing” to generate social as well as financial rewards, and the application of what the pioneering Acumen Fund calls “patient capital,” denoting a time lag before seeing returns. Author Shapiro shows us successful initiatives from China to Indonesia to South Korea, while realistically assessing what can be expected from setting business tools to the social challenges of the region.

Rapid economic growth in Asia has given rise to a new infrastructure for philanthropy. Technology helps close the region’s “trust deficit,” guiding donors with online lists of reputable charities, through Hong Kong’s WiseGiving platform and similar national websites. Social media acts as a watchdog, while crowdfunding attracts new contributors. Author Shapiro shows how new tools apply in a context with old traditions, including a deep respect for relationships and a harmonious connection with government. In this concluding chapter of , Shapiro identifies key factors in the success of social delivery organizations and then explains how they differ from those in the West. Sudden development, combined with long-standing cultural norms, has produced a uniquely Asian way of giving.