Help Budding Students at Dandelion School

From Beijing-Kids.com.

 

For RMB 680/semester, you can fund a student’s education. Photo courtesy of Dandelion School

 

A year ago, we wrote about the Dandelion School in Daxing District. As the only officially recognized high school for children of migrant workers, Dandelion principal Hong Zheng and her dedicated staff have their work cut out for them. The school takes its mission of self-reliance seriously and doesn’t get by solely on donations, but every yuan helps considering Dandelion’s yearly running costs of RMB 3.5 million. Here are some ways you can help.

1. Buy Dandelion’s gift products

The Dandelion School relies on a social enterprise initiative that repackages their students’ art into usable and creative gifts like notebooks.With Christmas just around the corner, this is a gift idea that is original, sustainable, and great for your karma. Dandelion’s products can be purchased directly through the school, at the Kerry Centre, or at Dandelion’s downtown office (see below for contact information). Dandelion also sells its products at seasonal bazaars and directly to corporations.

2. Donate

Some of Dandelion’s most pressing needs are tuition and boarding fees. For RMB 680/semester, you can sponsor a student’s tuition; for RMB 500/year, you can ensure that he or she has somewhere to stay at the school. People can also donate more material goods, like warm winter clothing (hats, coats, and gloves), blankets, or money to buy coal for heating. There are three ways to donate: directly to the school, by wire transfer within China, or by cheque from abroad.

3. Volunteer

Volunteering can be done year-round at the Dandelion School. Volunteers can work on a variety of areas, including English, life skills (such as interviewing for a job), and after school activities. Many high school students from international schools (ages 14+) have done community service hours or earned merit badges at Dandelion. In the past, teens have helped Dandelion’s students with music, sports, English, tutoring, and art projects. Volunteer hours are flexible, with no minimum time requirement. The best times are afternoons, evenings, and weekends.

4. Spread the word

One of the best things you can do for any charitable organization is to tell others about it. Spread the word about the Dandelion School’s mission, needs, and volunteering opportunities. Get your child’s entire high school class to volunteer for a day, or tell members of your community how they can help.

The Dandelion School: 22 Tuanhe Lu, Shoubaozhuang, Xihongmen Township, Daxing District (6128 8964/6686) www.dandelionschool.org
蒲公英中学，大兴区西红门镇寿宝庄团河路22号

To find out more about Dandelion’s social enterprise or to see the school’s products, contact Dodo Dou at dodo.dandelion@gmail.com or 158 1068 2963.

China’s Biggest Philanthropists

Meet the Ten Biggest Do-Gooders in the Middle Kingdom
Text by Joana Melo, photo courtesy of zgjrw.com

China has a handful of famous philanthropists, including Jackie Chan, who has given numerous scholarships, and launched projects such as the Jackie Chan Challenge Cup Intercollegiate Invitation Tournament, the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association Jockey Club Beas River Lodge and The Jackie Chan Family Unit, Yao Ming, who spearheaded the Yao Ming Foundation Charity Tour and along with Steve Nash (of the Phoenix Suns) to raise funds for Project Hope, and Jet Li, whose near-death experience inspired him to create the One Foundation, whose goal is to bring a culture of Philanthropy to China.  But there is also another group of philanthropists that is increasingly well known – China’s billionaire philanthropists – who are making major contributions to the growth of this field in China.

Cao DeWang, 65 (曹德旺)

Born in Hong Kong, Cao DeWang is the chairman of Fuyao Glass Industry Group, which provides the glass components for cars such as Audi and Ford.  In 2010, it is reported that Cao DeWang donated around RMB 1.03 billion to charity. During the year of 2010 Cao DeWang’s donations went mostly to aiding the victims of the drought in Southwest China and the Yushu earthquake. He also aided in the construction of a new library in Fuzhou (USD 60 million), and schools and a temple in Fuqing City (USD 46 million), as well as financing several reconstruction projects. In April of 2011 he also gave three million shares of his company (with a market value of USD 543.7 million) to his private foundation named ‘Heren Foundation’, which is named after his father.

Wang Jianlin, 57（王建林）

As the chairman of Dalian Wanda Group，Wang made his fortune in property development, and was ranked number 232 on Forbes’ billionaires list. Currently he owns more than 30 “Wanda Plazas” across China and also runs the biggest movie-theater chain in China, many of them located in the company’s own shopping malls. So what’s he doing with all of his money? Wang Jianlin gave away RMB 1.28 billion (USD 197 million) in cash to various causes in the year 2010. A part of his fortune (USD 150 million) was directed to help rebuild the Porcelain Tower, a historic temple that dates back to the Ming Dynasty in the city of Nanjing. Wang also contributed with USD 15 million towards the relief effort of the Yushu earthquake that occurred in April in 2010.

Lu Zhiqiang, 60 (卢志强)

Lu Zhiqiang is the chairman of China Oceanwide Group (who is part owner of the computer brand Lenovo) in Beijing and ranked 564 on Forbes’ 2011 billionaires list. He pledged a total of USD 58 million in the year 2010. Most of his contributions went towards disaster relief efforts, such as the Yushu earthquake (USD 15 million), the drought affected areas in the Southwest (USD 6 million) and to affected areas by the flood in Jilin (USD 8 million). He also cooperated with the China Art Research Institute to set up the Chinese Culture and Arts Award which recognizes outstanding artists, an endeavor into which he poured another USD 15 million.

Zhou Zerong, 60 (周泽荣)

This real estate tycoon’s business may have its roots in Guangzhou, but it’s branches reach across Asia to Beijing, Hong Kong, Sydney and Brisbane, Australia. Zhou Zerong and his wife gave USD 43 million towards education in 2010, making them the most generous educational philanthropist couple. Zhou is ranked 85th on the Hurun Rich List 2010, and donated 2.8 percent of his total wealth last year.

Huang Rulun, 59 (黄如论)

Huang Rulun is the chairman of Century Golden Resources Group in Beijing, which has business interests in financial services and real estate, including six shopping malls and 16 five-star hotels. In the past five years, he has donated around USD 430 million, and shows no sign of stopping. In 2010, the 59 year-old donated USD 315 million to several middle schools and universities across China. Such generosity and consistency has placed him in second place on the Hurun Philantropy List 2010.

GaoNaize, 50 (高乃则)

Gao Naize has personally given almost USD 36 million in the year 2010. In February of the same year, Gao joined 45 more coalmine entrepreneurs and collectively contributed USD 196 million towards the Fugu County Government. He also has a big interest in relieving poverty and helping employment and water drinking problems in the less developed areas of China. Last year he pledges nine percent to several causes, and he ranked 543rd on the Hurun Rich List 2010.

Chen Guangbiao, 43 (陈光标)

In 2010, Chen Guangbiao donated USD 43.3 million to charity. Over the last year Chen has been actively involved in various charitable activities, providing funds to drought-affected areas in the Southwest, the Yushu earthquake and the mudslides in Zhouqu County. He has also donated about RMB 20 million worth of scholarships and 3,800 computers, totaling RMB 31 million. In addition, on September 25, 2011 Chen donated all the profits of a charity concert he organized to farmers in need of help with their crops and kettle. Chen Guangbiao has announced to donate all of his property after his death (totaling more than RMB 50 billion) and has obtained the China Charity Award for four consecutive years.

Zhu Mengyi, 52 (朱孟依)

Zhu Mengyi and his family have given USD 100 million over the year of 2010. In March of the same year, the Zhu family donated USD 36 million to their hometown of Hainan and later in July the property developer donated a further USD 64 million to various charitable causes. Having now donated 3percent of his wealth to charity, Zhu Mengyi has been ranked 21^st on the Hurun Rich List 2010 with USD 3.5 billion.

Yang Lan, 43 (杨澜)

TV host, who grew up without a TV, Yang Lan was amongst one of the wealthiest families in 2010, along with her husband. She has been the one to encourage philanthropy in China, organizing the banquet in Beijing for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which brought Bill Gates and Warren Buffett together to discuss philanthropy with more than 30 of China’s billionaire families. Yang has the goal of empowering women through her show called “Her Village,” that reaches more than 200 million viewers. In 2005 she created the “Sun Culture Foundation” in Hong Kong to promote philanthropy and education.

Yu Pengnian, 88 (余彭年)

Real estate and hotel entrepreneur Yu Pengnian has now donated all of his assets (RMB 8.2 billion) to the Yu Pengnian Foundation. His charitable work was inspired by his impoverished childhood, and his contribution has now made him the top philanthropist in China. His last donation was valued at RMB 3.2 billion and it shall be used for no other purpose than charity. The foundation, whose efforts are directed towards health, education and disaster relief, has, since the year 2003, aided in funds more than 150,000 cataract removal operations across China and helped establish Project Hope schools in rural areas.

Sustaining Hope: How the Starfish Project Empowers Disadvantaged Women

From Beijing-Kids.com.

This jewelry makes the perfect gift. Photo courtesy of The Starfish Project

 

“Women may hold up half the sky” it was once said, but the sad reality is that trafficking, prostitution and sexual slavery are just a few of the ways they continue to get exploited across the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.

The Starfish Project is among the many organizations seeking to make a difference for the victims of this predatory system. According to its website, the organization was founded in 2006 and is based in Elkhart, Indiana but also appears to have a Beijing base of operations, which include a “socially responsible jewelry business,” vocational training, packaged “jewelry parties” and more.  35 women are currently supported by the project, with plans to assist even more.

Just in time for the holidays, jewelry from the project will be for sale at the upcoming ISB Student and Teachers Bazaar on December 2 and you can find out how to donate and/or get involved by clicking here. Click here for their catalog.

The Hilton Teams up with Bethel for a Good Cause

Stefan Schmid, General Manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton, Beijing, talks about the hotel’s innovative partnership with Bethel orphanage
Interview by Jennifer Thomé, photo by Nature Zhang

For many, doing charitable work is an occasional gesture, but the DoubleTree by Hilton, Beijing has innovated the way they think about charity. Their “Teaching Kids to Care” program gets China’s youth motivated towards positive change, but more interestingly, their cooperation with the Bethel orphanage allows them to use their strongest asset – industrial knowledge in nutrition, management and hygiene – to make a significant impact on the operations of the orphanage.

Tell us about your CSR commitments.

The DoubleTree brand is built on their care culture. Each hotel has a care committee that meets at least once a month, and it discusses how we can take better care of our guests, our employees, and the community we work in. Part of our commitment is the “Teaching Kids to Care” program, which takes place twice a year. We’ve planted trees, talked about hunger, watched rare birds, and last year we donated materials and money collected both by us and our guests to the Guangai School, which takes care of orphaned children. The Teaching Kids to Care program has been underway since we opened the hotel, and we have a really good relationship with a nearby primary school, and twice a year we work with them.

            In the fall, we’re having an event that’s about cookies. When you check in to our hotel, you get a warm chocolate chip cookie, and this year the global initiative is to donate 2,500 cookies to various people, and whatever we donate will be matched. So in the fall, we will be heading to a local primary school to talk to them about caring, and we will also ask them who they think the cookies should be donated to: nurses, fire fighters, police men, or the poor. We’ll take them to the different communities, and will help them make a donation.

“Our relationship with Bethel is very special: it’s not just CSR, but a real partnership”

What about your partnership with Bethel?

Our relationship with Bethel is very special: it’s not just CSR, but a real partnership. Last year we brought them here to sing at the Christmas tree lighting, and we realized that what they are missing isn’t necessarily money, but the skills to run their facility. We decided to assist them in terms of knowledge, and skills. That’s how our cooperation with Bethel started.

             We had a chef exchange where our chefs taught them about making meal plans, and our cleaning staff went there, helped them clean, and showed them how to maintain proper hygiene on an industrial scale. We did some upholstery for them as well.

            I was actually very impressed with Bethel’s setup. It’s not what you normally expect from an orphanage. It’s more like a village! They have little houses where the children live, and the main building with the school, and they have a farm that has chickens, goats, sheep, and even cows and pigs, and they grow their own corn, salad, etc. They’ve created a self-sustained environment. It’s very nicely done!

This seems like it requires a lot of logistical planning. Is it worth the effort, or would it be easier to donate money?

Giving money is always a risk: You need to know who you are giving it to, and what they are going to do with it. You need to follow up on the outcome. Partnering with a charity is effective, and has immediate, tangible benefits. It’s also really beneficial for the charity, because buying this kind of expertise is very expensive.

I hear you also bring in some of the orphans to train at the hotel. How’s that going?

 This is one of the benefits of the partnership! We brought in Bridget for six months of training, and now we’re looking at hiring her. It’s tricky, actually, because being an orphan she doesn’t have the usual ID documents, so we have to work extra hard to comply with the demands of the new labor laws, but we are willing to do it to provide employment to the less fortunate.

“Giving money is always a risk: You need to know who you are giving it to, and what they are going to do with it. You need to follow up on the outcome. Partnering with a charity is effective, and has immediate, tangible benefits”

So how did this girl perform in her duties?

She did pretty well. Our team took really good care of her, so she became very well acquainted with them, which was an advantage and a disadvantage. When we spoke to Bethel they encouraged us not to take too much care of her, because she needs to stay independent.

Hiring a disabled person presents a challenge to companies. What would your advice to other leaders looking at these kinds of initiatives?

You just have to have the guts to do it, and the right environment. We have three team members who are disabled: two of them are deaf, and they work in the laundry, plus our blind housekeeper from Bethel. They are all doing a really good job. The key for me is that you have to respect them, and treat them like anyone else. When you respect them, train them, teach them, and give them responsibilities, I think anyone can do a good job.

Of course, there are limitations. Bridget will never be able to work in the front of the house, but that’s ok. And she might not be as efficient as a team member who has their full sight, but she delivers her job at 80 percent. Everyone is looking for efficiency, but there are certain people in the world who need to be integrated, especially here in China. It’s just something you have to be committed to. If you’re committed, and your team is behind you, then there is no need to be afraid.

Do you have to work with your team to adapt to this?

It takes some time to get used to. I think it’s easier for me, because I have a blind cousin. Because I don’t have this barrier between myself and handicapped people.

Project Pengyou Aims to Get More Americans to Study and Work in China

Earlier this week our sister site thebeijinger ran a blog about the upcoming will.i.am concert on December 17th in Beijing to help raise awareness for the 100,000 Strong Initiative – a US State Department-led “effort designed to increase dramatically the number and diversify the composition of American students studying in China.”

The concert is newsworthy in more ways than one: considering there are currently ten times as many Chinese students in America, the initiative seems long overdue and certainly worthwhile. More Americans learning Chinese in China would hopefully foster a more constructive relationship between the two superpowers in the future, a situation in which the entire global community has a stake.

A Future Full of Smiles – Operation Smile Celebrates 20 Years in China

Julia Jorgenson, Program Development Coordinator at Operation Smile, talks about the past 20 years, and what their future holds
Interview by Ophelia Ren, Photo by Judy Zhou

Over the past twenty years, Operation Smile has provided more than 23,000 life-changing surgeries throughout China, and they show no sign of stopping! By the end of 2011, they plan on helping another 3,000 children with facial deformities. Julia Jorgenson, the program development coordinator of Operation Smile China, talks about the organization’s operational, challenges and its goal as it moves ahead into the next 20 years.

Tell us a bit about Operation Smile in China.

Operation Smile China began in 1991, and this year is our 20^th anniversary! We go out to rural parts of China and second tier cities and provide free surgeries to children who have cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities. We take a team of doctors, plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, nurses, speech pathologists, as well as other medical and non-medical volunteers to these areas for a week. Once we arrive, children and their parents come to us for a screening, a health checkup, and a medical evaluation. We then select the patients, and do surgeries for the next three to five days, depending on the areas. We do an average of 25 to 30 surgeries per day.

“For 20 years, we’ve focused on giving children the safest and best surgery they could find. We operate very efficiently, and now we really want people to become aware of Operation Smile’s efforts”

Tell us a bit about Operation Smile in China.

Operation Smile China began in 1991, and this year is our 20^th anniversary! We go out to rural parts of China and second tier cities and provide free surgeries to children who have cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities. We take a teams of doctors, plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, nurses, speech pathologists, as well as other medical and non-medical volunteers to these areas for a week. Once we arrive, children and their parents come to us for a screening, a health checkup, and a medical evaluation. We then select the patients, and do surgeries for the next three to five days, depending on the areas. We do an average of 25 to 30 surgeries per day.

What exactly is the mission of 20 Years of Changing Lives in China with Operation Smile”?

We are celebrating our 20^th birthday by having more missions than normal. Starting last year, we increased our missions from ten to fifteen per years, and, in 2011, we will complete 26 missions throughout China! We have two more to go before the end of the year.

How does Operation Smile China do its fundraising?

Most our fundraising comes from corporate sources. We get sponsors from a lot of major companies, most of which are multi-national corporations, such as the Marriott hotel chain. The Marriott Beijing and Tianjin chose Operation Smile as their charity of the year for 2011 and 2012, and KPMG and Tata (from India) are also really big supporters. We’ll have a big party at the JW Marriott on December 1 to thank our supporters old and new.

How about your volunteers in China? Are there any specific requirements for the them?

We are volunteer based organization, which means that all the doctors and nurses in our mission are volunteers. They donate their personal time to come with us. Besides that we also have non-medical mission for people who help us with medical records, take photographs and input the data into computers, which we use to determine the cause of the deformity. For those non-medical positions, our volunteers can be anybody, as long as they have the time and interest to volunteer.

We’ve also started a student volunteer program in affiliation with the Beijing Normal University. The students help us by creating gifts for the children, and by collecting toys, and clothes, because many of these children are very poor and don’t have basic necessities.

How can people support your activity in China if they are not able to make a donation?

They can become involved just by telling other people about our organization and creating awareness for children who have cleft lip and cleft palate. For 20 years, we’ve focused on giving children the safest and best surgery they could find. We operate very efficiently, and now we really want people to become aware of Operation Smile’s efforts.

“China is becoming a great place to do charity work”

What was your most unforgettable experience at Operation Smile?

This is an unforgettable organization in general, and it’s amazing going on so many different missions and helping so many children. This is the most unforgettable party! I think this is why this organization has been operating globally for 30 years. Perhaps the most memorable experience was on my first mission in India. I was completely overwhelmed by the children, and there was this amazingly cute girl. She was maybe ten or 11 years old. I took her to the operating room, and she gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I visited her in post-op, and she wouldn’t stop crying and hugging me, and I didn’t speak Hindi, so I couldn’t communicate with her.

I thought she was in pain. I asked one of the local volunteers why she was crying, and she explained that she didn’t want to leave because she had such a good time with the volunteers. I was so touched that I decided to stay with the organization.

What do you think about the charitable environment in China ?

China is becoming a great place to do charity work. We always have many local volunteers to work with us, and there are more and more people who want to get involved here. The biggest challenge in China is bringing more attention to philanthropy, and getting people the information that they need to become involved. I meet lots of Chinese who really want to get involved with charity or to donate money, but they don’t know where to start. They do not know how to get information about organizations, or if the information they have is accurate. That’s why educating people is a big part of our job.

What is your biggest worry about Operation Smile China’s future?

Our biggest challenge is reaching those children who need our help the most. In China, manys children are born with a cleft lip or palate. There are almost 35,000 children a year born with deformity. The problem is, we can’t find all of those children. Some parents don’t trust our organization, and some parents hide their children away. Our biggest challenge for the future is reaching those families and providing them with the care they deserve!

This Holiday Season, You Can Give a Child the Gift of Hearing

From Beijing-Kids.com.

Stephane Harmand was the highest bidder at the auction for the piece "My Village Dancer´s Costumes". Photos by Christopher Lay

When I received an invitation to attend a charity auction sponsored by Change for Life, I realized it was not only a chance to support a worthy cause (providing hearing aids for hearing impaired students), but also an incredible opportunity to involve our daughter, Reina, in an event that helps others in need. I also thought we might be able to bring home a cute piece of student art.

For the past couple of weeks, the exhibition “Paintings for Life” was on display at the French Cultural Center in Beijing. The many impressive artworks displayed were all made by individual hearing impaired children from the Xining deaf and mute school and the Qinghai special school in Qinghai province in the west of China. Growing up in vastly different conditions from our own, many of these children ended up with hearing impairments due to illnesses that were not properly treated. On Sunday, 27 works of art by these young artists were auctioned off to raise funds to buy more hearing aids for the children at these schools.

 

One of many children who bid at the auction, Reina Lay receives the pastel drawing "My Van Gogh Picture" from a Change for Life volunteer

 

Change for Life ran the charity auction, their first, like real pros. I’ve attended art auctions in Beijing before, even very large ones, and none have had the excitement and joy of this event. Many of the parents in attendance also brought their children and there were even a few heated bidding wars between children and adults. My own child learned the first three rules of art auctions, which apparently are: know your budget; bid on the piece you love; and exceed your budget. That is precisely what she did on the very first piece of artwork up for auction. I think the competing bidders just didn’t have the heart to keep going against such a determined young child. However, after this initial act of kindness to the children in attendance wore off, bidding prices continued to rise throughout the auction and more than one piece went for over RMB 5,000.

I spoke with the even coordinator, Kristin Rosenberg, a volunteer with Change for Life (they are all volunteers), and she told me they had hoped to raise an average of about RMB 1,000 (27,000 total) for each of the works being auctioned. She was happy to report that the total was actually RMB 46,900; enough to buy 33 hearing aids for the children!

Although the auction is over, it is not too late to help a child. Change for Life gladly accepts donations (they are incorporated in Sweden) and is always looking for self-driven individuals with the time and energy to lend a hand. Kristin pointed out that the entire organization is run on a voluntary basis and that every RMB they raise goes directly toward hearing aids or school improvements; no funds are used to cover the organizational costs of Change for Life. If you would like to contribute your time, talent, or to make a donation, visit theChange for Life website here. They also have a beautiful coffee table photo book and gift cards for sale that are available here in Beijing (inquire at info@changeforlife.se). This is a chance for you and your family to give one of the very best gifts to a child in need – the gift of hearing.

Art to End Poverty

Casey Wilson, Wokai’s Founder, talks about their upcoming Fine Art Project and their plans to lift 100,000 people out of poverty
Text by Jennifer Thomé, Photos by Sui and Chen Chunlin

For the past four years, Wokai has been lifting people out of poverty through their unique online microfinancing platform. Since their launch, the organization’s fundraising efforts have spread throughout the world, and finally, last June, they returned to China, where Wokai par tnered with the China Population Welfare Foundation to raise funds from local people. Now they ar tapping into an even bigger donor base by launching an art exhibit whose profits will go to benefit their borrowers.

Are you an artistic person? 

While I’ve dabbled in painting, sketching, photography, and music, I’m embarrassed to say that I am not an artistic person. If anything, I would say that entrepreneurship would be my only art form…The idea of starting out with an idea and a blank canvas and over time, whittling away until that idea transforms into a living, breathing organization. That said, while I’m not a very artistic person, I have a huge appreciation for art and the unique genius of artists.

What motivated you to launch Wokai’s Fine Art Project?

I’m really excited about this project as it’s the first initiative I’ve seen which leverages art to empower people to lift themselves from poverty. Chen Chunlin’s photography has given us a way to show the spirit and dignity of our microloan recipients, in a way that crosses cultural and socioeconomic boundaries. Our staff is constantly inspired by our interactions with the micro-entrepreneurs that we support in rural China, their stories, the challenges they face, and their determination to get out of poverty. However, donors who, at most, read these micro-entrepreneurs’ sorties online, do not have that same opportunity.

With Chen Chunlin’s photos, the public can connect in a new way with our micro-entrepreneurs, see their passion and get a glimpse of the impact of microfinance first hand. Finally, if they purchase a print, 70 percent of purchase price will become “Wokai Credits” that they can distribute to fund a micro-entrepreneur, just like the ones in our photos, through our website.

What do you expect to come out of this project?

Over the next year we will be leveraging our network of over 400 volunteers around the world to roll this out into a global movement of art for change. We already have over 20 exhibitions in seven cities in North America, Greater China, and Singapore. We are looking forward to expanding this to all of our 20 chapter cities and empower our volunteers to share the real stories behind microfinance in China, and to have a tool by which to increase the impact that they can have personally on raising funds for this cause. At the end of the day, through this Fine Art Project we hope to engage more people around the world with our cause and create an innovative way to enable micro-entrepreneurs in rural China to lift themselves from poverty.

Do you think that this type of art-charity hybrid is a better fit for the emerging charitable interest in China?

This art-charity hybrid model enables us to engage an entirely new demographic, whether that be more higher ticket and/or mature donors who would prefer donating in a more tangible, offline mode, art enthusiasts, or simply people that want a tangible product in exchange for their support. I think this is fitting for the emerging charitable market in China for a number of reasons: First, given that people in China are so passionate about their country and their people, China focused philanthropy is something that can be uniquely viral. When Chinese donors purchase these prints and hang them on their walls, they are sharing a story that friends and family will likely engage with as well. Secondly, since philanthropy is still in its inception here in China, models like this, that push the concept of philanthropy, can serve as a foundation for China sector to create its own unique, innovative definition for what it means to engage in philanthropy.

Agenda’s Charity Issue is out!

Despite numerous scandals, charity is alive and well in Beijing and around China. In this issue of Agenda we speak to Stefan Schmid, the new General Manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing, about their cooperation with the Bethel Orphanage for the blind and visually impaired, as well as Julia Jorgenson, who shares some stories about Operation Smile’s 20 years in China.

Download the Charity Issue!

Want more? We also spoke with Casey Wilson of Wokai, the founder of Oasis Hospital and Anton Piech of Piech Asia Enterprises, but you’ll have to read the issue to find out what they said.

On the business end of things, we talk to Michelle LaVallee from Management Success China on how to put together the perfect team using Topgrading, and Kofi Alex Dzissah from CEBEX, who teaches us how to build and defend our business’ reputation online.

Are you ready to Rumble? The Hilton Beijing Black Tie Charity Brawl

On November 19th, the Hilton Beijing will be holding its debut Black Tie Charity Brawl in the stunning surrounds of its Infinity Ballroom. This sensational event will pump your adrenalin by presenting world class MMA fights right by your side while a four course dinner and premium wines are served at your table.

Held in collaboration with Black Tiger Muay Thai, this event, which features charity donations and auctions, will bring professional, semi-professional and amateur fighters together in a full size MMA ring. A night of world class fighting that’s sure to exhilarate anyone from the novice spectator to the die-hard boxing fan.

To accompany the evening’s intense matches, the Hilton Beijing’s master chefs will be skillfully preparing a high end four course menu with wine pairing, each course will demonstrate a level of talent that rivals the display being showcased in the ring.

All inclusive dinner tickets from RMB888 to RMB1288 (Limited availability Ringside)

For advance bookings, please call 5865 5120 or Email: emile.otte@hilton.com

 

Hilton Beijing 北京希尔顿酒店 1 Dongfang Lu, Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District (5865 5000) 朝阳区东三环北路东方路1号