This week, NYU Center for Global Affairs (CGA) graduate students paid a visit to the Project Pengyou courtyard on their two-week tour of China.

The class of 18 students and 2 faculty members came to hear Holly Chang, President of The Golden Bridges Foundation and Project Pengyou, give a presentation on the landscape of China’s nonprofit sector.

The NYU CGA students in attendance are currently traveling through China making stops in Beijing, Shanghai, Inner Mongolia and Hangzhou for their China field intensive course called, “China’s Reemergence: The Changing Political, Economic and Social Landscape”, taught by Professor Everett Myers. We also had the pleasure of meeting the Dean of NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, Vera Jelinek. During their trip, they have met with many leaders in both the public and private sector.

Holly’s presentation touched on her personal China journey, the background of Golden Bridges Foundation and Project Pengyou, and also provided some context for doing philanthropic work in China.

She then presented her theory of the “5 Buckets of Philanthropic Giving in China,” a model designed to explain the backbone of the nonprofit sector in China to those interested in the Chinese philanthropic landscape.

“Buckets” 1 – 5 (and sometimes 6!) represent each type of organization that receives philanthropic giving in China. Holly provided some insight on how to successfully operate and gain credibility as a nonprofit organization here.

After the talk, students posed thought-provoking questions and asked Holly about future trends in China’s social landscape.

We were excited to reunite with our Project Pengyou Leadership Fellow Sara Monteabaro, who is a NYU CGA student in the class. Sara is starting the Project Pengyou NYU Chapter and after the presentation she addressed her classmates about how the NYU group can help to promote stronger relations between the U.S. and China upon returning home to the U.S.

We were happy to host this group of young leaders during their time in Beijing. Thanks for stopping by, NYU!

Click here for the photo gallery.