Since the registration of Friends of Nature, China’s first grassroots nonprofit organization in China in March 1994, there are over 386,000 registered social organizations in China by June 2008.

The birth of Friends of Nature mirrored the then policy environment for China grassroots organizations. Ministry of Civil Affairs registers civil organizations, which have a government agency acting as the sponsor. When Liang Congjie, the founder, came to the Ministry of Environment Protection with the drafted charter and regulation for an organization called “Friends of the Nature”, to ask for a sponsorship, he was told that the group’s name has to be called an association or society, and each ministry can only sponsor one association or society in each field. Since the Ministry has already sponsored the China Environmental Science Society, it could not provide sponsorship to another organization.

Then Liang and his friends tried the Environment Protection Bureau of the Beijing Municipal Government, the China Association of Science and Technology or even the Chinese People’s Political Consultation Committee, but without any results.

Finally they learned that the social groups that have been sponsor by the government can host subsidiary organization. Liang was working at the China Culture Academy sponsored by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs (MCA). He in the end came to the MCA asking to establish a “Green Culture” subsidiary of the China Culture Academy. His request was approved. Then with the approval of the MCA, he registered his organization as the “Green Culture”, a subsidiary of China Culture Academy.

Another grassroots organization, the Maple Women’s Psychological Counseling Center Beijing was not as lucky. Because it could not find a government sponsor, it had to register as a business. It is estimated that grassroots organizations like this are up to 800,000 to one million in China.

After setting up, the organizations then have the challenges of lacking talents, lacking funding, and lacking resources. At the beginning, there was very little government service procurement, very little recognition from the corporate world. The only resources are funding from foreign philanthropy and agencies.

Today, with the evolution of China’s philanthropy, the funding for grassroots organization is getting diversified. There were increasing number of foundations, public and private, seeking bids for projects; the government and corporations are procuring more services. International support is no longer the sole source of funding.

In addition, with the development the civil society in China, the public philanthropic awareness is getting enhanced. One of the symbol is volunteerism. The snow disaster in early 2008, the May 12 earth quake, and Olympic Games in Beijing have stimulated the spirit of giving as volunteers among the Chinese people. Volunteers for the Olympics exceeded 1 million, and volunteers for the earth quake relief exceed 3 million.

Statistics

By June 2008, there are 386,000 registered social organizations, among which social groups are 211,000, grassroots non-business organization 174,000, foundations over 1400, with the annual growth rate of 40% since 1998. Organizations at the county level and below account for 60% of the total. In terms of geographic distribution, over 45% concentrated in the nine eastern provinces and municipalities.

(Translated and edited by Xing according to an article by Song Yang at
http://www.gongyishibao.com/csdh/gongminshehui.html )