Resilient Philanthropy in China: A Mixed-Methods Study on Sustainable Community Development in Jiangsu Province

Background and Purposes

In recent decades, the Chinese government has promoted governance reform by encouraging the development of philanthropic institutions to address social needs. Community philanthropy has gained increasing importance in poverty alleviation and grassroots governance, supported by a growing body of policies to regulate and promote charitable activities at the community level. Against this backdrop, this study adopts the frameworks of organizational and community resilience to analyze the evolution, current landscape, and challenges of community philanthropy in China, with a focus on sustainable development pathways suited to Jiangsu Province, a leading region in the Yangtze River Delta.

Methods

This research employed a mixed-methods design combining quantitative surveys and qualitative fieldwork. A total of 1,000 communities were selected across Jiangsu Province through weighted sampling based on 2023 population data, covering 614 subdistricts (42% of the province). Surveys were distributed through local governance systems in July and August 2024, yielding 6,465 valid responses, including 1,381 from community managers and 5,084 from residents. Additionally, in-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted from April to July 2024 in Xuzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, and Yangzhou to capture diverse regional models and challenges. Key informants included government officials, social workers, and nonprofit practitioners involved in community philanthropy.

Results

Policy review and empirical analysis reveal uneven development of community philanthropy across regions, with varying levels of organizational and community resilience. Nonetheless, community-based innovations—such as diversified philanthropic platforms, revitalization of neighborhood mutual aid, and cultivation of local collective identity—have fostered adaptive development models grounded in local realities.

Conclusions and Implications

This study introduces the concept of “resilient philanthropy” to integrate organizational and community perspectives. It proposes several policy recommendations for sustainable development, including optimizing policy frameworks, building a foundational ecosystem for community philanthropy, developing philanthropic spaces in residential, workplace, and educational contexts, empowering nonprofit organizations, encouraging resident participation, promoting philanthropic education, and supporting the growth of community foundations and charitable trusts.