China’s Corporate Giving Falls as Philanthropy Shifts Beyond Cash

Chinese corporations are slashing their charitable cash donations amid a slowing economy, prompting a structural shift in the country’s philanthropic sector from writing checks to providing logistical and technological support.

Total charitable giving in China fell for a fourth consecutive year in 2024, dropping 8.7% from the previous year to 126 billion yuan ($18.78 billion), according to a recent report by the Social Sciences Academic Press. That marks a 17.86% decline from a peak of 153.4 billion yuan in 2020.