SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 21, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Give2Asia, a 501(c)3 social enterprise that specializes in corporate, foundation and individual philanthropy to 24 Asian countries, announces that it finished its fiscal year 2013 with the highest number of grants (563) and largest grant making total ($31,166,000) in its 12 year history, propelled by growth in advised grant making to East Asia.
Give2Asia more than doubled its grant making in China to over $12 million in 2013, or 41 percent of total its grant making. East Asia as a region accounted for over two-thirds of grant making in 2013. This shift is a result of a quickly growing and professionalizing philanthropic sector in China, combined with Give2Asia's own initiatives aimed at supporting and leveraging these trends. In 2013, Give2Asia supported digital education in rural Chinese schools, leadership training for foundation executives across the country, and mentorship opportunities for grassroots NGOs in Beijing.
"Right now, there is more opportunity to influence the development of charitable work in China than anywhere else in Asia," said Frank L. Ellsworth, Give2Asia's President & CEO. "Due to the young, but fast-developing nature of Chinese philanthropy, well-planned programs implemented at this critical juncture can determine the sector's direction and impact for decades to come."
Other important trends and events for Give2Asia during the past year include:
- As is typical each year, education received the most funding from Give2Asia, with 27 percent of the total, followed by disaster response (22 percent) and health (17 percent).
- Give2Asia responded to five disasters: earthquakes in Sichuan Province, China, Balochistan Province, Pakistan, and Bohol Island in the Philippines, and flooding in Northern India and Cambodia. In total, Give2Asia made over $6 million in grants to support ongoing disaster recovery work in seven countries.
- Give2Asia added 24 charitable organizations in Asia to its growing list of fiscal sponsorship partners in 2013. These partnerships help Asia-based groups receive tax-deductible support from US-based donors.
- Among the new fiscal sponsorship partners is the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC), whose founder Pushpa Basnet, received the CNN Top Hero award based on a public vote in December 2012. ECDC provides education and care to children of incarcerated parents in Kathmandu, Nepal, who would otherwise stay behind bars with their parents.
About Give2Asia
Give2Asia makes international grant making safe, effective, and impactful. Since its founding in 2001, Give2Asia has raised $237 million in gifts from corporate, foundation, and individual donors for community partners in Asia. Give2Asia has demonstrated its effectiveness in serving the needs of international philanthropy with its on-the-ground presence, knowledge of diverse social and economic conditions, and the expert matching of donor interests with innovative and effective grantees.