East Meets West: Chinese Parent Donors Build a Philanthropic Guanxi With American Universities

• In Event: 34.060 - Unpacking Philanthropy Networking: Exploring Guanxi, Local Relevance, Segmentation, and Implicit Bias

Abstract

Since philanthropic support from alumni and their families is an important source of revenue for colleges and universities, identifying ways to connect with Chinese students and cultivate philanthropic support from their parents will be an essential component of fundraising efforts. In this study, I attempt to investigate how Chinese parent donors are connected to American universities that their children attend. The concept of guanxi, an important aspect of building and sustaining relationships in China, serves as the focus for understanding the ways that Chinese parents build a philanthropic guanxi with American universities; in addition, the study would provide insight into the ways that university development officers can build and cultivate guanxi with the Chinese parents.

Author

• Jinrui Mone, University of the Pacific