The Development of Community-Based Foundations in East Asia

Despite their increasing importance worldwide, community foundations remain rare in much of East Asia. This comparative analysis of three community-based foundations currently operating in Japan, China and South Korea seeks to understand the role they play and factors that promote or hinder their development. We examine the social and institutional contexts within which they operate, their goals and activities and their funding structure. We find that all three foundations focus on cultivating a philanthropic culture, and on addressing community needs either through grant making, direct service provision, or both. A region's philanthropic traditions, the vitality of its non-profit sector, the legal framework that defines the sector and the agenda of governments for the sector are central factors in the development of community-based foundations in East Asia.