Philanthropy research in China: The influence of informal institutions

Research on philanthropy tends to define and measure formal or traditional philanthropy and overlooks the 'informal philanthropy' practised in societies inf luenced by informal institutions such as kinship supports. Because of this, China has mistakenly been perceived as less generous than other nations. Drawing on values embedded in Chinese culture, along with traditional informal institutions such as filial duty and kinship-based philanthropy, together with recent formal institutions such as online-enabled giving and China's 2016 Charity Law, we argue that Chinese philanthropy should be viewed from its informal origins. This analysis provides several important recommendations for future research on Chinese philanthropy.