Absorptive Philanthropic Governance: The Resilience and Differentiation of Chinese Philanthropic Foundations Amidst the Pandemic

The development of philanthropic foundations in China is constrained by both state corporatism and the ‘administrative absorption of society.’ In this study, we use the term ‘absorptive philanthropic governance’ to describe the process where absorption is combined with intentional space for collaboration within the governance of the philanthropic sector. This concept elucidates how these two elements interact and influence each other to achieve a balance with which civil society organizations retain the capacity for autonomous social initiatives, even under the corporatist state. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted these dynamics. Employing interviews and case studies of 13 philanthropic foundations active in China’s COVID-19 disaster relief, we delineate their institutional positioning and identify the unique agendas, mobilization strategies, and social objectives of each type of foundations. The findings reveal both the differentiation among foundations and the resilience of the civil society sector, suggesting that, despite the current heightened political control, the evolving patterns of philanthropic governance in China signal potential for civil society development in the future.