The first NGLC Giving Circle began in March 2020 when the NGLC members responded to the rapidly developing healthcare crisis in China, and raised $8,000 to purchase medical supplies for COVID-19 patients in Wuhan. These supplies were delivered with the help of the Wuhan University Alumni Association of Greater New York. The Association assembled a team of 40 volunteers to coordinate an operation to acquire and deliver vital medical supplies within the city.

Hospitals that received medical supplies include Wuhan Union Hospital, Wuhan University People’s Hospital, Yichang Central People’s Hospital, etc.

The theme of the 2022 NGLC Giving Circle is Climate and the Environment. NGLC received 28 applications across different organizations in the U.S. and China. An additional $5,000 contribution from Wayne Silby allowed the giving circle to extend additional funding to the giving circle runner-up.

The final beneficiaries of the 2022 NGLC Giving Circle:

Winner: China Outdoors Collective: $10,000 Awarded
China Outdoors Collective is the first user-based English language platform dedicated to showcasing Chinese wilderness and environment to increase international resources protecting China’s last and most precious wild resources. The platform is designed around an interactive map tool which features these places as well as how Western users can support their protection efforts. It will empower Chinese photographers to be a direct bridge between China’s conservation NGOs and Western philanthropy and support.

Runner-up: Chengdu Urban Rivers Association (CURA): $9,000 Awarded
CURA is a non-profit NGO dedicated to promoting the natural, recreational, and cultural values of rivers, particularly the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Founded in June 2003, CURA provides a unified voice representing environmental values on issues such as river conservation, environmental protection, development of environmental awareness, and promotion of sustainable development in urban and rural areas.

The U.S. and China have hurtled toward decoupling in recent years. Relations between the world’s biggest superpowers reached an unprecedentedly low point this year, as most U.S.-China bilateral dialogues — including on climate — were frozen after Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan this August.

Yet, climate change waits for no one. Climate, perhaps more than any other field in the bilateral relationship, demands the highest level of collaboration between the U.S. and China. What are the biggest opportunities and challenges for U.S.-China climate cooperation going forward? Does the handshake seen around the world between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden — as well as the resumption of informal talks between U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart, and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s planned visit to China in 2023 — portend that U.S.-China climate partnership will soon warm up again?

Join China Institute-Serica U.S.-China Next-Gen Leaders Circle online on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 7:30PM Eastern Time/Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 8:30AM Beijing Time with a panel of top experts across sectors — from investors, policymakers, philanthropists, academics, and nonprofits — to discuss the road ahead for U.S.-China climate collaboration in the age of decoupling.

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On April 14, join the China Institute-Serica U.S.-China Next-Gen Leaders Circle (NGLC) for a U.S-China Philanthropy Dialogue: an online event exploring Sino-American climate collaboration, and celebrating the winner of our inaugural NGLC Giving Circle.

Fireside Chat with Charlotte Kaiser and Peggy Liu
Cooperation on environmental-related issues remains one of the most promising opportunities in the increasingly strained U.S.-China relationship. In this fireside chat, Charlotte Kaiser, Managing Director of NatureVest, The Nature Conservancy, joins Peggy Liu, Chairperson of JUCCCE, to discuss impact investing and the roles that their organizations play in tackling global challenges. Moderated by Dinda Elliott, Executive Director of the Harvard Fairbank Center.

Keynote Address by Rena Peng
Rena Peng, Advisor at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) will discuss the key milestones and considerations in creating thoughtful and effective philanthropy and trends in next-gen giving.

NGLC Giving Circle Winners Roundtable
We are thrilled to launch the inaugural NGLC Giving Circle. Our focus in 2022 is to support organizations working on U.S.-China climate collaboration. Learn about the two finalists of our 2022 NGLC Giving Circle: the Chengdu Urban Rivers Association and China Outdoor Collective. How can emerging organizations play an outsized role in contributing to U.S.-China climate collaboration? What will NGLC’s Giving Circle grant help these organizations achieve, and what lessons can we draw about Next Gen philanthropy and the impact it can have? Moderated by Annie Liang-Zhou, a founding member of NGLC and a Founding Partner of Liang Capital Partners.

NGLC
The China Institute-Serica U.S.-China Next-Gen Leaders Circle (NGLC) is a trusted platform for young American and Chinese philanthropic leaders and social innovators to contribute towards social impact endeavors, with the goal of driving positive change through collaboration in both the U.S. and China.

This event is co-presented by China Institute and The Serica Initiative

How are millennial entrepreneurs going green with electric scooters, leather made of cactus, and pork made from plants — and building booming companies as a result? How can the U.S. and China collaborate on climate and sustainability efforts, especially after COP26? Join Next-Gen entrepreneurs Veronica Chou, Euwyn Poon, and David Yeung to hear about their green inspiration and their hopes for sustainability in the U.S. and China. The conversation will be moderated by Annie Liang-Zhou, a founding member of the Next-Gen Leaders Circle and a serial green investor and philanthropist.

This program is presented as part of the “Conversations in U.S.-China Sustainability” series by the Next-Gen Leaders Circle under China Institute and the Serica Initiative, a platform connecting young U.S. and Chinese philanthropists and social innovators to work together on social and environmental projects, with the goal of promoting positive change in both the U.S. and China.

The inaugural meeting of the U.S.-China Next Gen Leaders Circle brought together American and Chinese change makers in philanthropy, business, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and culture to explore challenges and opportunities in sustainable business, impact investing, and social innovation, through activities and intensive dialogue. Circle members worked to build meaningful bridges and engaged in dialogue between thought leaders in both countries—with the ultimate goal of addressing social problems together and encouraging the development of healthy civil society. At the half day meeting, held at the JM Kaplan Fund office, speakers explored sustainable business, entrepreneurship and social impact, impact investing, and social innovation:

• Connecting Sustainability to Financial Value, with Tensie Whelan, Director of the Center for Sustainable Business at NYU Stern

• Social Entrepreneurship with Slava Rubin, founder of Indiegogo, one of world’s largest crowdfunding platforms

• Impact Investing with Jenna Nicholas, CEO of Impact Experience and CEO of Phoenix Global Impact

• Cultural Heritage and Economic Value with Kaplan Fund Innovation Prize winner Victoria Herrmann of Rising Tides