21 Jun 2013

The Journey of a “Giant” Philanthropist

Posted in Chinese Philanthropy By Helen Li On June 21, 2013

Earlier this month, Mr. Doug Guthrie, Dean of the George Washington University School of Business, moderated a panel discussion on Chinese philanthropy at the Fortune Global Forum in Chengdu, China. In an article entitled Leadership: A Giant(‘s) Heart he wrote for Forbes, Mr. Guthrie reviewed the discussion, and especially described how much he had been moved by Yao Ming, the former NBA Houston Rockets basketball star. He wrote:

But then the giant spoke, and I have never been more moved.

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Yao began with a sweeping comment acknowledging that everything Wang said was correct. He then went on to say something very different: philanthropy is something that comes from the heart. You have to believe in humanity to give. And then you have to push yourself to give something. He gently chastised the rankings that focus on who is giving the most and said, instead, we need to focus on the feeling of giving itself. It doesn’t matter how much you give, he said, but rather that you give. Derive pleasure from giving was his message.

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Yao knows of what he speaks. He founded The Yao Ming Foundation in June 2008 in response to the devastating 8.0 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China. His aim was to help the people of China establish schools and provide educational materials, such as books and supplies, for less fortunate communities. (Some 8,000 schoolrooms and 185 schools were destroyed by the earthquake.) So far, the foundation has established 14 earthquake-proof schools, half of them in Sichuan Province and the rest in Gansu Province. It is a compelling story of giving and leadership.

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At the end of the Fortune session, there was a wonderful moment when a young person asked Yao the question of how his point of view applied to young people in China today, especially because these people were ambitious but did not have as much money as a luminary such as Yao Ming. Yao waxed eloquent on how time is as valuable as money: “If you don’t have money to give away, give your time,” he said. “A minute of your time is just as valuable as a minute of anyone else’s time.”

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Personally, I left the session inspired, inspired by a giant’s heart.

I was inspired by Yao Ming and his thoughts, even just by reading Mr. Guthrie’s writing! So I dug into various media reports, and put together a slides on Yao’s philanthropic journey. It seems like Yao started by doing charity work and community service with NBA while in Houston. He has gradually developed into a philanthropist with his own philosophy. Today, he is actively engaged in the work with The Yao Foundation. The Foundation has built 14 Hope Schools in rural China, above half of which are located in SiChuan Province, where the devastating earthquake happened in 2008. The Yao Foundation has garnered significant support from fellow celebrities and corporations. If you can’t click through the slides below, you may view it here.

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You may also interested in the interview Yao did with Wall Street Journal in May 2012, where he talked about his charity work and business after retirement. ( Readers from China, you may view it here. )

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