The EWPF emerged from launching the China-US Strategic Philanthropy Partnership (CUSP). The first steps were a concept paper and a study tour to consult with philanthropy experts in San Francisco, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. In the US, the study tour delegation was greeted with incredulity by Americans who were unaware that philanthropy could exist in China. They admitted they lacked understanding of China’s growing interest in philanthropy and its rapid development. In China, the US delegation was greeted with broad enthusiasm. Philanthropists, government officials and non-profit leaders all cited the need for the US to help China strengthen its philanthropic infrastructure.
Launching the China-US Strategic Philanthropy Partnership (CUSP)
The China-US Strategic Philanthropy Partnership (CUSP) was created in response, and developed into an inclusive partnership of more than 45 organizations working with philanthropy in the US and China. CUPS formed a US Secretariat based in Honolulu and a China Secretariat in Beijing. The CUSP Mission was “to promote communication, exchange, and collaboration between the philanthropic sectors of China and the US in order to ensure the best use of resources and maximize the benefits to society as a whole.” CUSP successfully organized a variety of workshops, exchanges and high-level meetings, sowing the seeds for a number of important collaborative projects.