Recently, Li Foundation had the honour of hosting Steve Davis, Senior Advisor and Interim Director, Philanthropic Partnerships at the Gates Foundation, for a quick update on our joint projects and to discuss future collaboration.
Central to our discussion was the China Early Childhood Development (ECD) Collaborative, the country’s first large-scale collaborative philanthropy project. It is jointly supported by both organisations alongside other funders like Tanoto Foundation, Enlight Foundation, Yeh Family Philanthropy, and the Institute of Philanthropy, as well as partners like the China Foundation for Rural Development and China Development Research Foundation. Through a three-pronged approach combining policy research, program innovation, and public education, the collaborative has seen significant progress, with ECD making its way into national policy and plans.
We also discussed the Mandarin Collective, an initiative co-funded by Gates and Li Foundation and organised by the Asia Philanthropy Circle. The Collective seeks to support the development of the Chinese philanthropy ecosystem through peer networks, knowledge exchange, and collaborative initiatives, catering to philanthropists in China and the wider diaspora. Having achieved several milestones over two years, we brainstormed possible paths ahead for the Collective.
Following the session, Lionel, Chairman of Li Foundation, hosted Steve and other partners to a thank-you dinner.
The book showcases how the participants challenged their limits and conquered the World Marathon Challenge and North Pole Marathon to inspire people to challenge their own limits and pursue their dreams boldly.
The book tells the stories behind the event which saw the largest number of people in history running 1045km round Taiwan in 19 days.