International giving · Asia
Which US foundations give to China?
US foundations sent $698M to organizations in China across 2,801 grants, from 351 different funders. Read from IRS 990 filings.
The short version
- 351 US foundations have made grants to China, totaling $698M across 2,801 grants on record.
- GATES FOUNDATION (WA) is the largest US funder of China organizations, with $297M.
- LUI CHE WOO CHARITY is the most China-focused funder, directing 100% of its overseas giving here.
- US giving to China has fallen over the filing years on record.
The biggest funders, year by year
Each top funder of China with its total, and how that giving falls across the filing years — darker means more.
| '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GATES FOUNDATION$297M | |||||||||
| CYRUS TANG FOUNDATION$76M | |||||||||
| THE FORD FOUNDATION$57M | |||||||||
| ROCKEFELLER BROTHERS FUND INC$31M | |||||||||
| CHARLES HUANG FOUNDATION$30M | |||||||||
| LUI CHE WOO CHARITY$28M | |||||||||
| STEPHEN A SCHWARZMAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION$17M | |||||||||
| THE SHAW (US) FOUNDATION$16M | |||||||||
| CHINA MEDICAL BOARD INC$15M | |||||||||
| SHANGHAI JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION OF AMERICA (SJTUFA)$14M | |||||||||
| The Coca-Cola Foundation Inc$9M | |||||||||
| DALIO FOUNDATION INC$8M |
* 2025 onward is still arriving — 990s lag 12–24 months, so the most recent years under-report.
Top US funders of China
China's dedicated funders
Foundations that send most of their overseas money to China — the specialists, not just the biggest checks.
What the money funds
By the stated purpose of 2,801 grants that carry one.
549 recipients
324 recipients
807 recipients
157 recipients
60 recipients
41 recipients
33 recipients
38 recipients
Largest recipients in China
Spelling, accent, abbreviation, and language variants of the same organization are merged into one recipient. Organizations abroad have no US EIN, so this resolution is best-effort.
11 US funders · 113 grants
14 US funders · 66 grants
1 US funder · 7 grants
1 US funder · 2 grants
6 US funders · 38 grants
1 US funder · 9 grants
A further $76M across 9 grants went to recipients the filings name only in the aggregate (“various”, “multiple organizations”, and the like), so they can’t be attributed to a single organization.
Who funds whom
The largest funder-to-recipient ties — which US foundation backs which organization in China.
Where the funders are
The US states home to the foundations giving to China, shaded by dollars granted. Click a state.
Notable grants
The largest individual grants to China on record.
Questions and answers
- Which US foundation gives the most to China?
- GATES FOUNDATION is the largest US funder of China organizations on record, with $297M across 550 grants.
- How much do US foundations give to China?
- 351 US foundations have granted a combined $698M to organizations in China across 2,801 grants in the IRS filings on record.
- What do US foundations fund in China?
- The largest areas are health & medicine, education & schools, research & science, by the stated purpose of the grants.