November 2014, C Foundation has been adhering to the mission of “seeking innovation and facilitating entrepreneurship for our shared future” and goals of “funding design education and advancing academic research; helping design talents and encouraging innovation and improvement; supporting industry exchanges and preserving Chinese culture”, and it has been vigorously fulfilling its social responsibilities. With the support of caring enterprises and individuals from all walks of life, C Foundation has aided and facilitated many excellent projects and activities for the common good related to design education, art and culture, architecture and interior design. On December 3rd, C Foundation hosted the 2016 Charity Symposium in Shenzhen; nearly 100 experts, scholars, entrepreneurs and media representatives from all over the country gathered in Shenzhen to share their achievements in promoting the common good in 2016 and to contribute to the mission of “seeking innovation and facilitating entrepreneurship for our shared future”.

On the afternoon of December 3rd, 2016, the 2016 Charity Symposium themed “seeking innovation and facilitating entrepreneurship for our shared future” was held at One Shenzhen Bay as scheduled. On its second anniversary, C Foundation summarized the outcomes of its public-welfare activities in 2016 and discussed the future development of Chinese design education, art and culture with nearly 100 industry leaders, leading entrepreneurs and representatives of authoritative media outlets from all over China.

On the day of the symposium, the ten Directors of C Foundation were all present, namely Qiu Deguang, Lin Xueming, Liang Jinghua, Steve Leung, Liang Jianguo, Chen Yaoguang, Jiang Feng, Dai Kun, Sun Jianhua and Ju Bin, so were supervisors of C Foundation: Mr. Liu Xu, President of China Interior Decoration Association, and Mr. Wang Tie, Director of China Building Decoration Association, and Ms. Ye Hong, Vice President and Secretary General of the Institute of Interior Design, the Architectural Society of China, who attended on behalf Ms. Zou Huying, President of the institute; representatives of C Foundation’s expert consultants were also present, namely Mr. Su Dan, Mr. Lu Yan, Mr. Zhang Jing, Mr. Rao Jianghong, Mr. Zhao Hu, Ms. Hu Yanli, Ms. Tong Lan and Ms. Dai Bei (in order of the number of strokes of the last name).

Mr. Ling Chong, Director of Shenzhen Administration of Social Organizations, and Ms. Zhang Junru, President of Golden Wings Art Rehabilitation Service Center for Disabled Children, attended the meeting as special guests and delivered speeches. The event was also attended by the following special guests: Mr. Chi Wing Lo, founder of DIMENSION CHI WING Lo and well-known designer; Ms. Zhang Li, Vice President and Secretary General of China Interior Design Association; Ms. Ma Haijin, founder and editor-in-chief of Designwire; and Mr. Cai Yue, Chairman of Tencent Yoju 360.com and President of Tencent Jia360.com. Ms. Wang Sha from the Art Display & Decoration Committee of China Interior Design Association presided over the meeting.

Ten Directors of C Foundation

Symposium

Review of 2016

A high-minded foundation

Mr. Lin Xueming, the Executive Chair of the Foundation, gave a welcome speech to the guests, briefly introduced what C Foundation had done, thanked them for their support to the foundation in the past year, and called on “all entrepreneurs to give a hand to support the foundation’s noble causes”. In his speech, Mr. Lin said humorously: “I am about to step down as Chair with grace in a few minutes, and my successor is more influential, younger and more robust.” He also said that he would continue to devote himself to public-welfare undertakings of the foundation so that his know-how, knowledge and support of the foundation, after being strictly reviewed and approved by the experts’ committee of the foundation, would be of value and use to younger designers.

After that, Jiang Feng, Director of C Foundation, made a summary of project performance in 2016. Against the beautiful melody of Let the World Be Filled with Love, Mr. Jiang Feng first introduced projects operated and financed by the foundation in 2016 and then non-profit-seeking exchanges that the foundation took part in. Aided by project pictures and three well-made videos, the presentation is very vivid and appealing and thus well-received by the audience.

One reason that C Foundation has come this far is the attention and support lavished on it by leaders of competent authorities. During the event, Mr. Ling Chong, Director of Shenzhen Administration of Social Organizations, congratulated C Foundation on its second anniversary and expressed the willingness to keep supporting its public-welfare undertakings.

Ms. Zhang Junru, President of Golden Wings Art Rehabilitation Service Center for Disabled Children, a representative of partnering organizations for projects financed by C Foundation in 2016, attended the symposium with two students from their service center; the event climaxed with Ms. Zhang’s touch remarks on public welfare undertakings and the touching performance of the two students.

Mr. Ling Chong, Director of Shenzhen Administration of Social Organizations

Mr. Lin Xueming, Executive Chair of 2016 of C Foundation, delivered remarks

Mr. Jiang Feng, Director of C Foundation, presented a summary of projects of 2016

Outcomes of C Foundation’s public-welfare projects of 2016 on display

Outlook for 2017

Handover and insightful reflections

At this symposium, Mr. Steve Leung was elected the Executive Chair of 2017 of C Foundation. After a simple but meaningful handover ceremony, the new Chair expressed heartfelt gratitude to people from all walks of life for their support to the foundation and to the previous Board of Directors for their hard work. He conveyed his views on public-welfare undertakings through some deeply felt words: “Public-welfare undertakings should be an unconditional pursuit that asks for nothing in return… That is the value I uphold concerning charity work. It is important for us to understand that value.” Speaking of the outlook for 2017, Mr. Steve Leung said: “My task for the next year, to put it simply, is reflection. We should examine everything we have done and every project undertaken over the past two years in a thorough and down-to-earth manner. Discussion and soul-searching are called for, and correction, if necessary.” At last, he called on entrepreneurs to “continue to give C Foundation huge support, as they have always done” and promised that “every cent you donate will be spent on the most appropriate undertakings for the common good”.

Chair handover ceremony

Mr. Steve Leung, the new Chair of C Foundation, delivered a speech on the outlook for 2017

Donation for public welfare undertakings

Heartwarming contributions to charity

The symposium also included donations to public welfare undertakings. Dai Kun, Director of C Foundation, introduced projects of 2017 to participants: the Grand Canal 2050: Cultural Heritage of the Grand Canal and City Development; the 2017 C Foundation 4×4 Workshop Experiment Project; the 2017 Bauhaus Research, Education and Publication Program; Rethinking Pei: A Centenary Symposium; Traditional Chinese Craft Materials Library; the Third China Design Forum; the 2017 C Foundation Scholarship; the 2017 C Foundation Academy Project A and Project B, etc. Entrepreneurs present actively committed donations to these projects, indicating a strong willingness to contribute to the endeavor of design for the common good.

The most touching part is the charity auction of a painting by a disabled child from the Golden Wings service center. The painting was given for free to C Foundation by Ms. Zhang Junru, President of Golden Wings Art Rehabilitation Service Center for Disabled Children, and the item for auction was won by Ms. An Zhongyan, President of Beijing Vita Furniture, who then gave it back to C Foundation. One can put a price on an object, but charity is priceless. As the donation was over, the “high-minded, insightful and heart-warming” Charity Symposium came to a successful conclusion with 10 million yuan secured in donations.

 Mr. Dai Kun, Director of C Foundation, pitched the public-welfare projects of 2017

Golden Wings Art Rehabilitation Service Center for Disabled Children donated a painting to C Foundation

C Foundation is a private non-profit foundation jointly established in 2014 in Shenzhen by ten designers from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau and Taiwan of China, namely Qiu Deguang, Lin Xueming, Liang Jinghua, Steve Leung, Liang Jianguo, Chen Yaoguang, Jiang Feng, Dai Kun, Sun Jianhua and Ju Bin. It is the first voluntarily initiated, organized and established nonprofit foundation in the Chinese design community. Upholding the mission of “seeking innovation and facilitating entrepreneurship for our shared future”, it hopes to rally forces committed to promoting China’s design industry. Its goals are funding design education and advancing academic research, helping design talents and encouraging innovation and improvement, supporting industry exchanges and preserving Chinese culture.

The Charity Symposium that C Foundation hosts annually on December 3rd shares information on public-welfare undertakings of the foundation and strives to become a platform that has industry-wide influence for facilitating exchanges on and promoting the value of design for the common good, for the purpose of promoting industry exchanges and cooperation and boosting the sound development of design for charity in China.

Charity “Footprint” of C Foundation in 2016

2015 (ongoing)

The Grand Canal 2050 Research Extension and Exhibition Plan

Mind and Body: Research on the Transformation of Contemporary Design Education

Theories and Case Collection of Ancient Village Protection and Application

The Dashilan Renovation Project

2016/01  

January, 2016

Bauhaus Research, Education and Publication Program

Education and Research on Contemporary Chinese Interior Design

Taiwan-Strait Hand Drawing for Interior Design Competition and Relevant Exchanges

2016 C Foundation Academy Project A

The Second China Design Exhibition

2016/02  

February, 2016

Design Matters 3.0: Tech Matters, Venture Matters

Golden Wings National Art Competition for Disabled Children and Youngsters

2016/03  

March, 2016

2016 C Foundation 4×4 Workshop Experiment Project

2016 C Foundation Academy Project B

C Foundation solicitation of public-welfare projects of the second phase, 2016

Signing ceremony of 2016 strategic partnership for charity between C Foundation and Air Land

2016 Shenzhen Home Design Week

Unveiling of 2016 C Foundation & Red Star Macalline “Tradition in Evolution” Exhibition in Milan

2016 NetEase Home “Attitude” Brand and Design Ceremony

2016/04  

April, 2016

2016 “Tradition in Evolution” Exhibition in Milan

Aupu & C Foundation Joint New Product Release

2016/05  

May, 2016

Reform of Graduate Education Model of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute: Joint Contribution by Enterprises and Universities

2016/06  

June, 2016

Second China Design Forum

“In Charity Together” Celebration of Tucson Eighth Year Anniversary

2016/08  

August, 2016

Traditional Chinese Craft Materials Library

Rethinking Pei: A Centenary Symposium

Jinwu Concept Store

C Foundation solicitation of public-welfare projects of the first phase, 2017

2016/11  

November, 2016

Eighth China Private Foundation Forum

2016/12  

December, 2016

“Seeking Innovation and Facilitating Entrepreneurship for Our Shared Future”: 2016 C Foundation Charity Symposium

Historic Heritage Preservation Conference South China (Macao) 2016

C Foundation Projects in 2017

Projects financed:

1. The Grand Canal 2050: Cultural Heritage of the Grand Canal and City Development (Third Phase)

2. The 2017 Bauhaus Research, Education and Publication Program

3. 2017 C Foundation 4×4 Workshop Experiment Project

4. Mind and Body: Research on the Transformation of Contemporary Design Education

5. Reform of Graduate Education Model of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute: Joint Contribution by Enterprises and Universities

6. Education and Research on Contemporary Chinese Interior Design

7. Theories and Case Collection of Ancient Village Protection and Application

8. Traditional Chinese Craft Materials Library

9. Rethinking Pei: A Centenary Symposium

10. Jinwu Concept Store

Projects operated:

1. Third China Design Forum

2. 2017 C Foundation Academy Project A

3. 2017 C Foundation Academy Project B

4. 2017 C Foundation Scholarship

5. C Foundation solicitation of public-welfare projects of the first phase, 2017

6. C Foundation solicitation of public-welfare projects of the second phase, 2017

7. “Seeking Innovation and Facilitating Entrepreneurship for Our Shared Future”: 2017 C Foundation Charity Symposium