Chuan Fan, Nike’s current Senior Sustainability Manager in Shanghai, China, originally started her social impact career with PIM back in 2019. From April 2019 to November 2020, Chuan worked full-time for PIM as the Program Manager for our Handan Action Grants program in partnership with the Dunhe Foundation.
The Handan Action Grants program was dedicated to supporting Chinese universities in developing philanthropy and nonprofit management degree programs through funding and capacity building. With the goal of cultivating young talent to strengthen the philanthropy and social sector ecosystem, participating universities leveraged funding and network resources to launch and enhance degree programs related to philanthropy. Participating universities include the Beijing Normal University, Beijing Normal University – Zhuhai Campus, Beijing Social Administration Vocational College, East China University of Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing University, Shenzhen University, and Xinjiang University.
During this program, Chuan played a crucial role in developing activities to incubate and develop the universities’ degree programs. This included organizing workshops, internships and job opportunities at universities for professional skills enhancement. It also included engaging and integrating practitioners and industry insights into advanced curricula. Chuan also assisted in conducting field research on local philanthropic resources and sponsorship for professors to develop new courses and explore the profession.
Chuan’s Social Impact Journey
Prior to joining PIM, Chuan has already displayed a keen interest in social impact work. During her gap year between college and graduate school, Chuan worked at a community organization in Shanghai that focused on tackling one of the most complex educational challenges in modern China – how to provide accessible education to children of migrant workers.
After enrolling in the University of Washington’s MPA program, Chuan worked as a Strategic Development Associate for The Nature Conservancy’s China Program. She has also supported an arts education nonprofit, a local immigrant organization, and the local food bank with her time and talent.
Joining PIM & the Handan Program
While pursuing her graduate degree, Chuan came across the opportunity to volunteer as a Mandarin interpreter for one of PIM’s philanthropy tourist groups that was visiting Seattle. As she was looking for a work opportunity that would excite her, her past experiences in the social impact space led her to PIM.
As the project manager, Chuan spearheaded the comprehensive execution of the project, overseeing various aspects. Her responsibilities included orchestrating the project review period, facilitating communication and coordination throughout the project execution phase, and managing tasks such as negotiating agreements, overseeing fund disbursements between PIM, schools, and United Way, as well as steering university communities, formulating project plans, and assessing strategies.
When collaborating with universities to introduce philanthropic education, Chuan encountered numerous challenges amid the constraints of the Chinese teaching system and the complexities of the Covid-19 pandemic. Adapting to the circumstances, many in-person activities were transitioned to an online format, and several creative initiatives were temporarily deferred. Notably, Chuan laments the absence of an early-stage evaluation method to gather feedback from direct beneficiaries—students.
However, this experience fostered Chuan’s empathy and understanding for professors while highlighting educational institutions as unique spaces for collaboration with social organizations.
The Impact of the Handan Program
In the implementation of the Handan Program, several universities undertook innovative initiatives in social impact education. Beijing Normal University School of Social Development established an internship program with a student-centric approach, providing supervision while respecting students’ autonomy and career planning. The Soong Ching Ling Philanthropy Education Center of Beijing Normal University Zhuhai Branch utilized the concept of “project management” in workshops, tailoring themes and formats from the perspective of student experience. The Yicai Class at Shenzhen University pioneered “experiential teaching” in the “Social Entrepreneurship” course, offering real-world experiences beyond the classroom and consulting with local social institutions.
A standout moment for Chuan was when a university dean actively encouraged instructors to participate in nonprofit conferences, fostering accessible opportunities for students to engage in the Philanthropy Expo in Shenzhen.
In retrospect, Chuan is pleased to witness the positive outcomes, such as the School of Social Sciences at Nanjing University supporting student research in the social impact space and endorsing an interdisciplinary approach. She fondly recalls the encouragement from university deans for instructor participation in nonprofit conferences and the creation of opportunities for student involvement in the Philanthropy Expo in Shenzhen—achievements made possible through the resources provided by PIM.
“I think I saw a unique space for PIM or social organization organizations in [the higher education] space.”
Chuan Fan
Shang Hai
Senior Sustainability Manager, Nike
Program Lead, Handan Program
In a way, PIM shaped Chuan’s passion and career. PIM was Chuan’s first job out of graduate school. At PIM, Chuan developed her interest in the food system by leading the 2019 Model Foundation. She adopted a zero waste lifestyle and started to support small local organic farms since then. She also worked on the Handan grant, SEO camp, Happiness Challenge, Yenching Baixian fellowship, and SEE Youth program. After PIM, Chuan joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to advocate for a circular economy among universities and design communities. She is currently focusing on sustainable packaging as a part of Nike’s Sustainability team.
