Ms. SONG Yan, Chairperson of Jingyan Foundation, Named “Philanthropist of the Year” in 2024 China Philanthropy Annual Record

On March 31, 2025, the 9th China Annual Conference on Philanthropy was officially held in Beijing, during which the 2024 China Philanthropy Annual Record was released. Ms. SONG Yan, Chairperson of Beijing Jingyan Foundation, was selected as the “Philanthropist of the Year” in recognition of her outstanding contributions to medical assistance for disadvantaged children and innovation in philanthropy.

Since its inception in 2016, the China Annual Conference on Philanthropy has consistently served as a “barometer” for the development of the sector. From poverty alleviation to rural revitalization, from traditional philanthropy to digital philanthropy, each annual conference anchors itself in the pressing issues of the era, bearing witness to the breakthroughs and transformations of China’s philanthropic landscape.

This year’s China Annual Conference on Philanthropy, themed “Love and AI: Envisioning the Future,” saw the organizers, Philanthropy Times, compile the 2024 China Annual Philanthropy Record based on a year-long, in-depth observation and reporting of individuals, enterprises, organizations, and projects making remarkable strides in the philanthropic sector. Ms. SONG Yan was successfully named one of the “Philanthropists of the Year.” This recognition not only honors her decade-long dedication to philanthropy but also highly acknowledges her ongoing efforts to explore systematic solutions and promote sustainable governance of social issues.

From “Emergency Relief” to “Root-Cause Solutions”: Deepening Professional Expertise in Medical Assistance for Children in Need

In 2015, SONG Yan and her family established the non-public fundraising organization, Beijing Jingyan Foundation, focusing on caring for life and health, with a particular emphasis on medical assistance for children suffering from major illnesses such as thalassemia.

Faced with the challenges at the time—high treatment costs, difficulty in donor matching, and long-term survival issues for children with thalassemia—she led her team to build a full-chain assistance system encompassing “free medical screening → financial aid → treatment → rehabilitation,” providing sustained support for children in critical health conditions.

To date, the Beijing Jingyan Foundation has disbursed nearly RMB 60 million in aid, bringing hope to approximately 2,100 critically ill children, including nearly 1,500 thalassemia patients who received hematopoietic stem cell transplants and follow-up treatment. Under her leadership, the Foundation has become a representative organization in China’s philanthropy sector, deeply engaged in supporting children with major illnesses such as thalassemia.

At the launch of the Building Love for Thalassemia Action project, SONG Yan keenly recognized the limitations of purely medical assistance. She therefore proposed a dual approach of “treatment + prevention,” vigorously promoting public education in thalassemia high-incidence areas to raise awareness of disease prevention. Simultaneously, she actively facilitated collaboration between the foundation, government departments, and medical institutions, conducting free screenings and consultations in villages and townships. This approach helps thalassemia patients receive early diagnosis and treatment, supports local governments in implementing thalassemia prevention policies, and encourages couples of childbearing and marriage age to take proactive measures, thereby blocking thalassemia transmission at its source.

“Saving one child is saving a family; preventing one severe case safeguards the future of generations,” SONG Yan said, reflecting her shift from reactive assistance to systematic intervention in philanthropy.

From “Individual” to “Family”: Reshaping the Dimensions of Philanthropic Value through Humanistic Care

Through years of hands-on work, SONG Yan observed that many children are unable to complete their rehabilitation due to family poverty and other challenges. Prolonged illness also disrupts their education and makes social integration difficult, while some families fall into a vicious cycle of poverty caused by illness.

As a family foundation, Beijing Jingyan Foundation places particular emphasis on the concept of “family,” paying close attention to the education and future development of disadvantaged households. Under the leadership of SONG Yan, the Foundation actively integrates hospital and social resources, providing Jingyan Care Packs, Humanitarian Care Packages, Wish Gift Boxes, and living subsidies during children’s medical treatment and rehabilitation. These efforts help families cope with the economic burdens and psychological pressures of treatment. Additionally, through programs such as the Morning Star Plan, the Foundation offers financial aid and skills training opportunities for children in poverty, actively improving the living conditions and future prospects of both the children and their families.

This shift—from “curing the disease” to “healing the heart,” and from securing the “right to survival” to fostering the “right to development”—elevates philanthropy beyond material support. SONG Yan and her team continuously redefine the boundaries of medical aid, turning philanthropy into a warm network of social support.

From “Philanthropist” to “Social Innovator”: Building a Philanthropic Ecosystem with Systems Thinking

In 2022, Beijing Jingyan Foundation leveraged years of accumulated experience and resources in the field of thalassemia relief to launch the “Zero Thalassemia Plan,” gradually implementing pilots in Yunnan, Guizhou, and other regions.

The Zero Thalassemia Plan implements a dual-track strategy of “treating existing cases while preventing new ones.” On one hand, it collaborates with high-quality medical resources to conduct free clinics and screenings in China’s thalassemia high-incidence areas, providing extensive support to existing patients with severe thalassemia and helping them regain their health. On the other hand, it works directly with local government agencies to widely promote public awareness of thalassemia, empower grassroots healthcare institutions in high-incidence regions, and support them in providing health management and reproductive services. This comprehensive approach enables local authorities to block thalassemia transmission at the source, ultimately achieving “zero births” of children with severe thalassemia.

Ms. SONG Yan has repeatedly emphasized that achieving “Zero Thalassemia” is by no means an overnight task; it requires multi-dimensional coordination with government leadership, social collaboration, and technological support. The Jingyan Foundation fully leverages its role as a bridge in philanthropy, acting not only as a “resource provider” but also as a “collaborative adhesive.”

Ms. SONG Yan’s philanthropic journey reflects the breakthroughs and transformation of China’s public welfare sector. In 2024, Beijing Jingyan Foundation achieved remarkable progress in the number of beneficiaries, funding scale, rescue models, policy advocacy, and industry influence, earning widespread recognition from thalassemia-affected families, partners, and the philanthropic community. Her selection as the “Philanthropist of the Year” in the 2024 China Annual Record of Philanthropy is a testament to her and the Foundation’s outstanding contributions.

Steadfast Dedication to Goodness, Illuminating a Warmer Future

In an era where technology is reshaping human society, Ms. SONG Yan has demonstrated through a decade of dedication that, regardless of changing times, reverence for life and care for humanity remain the eternal core of philanthropy.

From medical assistance to family empowerment, from individual acts of kindness to building an ecosystem of social good, Ms. SONG Yan has, with the unique sensitivity and resilience of a woman, been writing a testament to human dignity in the field of philanthropy. Being named “Philanthropist of the Year” in the 2024 China Annual Record of Philanthropy is not only an honor but also a calling.

Ms. SONG Yan stated that Beijing Jingyan Foundation will continue to broaden its vision, focusing on the future and development of children and families, and exploring systematic approaches to solving social challenges, providing more diverse value to the field of public welfare through rich practical experience.

A decade of compassion, steadfast dedication to goodness—together, we will witness a warmer future.