Description
Purpose of grant: For a general support grant. Amount recommended: A one-year grant of $125,000. Summary: Established in 2003 as the Midwest-U.S. China Association by Senator Adlai Stevenson III (IL) and Governor Bob Holden (MO), among others, the United States Heartland China Association (USHCA) has since 2018 expanded its reach from the original 12 Midwest states to now serve 20 states from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Recognizing growing isolationism and anti-China sentiment in many Heartland communities, often resulting from economic stagnation and lack of access, USHCA aims to help the Heartland and its leaders develop a more comprehensive understanding of the importance of a healthy U.S.-China relationship and bring perspectives from the region into the national discussion.
Under the able leadership of its first full-time executive director, Min Fan, USHCA has developed a series of programs to strengthen international connections and access to China expertise for Heartland communities, involving government officials, business leaders, colleges and universities, and agricultural practitioners. Although the pandemic abruptly forced the cancelation of many in-person programs, including its 2020 Mayors Delegation to China, American Legion student exchanges, and planned Black Farmers Delegation, USHCA adapted to digital platforms with creativity, producing new programs such as The Way Forward webinar series, Global Mindset Internship for community college students (with two interns from Lone Star College of Texas in Fall 2020), and virtual U.S.-China Agricultural Roundtable. It partnered with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on the program “Views from Former Governors: U.S.-China Subnational Relations.”
USHCA is emerging as a trusted China resource for Heartland communities and a contributor to people-to-people diplomacy at the subnational level. Yet it operates on a shoestring budget with a small staff. Our grant for general support would complement a recent grant awarded by the Ford Foundation, to help USHCA build capacity and ensure staff security and operational stability, thereby allowing the organization to realize the promise of its full potential. The investment would offer the Luce Foundation a new partner in the American Heartland, help cultivate global awareness and cultural depth in communities with fewer resources on China, create new channels of communication among a broader base of stakeholders, and expand our impact in this important region.
Recommendation: That the Directors of the Henry Luce Foundation approve a one-year grant of $125,000 to the United States Heartland China Association to provide general support for the organization. www.usheartlandchina.org
