BSR Advances Social Investment in China with New CiYuan Initiative

Cisco Foundation Providing Expertise on Strategic Philanthropy

BEIJING, September 16, 2010 - BSR (www.bsr.org) will launch its CiYuan (China Philanthropy
Incubator) (ciyuan.bsr.org) initiative Friday in Beijing, bringing
together influential Chinese and international representatives of the
business, nonprofit, foundation, and government communities to advance both
the quantity and quality of social investment in China.

The full-day CiYuan launch event includes a CiYuan Board meeting, a
workshop series on social investment in China with high-level Chinese and
U.S. speakers, and an official opening ceremony to unveil the CiYuan website
(ciyuan.bsr.org). The meeting is the first time that members from
CiYuan's International Advisory Board — chaired by Peter Geithner, advisor
to the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University, and
Xu Yongguang, vice chairman and secretary general of the Narada Foundation –
will come together to discuss the initiative and chart a course for the first
year of activities.

"I am delighted to see the level of enthusiasm and contribution from the
CiYuan Board members," said Pei Bin, BSR's Director, China Partnership
Development. "By working with this powerful team of influential leaders from
China and the United States, we are able to build synergies between
organizations working in the field and advance the development of
philanthropy in China."

Initially, the project will focus on bolstering the capacity of civil
society in China by enhancing the prevalence of corporate-NGO partnerships.
With nearly 10 years of experience working in China, BSR has a proven record
of connecting companies and NGOs here to build effective and impactful
partnerships. Such mutually beneficial partnerships create a strong civil
society — a key component of the social investment needed to complement
China's meteoric economic rise.

"Strategic philanthropy in the United States is widely regarded as a
driver of bottom-line growth," said Chad Bolick, BSR's Director, Partnership
Development. "We believe a similar evolution with Chinese characteristics is
underway in this country."

In addition to working with leading companies and NGOs to optimize the
value of partnerships, CiYuan is fostering collaboration and creating
platforms for learning within China informed by international best practices.
For example, BSR is working with the Cisco Foundation to provide
opportunities for private and corporate foundation leaders in China to learn
from the Cisco Foundation's experience. Using Cisco's TelePresence Solution
to connect project participants from Beijing and Shenzhen with Cisco
Foundation experts at the company's headquarters in San Jose, California, BSR
has facilitated three roundtable discussions on foundation strategy and
operations. The roundtables have covered topics as diverse as finding and
assessing suitable grantees, building relationships with grantees, and
strategic philanthropy.

CiYuan is also supporting ongoing efforts to promote NGO transparency in
China. To support the China Charity and Donation Information Center's
development of voluntary information disclosure standards for charitable
organizations — a leading effort toward greater transparency of the
nonprofit sector in China — BSR is leveraging its global network to do
international benchmarking, introduce best practices, and develop tools and
training for local NGOs to use the standards.

About CiYuan

BSR's three-year CiYuan (China Philanthropy Incubator) initiative builds
innovative cross-sector partnerships to enhance the value of social
investment in China. With guidance from international and Chinese leaders in
the field, CiYuan improves the capacity of local foundations and NGOs to
serve as durable and effective partners with business. Ultimately, CiYuan
will integrate philanthropy with core business strategy, foster
collaboration, and inspire innovation. Visit ciyuan.bsr.org for more
information.

About BSR

A leader in corporate responsibility since 1992, BSR works with its
global network of more than 250 member companies to develop sustainable
business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and
cross-sector collaboration. With offices in Asia, Europe, and North America,
BSR uses its expertise in the environment, human rights, economic
development, and governance and accountability to guide global companies
toward creating a just and sustainable world. Visit www.bsr.org for
more information.

BSR has a team of more than 30 staff working in Asia from offices in
Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.

Amon Rappaport, +1-510-435-2292, arappaport at bsr.org