Role of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global in the funding ecosystem
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global is a charitable family foundation whose core activity is to provide financial support to external organizations and individuals. It focuses on advancing the understanding of Buddhism and Chinese culture and on fostering a more compassionate and connected global society. To do so, the foundation allocates grants, fellowships and institutional funding to universities, museums, cultural organizations and civil-society initiatives around the world.
Funding themes and types of support
The foundation’s portfolio typically centres on several thematic areas, including Buddhist studies and practice, arts and culture related to Asia and the Chinese diaspora, and education and civic engagement. Within these themes, the organization may offer research grants for academic projects, multi‑year support for university programs or centres, exhibition and curatorial funding for museums, and project-based grants for innovative cultural and community initiatives.
Support can take various forms: competitive grant calls, commissioned partnerships with leading institutions, named fellowships, and long-term programmatic investments. Funding is usually directed to registered organizations such as universities, non-profit cultural institutions and NGOs, with individuals most often benefiting through fellowships and scholarships administered by partner institutions.
Beneficiaries and geographic scope
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global operates internationally, with an emphasis on institutions and projects that build bridges between Asia and the wider world. Typical beneficiaries include departments of religion and East Asian studies, research centres in Buddhist or Chinese studies, major museums and galleries, and community-based cultural organizations. Through these grant relationships, the foundation helps to generate new scholarship, public programmes, exhibitions and educational resources accessible to broad audiences.
Impact and strategic approach
Beyond one-off project funding, the foundation often pursues strategic partnerships that can shift a field over time — for example, by establishing endowed chairs, long-running fellowship programmes, or multi-year collaborative platforms. Its funding aims to strengthen institutional capacity, encourage cross-cultural dialogue and support the transmission of Buddhist ideas and artistic practices in contemporary contexts.
Overall, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global acts as a significant philanthropic actor in the intersecting fields of religion, culture and education, using grants, fellowships and institutional partnerships to nurture scholarship, creativity and understanding related to Buddhism and Chinese culture worldwide.