It's always a good time to give back. We've rounded up what several charities around town need most – time, money, or clothing – and how you can support them.
The Renewal Center
The Renewal Center is a Shanghai-based social service organization that provides essential support and rehabilitation programs for people experiencing homelessness or severe hardship. The center offers daily services including nutritious meals, hot showers, clean clothing, laundry facilities, and access to basic medical care and assistance with practical needs such as obtaining identification documents. Beyond immediate support, Renewal also runs structured programs focused on work experience, life skills training, and employment support, helping individuals rebuild stability and confidence as they transition back into the workforce.
What to Donate: Money and time. Donations help fund essential services such as meals, hygiene facilities, clothing, and medical support, as well as longer-term programs including skills training and employment placement. Volunteers are also an important part of the center's work, supporting daily services and workshop activities. Those interested in contributing, volunteering, or learning more can visit The Renewal Center's official website.
- 30rmb provides drop-in care for 3 people
- 72rmb provides drop-in care for 7 people
- 150rmb provides meals, showers, and clothing for 15 people
- 250rmb provides 5 days of residential training
The Chi Heng Foundation
This NGO, whose name means "wisdom in action," funds and operates projects in education and care for children and adults impacted by AIDS who might otherwise be excluded or discriminated against for their illness. Roughly 80% of the organization's expenses go towards orphans, vulnerable children, and youth programs.
What to Donate: Money, time, and necessities.CHF accepts money in a number of ways, including PayPal, check, direct deposit, and wire transfer. For an idea of what your donation will support:
Funds needed per year to support a student:
A primary student: 400rmb
A junior high school student: 600rmb
A vocational school student: 4,200rmb
A senior high school student: 4,400rmb
A university student: 5,540rmb
See this page for more details.
You can volunteer for fundraising, event planning, and office support. Complete and submit the form on this page.
Contact them here for more details if you are interested.
The Giving Tree
The Community Center Shanghai runs Giving Tree, which helps children in rural China. Gift bags sponsored by companies, community groups, and schools are hand-delivered to left-behind children in remote village schools.
What to Donate: Money.If you are interested in getting involved with the "Giving Tree" in 2026, please email them at charity@communitycenter.cn. Or scan the codehere to donate(275rmb could support a kid in need). Support Giving Tree by purchasing a set of Giving Tree Greeting Cards. Each set of four cards was illustrated and designed by a Giving Tree recipient. The cards are 49rmb per set, with all proceeds going towards the Giving Tree program. You can get these cards directly at the CCS Jing'an office or simply scan the provided QR code here for a seamless purchase experience.
The Community Center Shanghai (CCS)
A not-for-profit organization that was established over 20 years ago, CCS connects, enables, and supports expats in Shanghai. In addition to providing classes, tours, counseling services, and social events, CCS also offers charity programs.
For example, CharityLINK events educate, promote, and connect NGO/charity organizations with prospective volunteers looking to give back.
What to Donate: Time. Email charity@communitycenter.cn if you're interested in volunteering, becoming a CharityLINK Member Organization, a guest speaker, or a venue sponsor.
The CCS Pudong Center accepts book donations for its Used Book Library.
Essential Learning Group
A social enterprise that's been operating in China since 2006, ELG's primary mission is to support families, schools, community groups, and other professionals who help children with special needs. Their full-time Programs are located in Putuo, but specialists regularly travel across Shanghai and to neighboring cities such as Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Nanjing. ELG's therapeutic services are individualized and multidisciplinary, offering support plans for families covering all relevant areas of a child's life.
What to Donate: Time. Get in touch with ELG here to learn how to make a referral, schedule training, or get consulting support. You can also reach out to their Client Services Team at services@chinaelg.com.
Xiersen Children Service Center
ELG's sister affiliate NGO was officially registered and established in China in 2014, to "improve the condition of special education in China for Chinese people." They work on many meaningful projects and were featured on SmartShanghai.
What to Donate: Time and money. Xiersen is always looking for more help from volunteers at events, with translation or even graphic design. They also accept cash and in-kind donations such as venue support, financial support, marketing, and media support. Cash donations go towards their three main pillar projects: AGAME, Careers in Care (CIC), and Special Educators Abroad. Contact them at support@xiersen.org.
HandsOn Shanghai
A non-profit organization founded in 2004 that promotes volunteering. A bit broad, but more concretely, they currently have more than 500 volunteers each month working on more than 120 local service projects, and more than 50 community partners. They run programs for education, elderly care, children's health, and the environment.
What to Donate: Time.Visit thispage for more information on how to get started.
Lifeline
Lifeline is a free and anonymous hotline for individuals experiencing emotional distress or crisis. We've written about it. Whatever the reason, you can get help from a trained volunteer offering non-judgmental support. Their 10am-10pm helpline is geared towards suicide prevention, help with anxiety, improving self-esteem, and basically anything else you are having trouble with.
What to Donate: Time. Lifeline is always in need of volunteers who make their work possible. If you're interested in taking part, visit this page to have a look at theVolunteer Information Kit and to fill out and submit an application form.
Heart to Heart
A special fund of the Rende Foundation, Heart to Heart is a non-profit organization composed of volunteers that provide care and support to Chinese children undergoing heart surgery, whose parents cannot afford to pay. They also help with hospital playroom sessions, collection and distribution of clothing and other miscellaneous items, knitting, sewing, and participation in fundraising projects and events. Donated funds are only used on the projects specified by the donors; no funds are used for reimbursement, salaries, or any other ancillary expenses.
What to Donate: Money, time, clothing, and necessities. For example, H2H contributes 30,000rmb towards each such surgery. This amount usually either pays for the entire surgery or provides enough funds to enable the child's family to be able to finance the remainder. For their school library project, they have found that 20,000rmb is enough to sponsor a new library for a rural school. 5,000rmb will fund a sports equipment program. 3,000rmb will provide meals for 17 families while their children are in the hospital.
Otherwise, you can get involved by volunteering, sponsoring an operation, knitting or sewing clothing for the heart bears they sell, as well as donating clothes and other necessities. Visit this page for more details on how to donate money and or supplies. They especially need: full-sized children's toothpaste, baby toys, towels & washcloths, full-sized adult toothpaste, winter clothing for ages 1-8, men's winter clothing, and girls' backpacks.
Visit this page for volunteering.
Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home invites homeless people in Shanghai to a safe place where they can eat, shower, collect clothes, and just generally feel welcome and appreciated. Home Sweet Home also provides vocational and life skill training for people with special needs to help them eventually live independently and find jobs.
What to Donate: Money, time, and goods. Volunteers can lend a hand or help with projects like English teaching and design. Cash donations go towards the outreach program on Wednesdays and Saturdays, specifically food, cleaning supplies, underwear, socks, and toiletry items.
Send an email to webinfo@homesweethome.org.cn if you are interested in volunteering or donating goods. Home Sweet Home accepts household items and office furniture (new or used). Visit the donations page for more details.
Shanghai Young Bakers
This is a charity program that provides underprivileged and marginalized young Chinese people between the ages of 17 and 23 with bakery classes, practical internships, and English classes to improve career development options. We interviewed Cecile Cavoizy, Shanghai Young Bakers' former Executive Director, not too long ago.
What to Donate: Money, time, and sponsorships. SYB is always looking for more volunteers to help with translating, fundraising, organizing events, designing, and even event photography. Each month, they organize a volunteer meeting, where everyone is welcome. You can contact them and get more info through their official WeChat account: shanghaiyoungbakers.
They also accept in-kind donations to reduce operational costs and improve students' living conditions. Donate items to help students settle in, such as general baking supplies, ingredients, and more.
Individuals or organizations can make financial contributions, with sponsorships, or by providing pro-bono services. Visit this page for more details.
Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones trains and supports hundreds of volunteers to teach English, digital literacy, and other subjects to thousands of disadvantaged students each week at dozens of project sites in Shanghai and rural China through volunteer visits and online lessons. They also provide training to their teachers and run other charitable projects, including the provision of eye care.
What to Donate: Time, money, and supplies. Stepping Stones is always in need of volunteers to teach English and digital literacy to migrant, left-behind, and other disadvantaged students. Visit this page to sign up. Aside from teaching, you can also apply to be an intern with Stepping Stones.
Shanghai Sunrise
A local charity registered under the Shanghai Charity Foundation and established in 1996, Shanghai Sunrise's mission is to create access to education through scholarships for underprivileged Shanghai youth. This volunteer-led organization has raised over 30 million rmb for high school and university students since its inception, helping nearly 3,000 students and their families. Shanghai Sunrise believes in education beyond the classroom as well.
What to Donate: Money and time. For only 6,500rmb you can enable a student to attend high school or university for one full year. 100% of scholarship donations go directly to the students.
Year-round volunteer support is essential to the running of Shanghai Sunrise. Volunteers can offer their time daily, weekly, or on an ad hoc basis. Their volunteering opportunities range from fundraising and event management to sponsor relations and marketing communications. If you have time to give and are committed to helping underprivileged young people in Shanghai, get in touch by visiting this page.
Bloodline
Bloodline is a Shanghai-based, community-oriented non-profit network focused on supporting blood donation and building a coordinated response system for people in need of blood. The organization connects donors, volunteers, medical partners, and community groups to support regular blood drives, emergency appeals for rare blood types, and public awareness around the importance of voluntary blood donation. Working closely with the Shanghai Blood Center, Bloodline also helps organize donation camps and coordinates urgent cases requiring matching blood.
Founded by a group of long-term expats and local professionals, Bloodline operates through a core team and wider volunteer network that helps manage events, outreach, and donor coordination. The organization also promotes education around blood donation, aiming to build trust and encourage more regular participation from the public.
What to Donate: Blood donation, volunteering, and community support. Bloodline regularly organizes community blood drives in collaboration with the Shanghai Blood Center and welcomes individuals and groups who want to donate blood, help with event operations, or support awareness campaigns. Volunteers and donors are essential to its work, especially in rare blood types and emergency cases. For any queries, connect to Dr. Maskay @ (+86) 15801992335 or follow their official WeChat account "BloodlineFamily" for more details.
Shanghai Roots & Shoots
Part of the global Jane Goodall Institute network, Shanghai Roots & Shoots is an environmental and youth-focused nonprofit that has been active in Shanghai for many years. The organization works with schools, universities, and local communities to promote environmental education, animal welfare, and community service through hands-on projects and volunteer programs. Its activities often bring together students and volunteers to take part in sustainability initiatives and awareness campaigns across the city.
What to Donate: Time, skills, and participation. Shanghai Roots & Shoots relies heavily on volunteers to support its school programs, workshops, and community projects. Opportunities often include helping with environmental education activities, event coordination, and outreach work with partner schools and organizations. If you are interested in getting involved in environmental education and youth engagement in Shanghai, you can reach out through their website.
Riding for the Disabled Association Shanghai (RDA Shanghai)
RDA Shanghai is a non-profit organization providing equine-assisted therapy for people with physical disabilities, learning difficulties, and autism. Through guided interaction with horses, the program aims to support rehabilitation, improve coordination and mobility, and offer emotional well-being and confidence building. The center follows the UK Riding for the Disabled Association system, a long-established charity founded in 1969 that supports over 25,000 people with disabilities each year, with HRH Princess Anne serving as Patron since 1971.
RDA Shanghai works with a range of conditions, including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, visual and hearing impairments, stroke recovery, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorders, with participation based on professional assessment where needed.
What to Donate: Time, expertise, and funding. Support helps maintain therapy sessions, horse care, and trained staff, as well as access for participants with different needs. If you are interested in volunteering, supporting, or participating, you can reach out via the center's official WeChat at RDA-SHANGHAI.
Rotary Club of Shanghai
The Rotary Club of Shanghai is part of Rotary International, a global service organization uniting business and community leaders to work on humanitarian and social impact projects. The club meets weekly as a forum for members and guests to connect, exchange ideas, and participate in service initiatives. Its members represent a wide range of industries and nationalities in Shanghai, and the club is active in both local and international projects focused on issues such as disease prevention, education, clean water access, maternal and child health, and economic development. Key initiatives include the long-running "Gift of Life" program, which has funded life-saving heart surgeries for children, as well as partnerships with education-focused projects like Shanghai Sunrise and other community support programs.
What to Donate: Membership, volunteering, and event participation. Rotary Shanghai holds weekly meetings every Tuesday evening at HUALUXE Shanghai Twelve at Hengshan Hotel, often featuring guest speakers and networking opportunities, with additional service projects and events held throughout the year. Those interested in attending meetings, joining activities, or supporting community projects can contact the club through its official website.
Bibliovores
Bibliovores is a 24-hour self-service secondhand foreign-language bookshop located in the Shanghai Industrial Building in Xujiahui. Hidden behind a simple password-protected entrance, the space operates without staff or a cashier and is built entirely on trust, where you select books, stamp them, and pay before leaving. The shelves are filled mainly with English and French secondhand books donated by expats, ranging from travel guides and cookbooks to fiction, history, and children's titles, with a loosely curated, constantly changing selection. The shop is also a charity initiative, with all proceeds supporting a long-running nonprofit that helps children in need in China.
What to donate: Books, donations, and volunteering. Bibliovores relies on honesty-based self-service and community participation to keep the space running, as well as book donations to maintain its circulation of titles. Volunteers are welcome to help with sorting, organizing, and maintaining the shop. You can reach out via its official website.
Second Chance Animal Aid (SCAA)
Second Chance Animal Aid is a non-profit aimed at improving the health and welfare of pets through methods that prevent them from ending up in a traditional shelter. They aim to do this through education, advocacy, medical care, and foster care for animals without a home.
What to Donate: Money, time, your forever home. You can foster a pet temporarily, adopt one for life, or donate time, money, or goods. Money donated goes towards veterinary care costs for foster pets, which average 13,000rmb, transportation, and other administrative costs. Please visit this page for more details.
SCAA is always in need of veterinary products that help reduce care costs. Youcan visittheir Facebookpage for more info.
Shanghai Furry Friends Rescue
Founded in 2016, Shanghai Furry Friends Rescue (FurryFriends) is a Shanghai-based, all-volunteer non-profit animal rescue group dedicated to rescuing, caring for, and rehoming stray and at-risk animals. Driven by a community of animal lovers, the organization focuses on giving rescued pets a chance to find permanent, loving homes in China and abroad. Since its founding, FurryFriends has rescued over 1,300 animals, with around 200 animals currently under daily care, and continues to save more than 200 stray animals each year. The group is built on the belief that all animals deserve to be loved and that adoption should always be prioritized over purchasing pets.
What to Donate: Time, money, and homes. FurryFriends relies heavily on public support and volunteers to continue its rescue work, including foster care, adoption, volunteering, flight volunteering for overseas pet relocation, and financial donations to cover medical treatment and daily care costs. Whether offering short-term foster support, becoming an adopter, helping as a volunteer, or contributing funds, all forms of assistance directly support rescued animals in need. Those interested in helping, adopting, or donating can get in touch via WeChat at FurryFriendsShanghai.
The Haven
The Haven is a Shanghai-based animal rescue organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming stray and abandoned dogs. Originally founded in Shanghai, the organization now operates a shelter outside the city and works with a network of volunteers and foster families to provide medical care, rehabilitation, and long-term support for rescued dogs. The Haven focuses on matching animals with suitable adoptive homes, both locally and internationally, and often uses foster care as a transitional step before adoption. The group is supported by a community of volunteers who assist with daily care, transport, fostering, and adoption coordination.
What to Donate: Time, money, foster homes, and adoption. The Haven relies on public support to continue its rescue work, including donations for veterinary treatment, food, and ongoing shelter costs, as well as volunteers and foster families who can help care for dogs in transition. Adoption and fostering are key parts of their rescue process, and volunteers also support with logistics and day-to-day operations. Those interested in adopting, fostering, volunteering, or supporting the organization can get in touch via WeChat at TheHavenSH.
