Abstract: The rise of civil society organizations is of global importance in the 20th century. China's market economy development and the system transition create possible conditions for loosing "integrated social structure" and the formation of social autonomy space; as a middle ground between government and enterprises, "social organization" gains the development space and develops rapidly. However, influenced by institutional environment and development path, China's social organizations take on obvious local characteristics, and largely restrict their involvement in social affairs. With the "social construction" centering on public service and social management, social organizations get broader space in the interaction between officials and the public, and in collaborative governance, and their awareness of and ability for participating in social affairs also got promoted.

Key words: social organization, private-run non-enterprise organization, foundation, community organization, grid pattern organization