This paper examines the Chinese literature from the last ten years on the involvement of non-profit organizations in the economic development of China’s rural communities. At the same time as demonstrating the importance of this involvement，the authors also attempt to summarize the three different ways in which non-profit organizations choose to become involved，including：encouraging farmers to establish or participate in mutual help organizations；providing farmers with market information；and providing skills and technology related services for agricultural production. The authors find that for the most part，the existing literature adopts one of three theoretical perspectives，drawing on the ideas of social capital，collective action，and community-driven development to explore different dimensions of the positive roles being played by non-profit organizations in the economic development of rural communities. However，the reality is that non-profit organizations are not always able to play a positive role. They face a whole range of challenges，including issues with the effectiveness of their internal governance；the level of professionalism of their services；the institutional environment；the understanding or lack thereof in society about who they are and what they do；the fundraising environment and so on. Although there is some mention of these issues within the existing literature，there appears to be a failure in theoretical studies to engage in more penetrating analysis of these issues. The authors also find that existing literature is predominantly rooted in theoretical deductions，whilst there is a relative dearth of empirical research.