This paper examines how clan imprints formed during the early life period of the chairperson, embedded in the clan cultural environment, affects the philanthropic donation performance of private listed companies in China from 2008 to 2020. The findings suggest that the chairperson’s clan imprints significantly reduce corporate philanthropy, and this result remains valid after various robustness tests. Heterogeneity analysis finds that the negative impact of the chairperson’s clan imprints on philanthropic donations is more significant in organizations with declining performance and non-participating state-owned shares, while the influence of the industry’s proximity to consumers on this effect is not significantly different. Furthermore, the persistence of the chairperson’s clan imprints will be subject to dynamic adjustments between local and foreign cultures. Both the presence of red culture in the company’s location and the chairperson’s experience in high-philanthropy countries will significantly weaken the negative impact of clan imprints on philanthropic donations. Mechanism testing indicates that short-sighted tendency and relational transactions within the management teams are two mechanisms through which the chairperson’s clan imprints prevent corporate philanthropy. This paper expands the research paradigm of clan culture from the perspective of individual imprints and provides practical references for effectively identifying the antecedents of corporate philanthropy and promoting the high-quality development of private enterprises.