#BridgeTheGapHK Calls For Critical Support For Hong Kong’s Struggling NGOs…
Local foundations, Asian Charity Services and the Hong Kong Community Recovery Fund, today announced their endorsement and support for the #BridgeTheGapHK campaign. #BridgeTheGapHK was initiated by The Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation (CYSFF), calling on Hong Kong residents who can afford to do so to donate all or part of their HK$10,000 government relief payout to NGOs in dire need of funding.
Donors can donate directly to NGOs by visiting https://bridgethegaphk.org/
Jennifer Chen, Chief Executive of CYSFF, said, “Hong Kong’s Covid-19 situation and social unrest have put unprecedented stress on the organizations that provide critical assistance to some of Hong Kong’s most;disadvantaged communities. In fact, a recent HKCSS survey found that half of those NGOs surveyed have less than six months of cash reserves left.”
“CYSFF first proposed Bridge the Gap in response to an Open Letter to Funders signed by 176 NGOs in April 2020, calling on further support from the community to better serve the vulnerable families that rely on them.”
CYSFF has already committed to match all public donations received by five of its existing grantee organizations between June and October 2020, up to HK$500,000 per grantee.
Chen added, “We are appealing to members of the public to donate all or part of their HK$10,000 government cash payout – whatever they can afford – directly to NGOs who are supporting needy families and communities. It’s about Hong Kong helping Hong Kong.”
Other Hong Kong-based private foundations, including the Fu Tak Iam Foundation and The Hong Kong Club Foundation, have joined CYSFF in this initiative to double the donations received by their own grantees.
Leontine Chuang, Chief Executive Officer of the American Club Foundation, said, “Charities have always played a vital role in supporting underprivileged communities, but they are themselves facing difficulties because of the increased demand for their services, coupled with dramatic funding shortfalls caused by the cancellation of fundraising events and decreased donations from the public. To get through these difficulties, our entire community must support and help one another.”
The Hong Kong American community is supporting #BridgeTheGapHK through the Hong Kong Community Recovery Fund (HKCRF), an initiative that provides a platform for pooling donations in order to create a bigger impact in the community. This platform brings together resources from both individuals and corporations to help local charities and those impacted by Covid-19 in a time of extreme need. More information can be found at hkcrf.org.
Call to Action for the Public
Hong Kong residents who are interested in helping to “bridge the gap” and support at-risk communities can visit BridgeTheGapHK.org and donate directly to one of the NGOs listed there. Certain of the NGOs listed will have your donation matched by their funding organization, subject to review by funders.
Private foundations and corporate donors are encouraged to match all public donations received by their current or past grantees during this period.
About The Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation
Established in 2003, The Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation is dedicated to enhancing access to learning and development opportunities for all with a strategic focus on education improvement. Its belief is that effective philanthropy is built on acquired knowledge and domain expertise across a number of diverse initiatives in key focus areas. As a hybrid organization, the Foundation supports grants programs as well as operating its own Special Projects.
About American Club Foundation
American Club Foundation (ACF) is a charitable foundation dedicated to harnessing the resources and goodwill of the American Club community – including its membership, partners and friends – to address Hong Kong’s civic and social needs. Recognizing the vast disparity in resources and opportunities in Hong Kong, the ACF hopes to extend an arm of support.
About Asian Charity Services
Asian Charity Services plays an important role in the social sector ecosystem as a community intermediary, and a bridge between NGOs and potential resource partners. It is a Hong Kong tax-exempt NGO established in 2007 to respond to a need of small-to-medium sized NGOs: the lack of access to professional training needed to better equip their organizations to help vulnerable beneficiaries and alleviate complex societal issues. Asian Charity Services provides free capacity building training seminars and strategic workshops for today’s NGO leaders with the help of our deep network of passionate, skilled volunteers and our generous corporate partners and foundation sponsors.
https://asiancharityservices.org
For more information, please contact:
Ruder Finn Asia
Wini lam, [email protected], Tel. 6257 8473
David Ko, [email protected], Tel. 9461 0703
