The Community Chest of Hong Kong () is an independent, nonprofit organization established on 8 November 1968 in Hong Kong. The Community Chest serves as an umbrella organization to provide grants to a wide range of community projects.
Vision
The goal of The Community Chest is to work for the betterment of Hong Kong through the support by millions and to build a caring society through greater participation and giving by the Hong Kong community.
Mission
The mission statements of the Community Chest are: to obtain donations through community wide appeals on behalf of member social welfare agencies; to act as trustee of the donors and allocate funds raised prudently to member agencies to strengthen and maximize their services to the needy; to provide an integrated service for donors wishing to support a wide range of welfare services in Hong Kong.
Administration
The Community Chest is governed by a Board. Under the Board, there are four main committees: the Executive Committee, the Campaign Committee, the Public Relations Committee and the Admissions, Budgets and Allocations Committee. Over 300 volunteers serving on various sub-committees contribute to support the work of these committees. They also work with the 40 staff at the Chest office to accomplish their fundraising target each year and allocate these funds to over 140 social welfare agencies.
Each year, more than 1.7 million needy people benefit from the fundraising programs organized by the Chest. The Chest's administrative costs are subsidized by an annual grant from The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and by returns on investments. Therefore, the Chest is able to allocate 100% of the donations it receives to the beneficiaries without any deduction for administrative expenses.
Member agencies
There are over 168 member agencies of the Chest in 2023. They are:
(Agency names are listed in alphabetical order)
Services supported (baseline allocations)
Elderly services
There are residential services, community support services, carer support services, and empowerment and health services. The Community Chest of Hong Kong collaborates with its member agencies such as Helping Hand and Caritas Hong Kong, to provide services for the elderly in Hong Kong.
Family and child welfare services
For child welfare services, there are day care services, developmental and supportive services, residential child care services and child protection services. For family welfare services, there are 5 components: family support services, services for families with special needs, services for family reunion and new arrivals, services for women/men as well as parent education.
Rehabilitation and aftercare services
Eight groups of people are provided with aftercare and rehabilitation services from the Community Chest of Hong Kong. They are the visually impaired, the hearing impaired, the mentally handicapped, the physically handicapped, people who are chronically ill, drug-abusers, ex-offenders and people with other disabilities.
Children and youth services
In services provided to children and youth, provision of after school care services is one of the major parts. Also, youth counselling and recreational services are provided in youth centres. While collaborating with organisations like The Hong Kong Award for Young People and The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, developmental and supportive services are provided. Furthermore, training is provided for the youth with collaborations of Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps and Boys' Brigade, Hong Kong, etc. Play-related services are also provided.
Medical and health services
Medical treatment is provided and community health care is also given out in the form of programmes such as health maintenance program and cancer education. Other services like recreational therapy and ambulance services are also provided.
Community development and other services
Community services, counselling and befriending services, services for street sleepers, employment services and volunteer services are provided in different communities in Hong Kong.
Major events
Dress Special Day
"Dress Special Day" (公益服飾日, formerly named "Dress Casual Day" 公益金便服日), first launched in 1993, is a day when participants can dress in their favourite wear to work or to school and at the same time to raise funds for charity. It has run become a popular fund-raising event with an increasing number of participants every year. Each participant who raises/donates HK$60 can join the event while no minimum is set for student participants.