Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged launches second round
of applications (with photo)
************************************************************ Qualified non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are welcome to apply for funding in the second round of applications for the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged from today (October 17) to December 30.
The Director of Social Welfare, Mr Paul Tang Kwok-wai, made the announcement today at the Sharing and Briefing Session on the fund.
Mr Tang also urged the business community and welfare sector to continue to join with the Government to help the disadvantaged.
He explained that the Government had set up the $200 million Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged earlier this year to encourage the welfare sector to expand its network in seeking and securing corporate participation, and to encourage the business sector to take up more social responsibility in helping to create a cohesive and caring society.
The fund has allocated about $190 million for NGOs in the welfare sector to apply to launch projects to help the disadvantaged. Grants to NGOs will be calculated in accordance with the contributions from business corporations, in cash or in kind, on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
About $10 million will be used to implement various support measures to build and sustain the tripartite partnership.
Bona-fide NGOs with tax-exempt status under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance may apply to the fund.
The first round of applications for the fund launched in March was well received by the business and welfare sectors. In August, the Advisory Committee of the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged completed the vetting of 43 applications.
More than $9 million in matching funding has been allocated to 29 NGOs with 84 business partners operating different welfare initiatives that serve a wide range of target groups, including low-income families, domestic violence victims, ex-prisoners, the elderly and people with different disabilities. Also, $11 million in cash and in kind has been contributed by their business partners, many of whom also offer volunteer service to the disadvantaged groups.
Priorities will be given to projects that:
- Support one or more of the Government's welfare policies in building individual capacity, strengthening families and enhancing community mutual support and that provide direct benefits to the underprivileged groups;
- Have a plan on how to sustain partnerships with the business corporations in serving the underprivileged groups after exhaustion of the grant from the fund; and
- Maximise the benefits for the disadvantaged groups.
During the briefing, successful NGOs and their business partners in the
first round shared their experiences of building and sustaining a working partnership. A member of the Advisory Committee of the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, Mr Charles Yang, explained the vetting work.
The Advisory Committee of the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, was set up in early February to examine funding applications and all matters relating to the operation of the fund. Guidelines have been drawn up to monitor the use of funds by the successful applicants.
The Advisory Committee, chaired by the Director of Social Welfare, comprises 10 non-official members from the welfare, business and academic sectors.
Application forms can be downloaded from the Social Welfare Department's website at http://www.swd.gov.hk/doc/partnership/app.doc. Completed application forms (one soft and two hard copies) with all supporting documents should be submitted to the Secretariat, Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, Social Welfare Department at Room 3012, 30/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai by December 30. For enquiries, please call the Secretariat at 2116 4294.
About 400 guests from different business organisations and NGOs were present at today's event.
of applications (with photo)
************************************************************ Qualified non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are welcome to apply for funding in the second round of applications for the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged from today (October 17) to December 30.
The Director of Social Welfare, Mr Paul Tang Kwok-wai, made the announcement today at the Sharing and Briefing Session on the fund.
Mr Tang also urged the business community and welfare sector to continue to join with the Government to help the disadvantaged.
He explained that the Government had set up the $200 million Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged earlier this year to encourage the welfare sector to expand its network in seeking and securing corporate participation, and to encourage the business sector to take up more social responsibility in helping to create a cohesive and caring society.
The fund has allocated about $190 million for NGOs in the welfare sector to apply to launch projects to help the disadvantaged. Grants to NGOs will be calculated in accordance with the contributions from business corporations, in cash or in kind, on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
About $10 million will be used to implement various support measures to build and sustain the tripartite partnership.
Bona-fide NGOs with tax-exempt status under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance may apply to the fund.
The first round of applications for the fund launched in March was well received by the business and welfare sectors. In August, the Advisory Committee of the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged completed the vetting of 43 applications.
More than $9 million in matching funding has been allocated to 29 NGOs with 84 business partners operating different welfare initiatives that serve a wide range of target groups, including low-income families, domestic violence victims, ex-prisoners, the elderly and people with different disabilities. Also, $11 million in cash and in kind has been contributed by their business partners, many of whom also offer volunteer service to the disadvantaged groups.
Priorities will be given to projects that:
- Support one or more of the Government's welfare policies in building individual capacity, strengthening families and enhancing community mutual support and that provide direct benefits to the underprivileged groups;
- Have a plan on how to sustain partnerships with the business corporations in serving the underprivileged groups after exhaustion of the grant from the fund; and
- Maximise the benefits for the disadvantaged groups.
During the briefing, successful NGOs and their business partners in the
first round shared their experiences of building and sustaining a working partnership. A member of the Advisory Committee of the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, Mr Charles Yang, explained the vetting work.
The Advisory Committee of the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, was set up in early February to examine funding applications and all matters relating to the operation of the fund. Guidelines have been drawn up to monitor the use of funds by the successful applicants.
The Advisory Committee, chaired by the Director of Social Welfare, comprises 10 non-official members from the welfare, business and academic sectors.
Application forms can be downloaded from the Social Welfare Department's website at http://www.swd.gov.hk/doc/partnership/app.doc. Completed application forms (one soft and two hard copies) with all supporting documents should be submitted to the Secretariat, Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, Social Welfare Department at Room 3012, 30/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai by December 30. For enquiries, please call the Secretariat at 2116 4294.
About 400 guests from different business organisations and NGOs were present at today's event.
Ends/Monday, October 17, 2005
Issued at HKT 15:52
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