The Power of a Team

Too often, Hong Kong philanthropists miss opportunities to solve problems by working together on shared objectives. Around the world, philanthropists are finding common ground for collective effort and it’s time for Hong Kong philanthropists to do the same.

- Cynthia D'anjou Brown

We all want to do good. The big questions are about turning our visions for a better world into reality. It is for that reason that we undertake a range of philanthropic and social investment initiatives to try to improve the world that we experience around us.

When we see burning social issues, we wish to address them because we have the means to do so. But what some, not all, well-meaning philanthropists in Hong Kong may fail to appreciate is the extent to which their peers may also appreciate those same issues and wish to do something about it as well.

There has been a gradual but noticeable shift in philanthropy towards collective action by actors ranging from government agencies to businesses and civil society organisations. Collaboration in this instance means getting foundations, government agencies and NGOs to work together to achieve a shared goal.

This shift towards collaboration has been more pronounced in North America and Europe, but changes are afoot in Hong Kong too. The government has pushed forward with initiatives such as the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund), whose aim is to foster connections and social innovation between businesses, NGOs, academics, government agencies and philanthropists to address social needs. The long-standing Hong Kong Council of Social Services has sponsored the Caring Company scheme since 2002, which, among other things, aims to foster partnerships between businesses and NGOs. Recently, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust sponsored the Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, which showcased collaboration and public-private partnerships to achieve better leverage and results. But despite these leading efforts to foster collaboration by some of the most important change agents in Hong Kong society, more needs to be done.