HKEX-Backed Initiative Bridges Business and Social Welfare Sectors for Better Governance
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago6 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) has launched the Diverse Governance For Empowerment programme, backed by the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) Charitable Foundation, to address governance gaps in social welfare non-governmental organizations (NGOs) . The initiative successfully paired the Hong Kong Association for the Spinal Injured (HKASI) with Zero One Technology, marking a collaborative effort that merges social welfare experience with technological expertise to drive organizational transformation .
Key Points
- The HKASI, established over 50 years ago, assists numerous persons with disabilities in overcoming barriers and contributing to society
- HKCSS Chief Executive Legislative Council Member Chan Man-yi highlighted that many NGO board members have narrow professional backgrounds, lacking expertise in legal compliance, financial management, and digital transformation
- Small and medium-sized organizations struggle to balance daily service delivery with long-term strategic planning, often caught between expanding services and building institutional systems
- HKEX Group General Counsel and Group Chief Sustainability Officer Zhou Guanying stated that HKEX leverages its "super-connector" role to facilitate cross-sector collaboration between government, enterprises, and NGOs
- Under this partnership, HKASI Vice Chairman Lolitta Ho (何雪梅) connected with Endy Chan (陳柏亨), Sales and Business Director of Zero One Technology, after recognizing the need for technology support to free frontline staff from manual administrative tasks
- Chan discovered that HKASI operates diverse services beyond direct care, including social enterprises and innovative fundraising activities, yet had limited exploration of AI or digital tools for internal governance
- The business sector representative noted that systems developed for commercial enterprises could be minimally adapted for social welfare use, offering a cost-effective modernization solution
Why It Matters
This cross-sector partnership model, supported by HKEX's charitable foundation, addresses a critical gap in Hong Kong's social welfare sector where governance expertise often lags behind service delivery capabilities. The success of such collaborations could establish a replicable framework for other NGOs seeking to enhance operational efficiency while maintaining their human-centred mission, ultimately benefiting Hong Kong's vulnerable populations through improved organizational resilience.
This cross-sector partnership model, supported by HKEX's charitable foundation, addresses a critical gap in Hong Kong's social welfare sector where governance expertise often lags behind service delivery capabilities. The success of such collaborations could establish a replicable framework for other NGOs seeking to enhance operational efficiency while maintaining their human-centred mission, ultimately benefiting Hong Kong's vulnerable populations through improved organizational resilience.