To non-governmental organisations, commercial sponsors can be much more than a source of funding. They can add glamour to the messages NGOs are trying to spread and take them to a wider audience, Aids Concern chief executive Loretta Wong Wai-kwan says.
Although corporate sponsors are hard to find, the group receives regular support from cosmetics company MAC, which recently gave HK$270,000 for its programme for gay Hongkongers who frequently visit the mainland.
Wong said that while Aids Concern had only about 30 full-time staff, a commercial sponsor could engage its own numerous employees to take the message to its customers.
A cosmetic company could also spread the message to women and girls, who might be less open to talk about taboo topics like Aids. The MAC Aids Fund, which recently hired Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper to be spokeswomen, sponsors Aids NGOs through the sale of a dedicated line of products called Viva Glam.
Fund executive director Andrea Flynn said all revenue from the sale of 14 lipsticks and lip glosses went to the fund, with no administrative fees.
Wong said the fund was rare because it supported NGOs in the developed cities of Asia, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Taipei.