Hong Kong protests scupper fundraising as Community Chest faces record drop in donations in 51-year history

The not-for-profit organisation is likely to miss its 2019/2020 fundraising target as protests, economic recession undermine donations

HKEX’s stock code for charity programme offers saving grace as contributions surpassed HK$1 billion milestone last September

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Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong and Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, at the Community Chest’s 50th Anniversary Walk for Millions event in January 2019. Wang has been replaced while Lam’s popularity has sunk amid protests: Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 9:30am, 13 Jan 2020Updated: 10:26am, 13 Jan 2020

The Community Chest of Hong Kong is facing an unprecedented knock-back in its 51 years of supporting the city’s 163 social welfare agencies, as months of anti-government protests undermined its fundraising efforts.

The independent not-for-profit organisation is projected to collect HK$224 million based on current pace of donations for the financial year to March 31, or 20 per cent below its HK$280 million target, according to Simon Kwok Siu-ming, chairman of its campaign committee.

That would rank as the least since 2009 following the global financial crisis. Compared to HK$389.9 million raised in the previous financial year, the anticipated 42.6 per cent slump would also be the biggest annual drop on record.

Anti-government protests in Hong Kong broke out in June last year in opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill, which later morphed into wider call for universal suffrage. Violent clashes with police erupted later in the year, causing a slump in business and dragging the local economy into its first technical recession in a decade.

Community Chest Campaign Committee chairman Simon Kwok says anti-government protests have hurt efforts to raise donations: Photo: Jonathan Wong

“The economic situation is weak and everybody has become more conservative in making donations,” Kwok said in an interview. “The social unrest has led to cancellation or postponement of a number of fundraising activities. This has affected the amount of collection.”