Hong Kong people are undoubtedly benevolent, but once in a while we also hear from friends that they worry about whether their donations will ended up helping the needy. The most common queries are about street fund-raising, charities' administrative costs and new charities that we are unfamiliar with. I would like to share my views here and try to answer some of these questions.

Friends often ask: How to deal with street fund-raising from charities that we have never heard of? My answer is straightforward. If in doubt, ask the fund-raiser for clarification, such as their services and mission. Otherwise, do not put any into the donation box. I also encourage friends who wish to give to choose a favorite charity, plan for regular giving and stay with the charity. This allows the charity to report their use of the donations and demonstrate the difference made. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service launched “WiseGiving” two years ago and invited charities to disclose their information including finances and governance on the WiseGiving website (www.wisegiving.org.hk). Such transparency does away the worry of swindles and enables donors to better understand charities and set out their giving plan wisely. They also have the opportunity to learn about how the needy benefit from their donations and assess the impact. 《.....More》