Local NGOs Adopt New Service Model to Address Increasing Social
Needs Derived From COVID-19 and Enhance Employability for
Disadvantaged Communities

• Beneficiaries experiencing distress in terms of Mental Health, Unemployment and Salary Cuts most affected
• HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme 2020 Announces 70 NGO Funding Projects with Focus on “Well-being” and “Future Skills” and support for NGOs to launch new service model

14 July, 2020 – The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) today announced the latest survey findings of “The current situation of non-subvented non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the COVID-19 epidemic”, which reveal the most pressing needs of the community and the greatest challenges faced by local NGOs. With a rapid and massive decrease in income in the past 6 months, NGOs will be forced to scale down, suspend or cancel their service programmes if the pandemic continues. Over 70% estimate that the number of beneficiaries they serve would be reduced by 20% to 80%, while over 60% of NGOs surveyed have transformed their service model  to address increasing social needs.

Further, the beneficiaries most impacted are experiencing distress in terms of mental health (60.9%) and unemployment as well as salary cuts (60%). To help alleviate this problem, the HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme (CPP) officially announced 70 funding projects for NGOs with a key focus on driving community-based initiatives related to “well-being” and “future skills” (please refer to the Appendix for the full list of NGO projects) to provide immediate relief to the disadvantaged groups most affected. The NGOs involved have already started launching their funding projects from 13 July 2020.

Mr. Chua Hoi Wai, Chief Executive, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, said, “Under the new normal of the epidemic situation, we hope that local NGOs will continue to receive support from the government and funding organisations. This is vital for NGOs to provide services to disadvantaged communities and to empower the unemployed or underemployed with new skills under a flexible operating model. I am looking forward to seeing local NGOs fully unleash their positive energy and support the community to develop self-recoverable ability when the epidemic is alleviated.” 

Key Survey Findings on Current Situation of Non-subvented NGOs in Hong Kong amid COVID-19 Pandemic

1. NGOs have experienced rapid and massive decrease in income and number of beneficiaries they can serve

• More than 90% (90.9%) of surveyed NGOs have experienced a rapid and massive decrease in income in the 6 months from October 2019 to March 2020, largely due to the pandemic.
• Half (49%) of the NGOs surveyed estimate there will be a significant drop in income compared to last year (Oct 2018 – Sept 2019), ranging from 40% to 80% or more.
• If the pandemic continues, almost half (46.4%) of the NGOs surveyed will reduce the number of beneficiaries served by an estimated 20-60%, while 26.4% of them will reduce the numbers of beneficiaries served by an estimated 61-80% or more.

2. Most NGOs have transformed their service model amid COVID-19

• Over 60% (71 NGOs) have transformed their format of service delivery to beneficiaries such as increasing online services in order to maintain their services.
• 5% of NGOs surveyed have provided beneficiaries with additional support to combat COVID-19.

3. 60% of beneficiaries experiencing distress in terms of mental health, unemployment or salary cuts

• The most impacted beneficiaries are mainly the groups of unemployed or those who have recently lost their jobs, grassroots patients and the elderly and children with special education needs.
• Over 60% of NGOs surveyed revealed that their beneficiaries are experiencing distress in terms of mental health issues (60.9%) and unemployment as well as salary cuts (60%), and even having difficulties providing special care to their family members in need, such as the elderly and children with special learning needs (56.3%).

HSBC Hong Kong CPP 2020 Updates

This year, HSBC Hong Kong CPP 2020 has seen a nearly 50% increment in applications, reflecting the increased demand and dire needs of local NGOs under the pandemic, while signifying the importance of extending the Programme’s reach to more new charities to address their challenges. With the 70 NGO well-being and future skills related projects unveiled, the number of beneficiaries is expected to double to some 630,000, further extending the CPP’s efforts towards helping different target groups. These projects particularly address those beneficiaries impacted by unemployment and mental distress or physical health issues, helping them stay resilient through the tough times and develop both hard skills and soft skills for enhanced long-term employability, while also fostering personal and family wellness. (APPENDIX)

Under the theme of “Support Hong Kong!”, CPP 2020 continues its mission of building a cohesive and harmonious community, while aiming to offer prompt assistance to disadvantaged groups impacted by COVID-19 in Hong Kong. The Programme is committed to driving initiatives that can provide sustained services in response to the pressing needs of disadvantaged communities, and to inspiring district-based community initiatives to enhance social inclusiveness.   

“We believe the doubled funding to HK$36 million from HSBC Hong Kong CPP this year will enable local NGOs to provide concrete and immediate assistance to vulnerable groups through the 70 community-based projects across all districts amidst the current challenging times. Through the Programme’s key initiatives, we will continue to promote district partnerships between different stakeholders and create synergy to help the community prepare for recovery,” added Mr. Chua Hoi Wai.   

To find out more about the “HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme”, please visit: www.communitypartnership.org.hk.  

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Notes to editors:

HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme

Since its launch in 2012, the HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme (CPP) has been supported by the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department and The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS). HKCSS has been appointed by HSBC to administer the applications and monitor the grant projects. CPP aims to inspire district-based community initiatives to foster a more inclusive society. Also, it encourages cross-sector collaboration to address the social needs of local districts and help charities and community organisations in Hong Kong build capacity. CPP has supported more than 1,200 projects reaching 5 million beneficiaries since its launch.

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) is a federation of non-governmental social service agencies of Hong Kong. The Council represents more than 480 Agency Members, providing quality social welfare services through their 3,000 operating units in Hong Kong. HKCSS is committed to building a social service sector that is highly accountable, efficient, effective and responsive to social needs, upholding the long-term sustainable development of society and the well-being of all citizens.

About “The current situation of non-subvented non-governmental organisations under the COVID-19 epidemic”

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) conducted a survey by questionnaire between 24 March and 6 April 2020 with 134 NGOs, of which 111 are non-subvented non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with no funding support from the government. The survey results are useful for stakeholders including government, enterprises and the public to better understand the challenges faced by local NGOs and explore feasible opportunities to work together to support NGOs that need to manage the increasing demand for services to address social needs under adverse conditions due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

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