Seed Funding Aims to Foster Collaboration for Greater Impact in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The ReThink Foundation, a registered not-for-profit supporting the work of local Chapter 88 organisations by providing funding and resources for social and environmental impact projects, today announces the three impact projects it will be supporting in 2023-24 following the launch of its inaugural programme earlier this year.

With the mission to foster collaboration between Hong Kong charities for greater social impact, The Rethink Foundation asked applicants to present projects developed by two or more organisations working together — leveraging each other's strengths, expertise, and resources. Three impact projects have been selected, and each will receive HK$100,000 seed funding as well as further support through delivering a capacity building and engagement programme facilitated by Humans Matter. This is to ensure that the selected NGOs, empowered through training and consulting, are provided with the tools to develop and grow sustainably.

The ReThink Foundation received an overwhelming number of project applications. The final three projects were selected following a thorough review process by The Foundation's Advisory Board: Mark Harper (Group Head of Sustainability, John Swire & Sons), Christy Kan (Senior Reporter, Now TV), Kalmond Ma (Director for Hong Kong Social Impact and Innovation Initiatives, Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation), Paul McComb (Executive Director, The British Chamber of Commerce), Chelsea Perino (Managing Director, Global Marketing & Communications, The Executive Centre) and Kiri Sinclair (Founder & CEO, Sinclair).

The three projects selected are:

• Humanity Seekers Cooking for More Good – More Good Foundation, Humanity Seekers & Justice Centre
• Peace: A New Literacy – Peace Generation & The Hong Kong Association of Heads of Secondary Schools
• Light Up Together – Running in the Dark & Runnerful

To find out more about the projects, visit https://rethink-foundation.org/

Chris Brown, Founder & Director, ReThink HK & The ReThink Foundation, said: "We are thrilled to announce the inaugural cohort of projects to be funded by the ReThink Foundation which is building on the great work being done at ReThink HK. We are committed to making a positive impact in Hong Kong and fostering collaboration and empowering charities to make meaningful change. We are delighted with the three projects chosen by our advisory board and aim to make a difference and build a sustainable Hong Kong."

Upon hearing of their selection, the impact project leaders shared their thoughts:

Tina Pavri of More Good Foundation shared: "More Good, Justice Centre and Humanity Seekers are honoured to be a recipient of the inaugural ReThink Foundation programme. The funding will empower refugees to give back to society by targeting food insecurity in Hong Kong. The refugee-led initiative aims to accelerate social development by removing the traditional beneficiary and benefactor models."

Kit Choi at Peace Education said: "Peace is the new literacy. It enables us to communicate with one another in increasingly complex social systems. Peace education focuses on everyday conflict sensitivity and peace strategies so we can all take part in building sustainable peace."

Tommy Chan of Running in the Dark commented: "Some people may see visual impairment as a physical disability, but we treat it as a present. We arrange workshops for students, teachers, parents, and corporate staff to experience the impact of vision loss so that they can explore different senses, understand things from another perspective, and learn how to communicate with others in effective ways".

The ReThink Foundation aims to be a catalyst for co-creation and co-learning in the community, ensuring resilient and sustainable projects. By supporting these projects, with the shared objective of bringing communities together for greater impact, all attendees and supporters of ReThink HK are contributing to advancing amazing work, by amazing organisations, that will make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged communities and work to improve awareness and action for environmental causes.

The ReThink Foundation would like to express its gratitude to its advisory board, our supporters and all the fantastic projects submitted. Their unwavering support has been the driving force behind the foundation's success in creating a positive impact.

To learn more about The ReThink Foundation and how to get involved, visit https://rethink-foundation.org/ or reach out to Louisa Dearlove ([email protected]).

Together, we can make a difference and build a sustainable Hong Kong

About The ReThink Foundation

The objective of the ReThink Foundation is to follow on from the great work being done at ReThink HK and bring communities together to collaborate and share resources for greater impact on social and environmental projects. ReThink HK's mission is to drive sustainable development in Hong Kong. ReThink HK addresses the challenges and opportunities of accelerating environmental and social sustainable development in Hong Kong. 

All proceeds generated from delegate pass sales for ReThink HK will fund impact projects and provide a capacity building and engagement programme for organisations via the ReThink Foundation, registered by guarantee as a not-for-profit organisation.

The ReThink Foundation will support the work of local Chapter 88 organisations and provides funding and resources for social and environmental impact projects that facilitate greater collaboration between charities.

The ReThink Foundation aims to foster collaboration between Hong Kong charities for greater social impact. Each project application should be developed by two or more charities working together — leveraging each other's strengths, expertise, and resources.

As well as financial support, the ReThink Foundation is committed to further supporting these organisations through delivering a capacity building and engagement programme. This is to ensure that we are empowering NGOs through training, consulting, and providing them with the tools to develop and grow sustainably.

To learn more, visit https://rethink-foundation.org/