CharityToday

Building a new and first-of-its-kind charity operating model in HK

In 2022, the SIE Fund provided funding for St. James' Settlement (SJS) to pilot a new and first-of-its-kind charity operating model in Hong Kong by the use of a one-stop digital charity search and application system. A centralised online platform has been set up to connect different stakeholders of the charity ecosystem, including funders, corporates, service operators and service users. The use of Stored Value Facilities (SVFs) as the means of transaction enables disbursement of different types of assistance through a user-friendly approach. Beneficiaries can enjoy convenience, dignity, flexibility and diversity of choices in receiving the assistance.


The project comprises two phases, with the 26-month Phase I completed in Q2/2024 and the 3-year Phase II rolled out in Q3/2024.



Phase I
Food assistance as the focus
with more than 4 400 people served

Phase I of the project focused on food assistance with Octopus Card as the Stored Value Facility. Its major features included:


  • one-stop digital charity search and application system – allowing service users to search assistance schemes and submit applications online;
  • e-charity wallet – enabling service users to claim the subsidy using their registered Octopus cards and buy food at designated merchants;
  • system data analysis – providing analytical data for refinement and an overview of the gaps in needs; and
  • impact assessment – evaluate social impact of the project to facilitate Phase II development.

The findings of a user survey conducted by SJS in 2023 indicated that more than 92% of the respondents were satisfied with the project, with an average score of 4.6 in a 5-point scale.


Beneficiaries enjoyed the convenience, dignity, flexibility and diversity of choices offered by the project.


Upon the completion of Phase I, over 4 400 beneficiaries were served with 50 NGO partners engaged. Read more


Phase II
Enhanced functionality seeking to benefit more people in need

With the success of Phase I, the Phase II project has been launched with the aim of expanding the social impact. New features are being added, including:


  • receipt scanning and uploading function – facilitating receipt submission by beneficiaries and checking by subsidy scheme operators;
  • integrated charity resources map – providing the location and programme details of social resources which match users’ needs; and
  • online donation and digital coupon – encouraging individual donors and corporate sponsors to support charity programmes via the platform

Phase II will also introduce more types of SVFs, engage more NGO and corporate partners, and cover more service areas to benefit more people in need. Read more