Annual Report 2020-2021
SHE DARES TO CHANGE
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Message From the Chairperson and Executive Director of HER Fund
‘CREATING MEANINGFUL CHANGE THAT WILL LAST BEYOND OUR LIFETIMES.’
Judy Kan, HER Fund Executive Director
Athena Lee, HER Fund Chairperson
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We, at HER Fund have always prided ourselves on our flexibility: during these uncertain times, we have been able to make quicker adjustments, re-distribute resources according to the changing needs of the community, and face adversities together with grassroots and marginalised women-led communities and organisations, continuing to promote gender equality despite the difficult circumstances. In May of 2020, in response to the increasing challenges faced by organisations, HER Fund decided to establish the “Community Response Grant’’. We accepted our first round of applications and made grants which added up to a total of HKD$173,300, enabling seven organisations to support their communities and adapt to the pandemic situation. This fiscal year, we made grants adding up to HKD$230,000, and in the coming year, we will continue providing grants on a rolling basis. We also reviewed HER Fund’s grantmaking policy, strategies, and guidelines to ensure we emerge through change, clearer in our vision, purpose, and commitment to the communities we serve. In 2020, HER Fund committed to keeping up the support to Grantee Partners by providing tailored, care-driven tools to enhance their organisations to lead the way. HER Fund organised various activities including Financial Management Training Sessions, Transformative Feminist Leadership Training Workshops, Online Facilitation Workshop, and Digital Security Workshops – all of which have been made possible by our cultivation and deepening of relationships with the existing Grantee Partners. A big thank you to the local foundations, international women’s funds, international corporations’ foundations, local companies, and individual donors that have shown their support and trust in our role as a women’s fund. This has not only enabled us to empower grassroots and marginalised women, but also provided us with resources that will guide HER Fund towards new horizons and deepen our work. In the past year, we have established a financial reserve, reflected on our internal policies, and set out staff development strategies to ensure their physical and mental health, which will enable our organisation to grow sustainably. We are grateful to our board members, colleagues, volunteers, trainers and collaborators for accompanying those who are most marginalised and creating a more equitable and sustainable future for every “HER”. We are excited to share this 2020 annual report with you which highlights HER growth, willingness to explore, and ability to remain adaptable and resilient.
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ABOUT HER FUND Founded in 2004, HER Fund mobilises resources for women’s empowerment, the promotion of gender equality. We support the most vulnerable women and girls in Hong Kong by providing capacity-building, leadership training and small grants to grassroots organisations led by and serving the most disadvantaged. We also increase the visibility of marginalised women and girls and the issues they face.
WHO ARE WE FUNDING? Our Grantee Partners are grassroots organisations and groups that are led by and serve the most disadvantaged. They are groups of women marginalised by their economic status, sexual orientation, social position, race, and gender. These marginalised women are systematically declined of their rights, opportunities and resources that are normally available to members of society and are the key to social integration. They are the least resourceful, lack voices, and often their needs and rights are being denied. Our small grants support is a seed grant and a unique source that allows new initiatives for marginalised women to realize and to grow. Their organisations support women’s rights; encourage women’s personal autonomy; work with women in marginalised sectors of society; dare to take up new and difficult issues and support women’s efforts to push for change.”
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VOICES FROM HER FUND COMMUNITY “I’m impressed with HER Fund’s unique work with funding projects and creative programmes on the prevention of violence against women and girls. Having a Women’s Fund is important for the sustainable development of work surrounding women’s rights and female empowerment in Hong Kong. I’m proud to be a monthly donor as I can constantly contribute to sustaining its impactful programmes.”
HER Fund Monthly Donor Patrick Poon
“Marginalised women are voiceless in society and voiceless women become more marginalised. HER Fund offers opportunities and hopes to break the vicious cycle. The work is difficult yet necessary and HER Fund has committed to the cause for more than a decade. I wish my translation skills can help HER Fund reach a wider audience.”
HER Fund Volunteer Stephen Tong
“Social services have been affected during Covid-19. HER Fund responded to our organisational and community needs immediately by rolling out the Community Response Grant. This allowed our frontline workers to fine-tune our programmes with greater flexibility, enabling AGAPE to receive timely support.”
HER Fund Grantee Partner, Kwun Tong Methodist Social ServiceAGAPE Community Care Center Kay Wong, Social Worker
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“I volunteered for HER Fund through the Women in Finance Asia to provide training and mentoring on financial skills for local grassroots women organisations. I supported a teach-in session on the basics of accounting and nonprofit financial management.
HER Fund Volunteer Mentor, Women in Finance Asia, Christine Chiu
I also acted as a mentor for a women-led organisation which serves the Tin Shui Wai district and supported them in implementing new financial management systems. I believe in HER Fund’s mission, and it is an excellent platform to connect with local organisations dedicated to women empowerment.”
“RS Group has found HER Fund’s commitment to community-driven funding and capacity support to be a rare yet effective model for gender-focused philanthropy in Hong Kong. As both a grant recipient and grant maker, HER Fund is uniquely placed to leverage its intermediary role, helping large foundations deliver on their social objectives while meeting the operational needs of the community/grassroots organisations. We believe long term and flexible funding is important not only for women’s funds, but for all the grant projects we support – this is key to ensuring the organisations can have the space and capacity to develop a longterm vision and strategy for their work and achieve their envisioned impact successfully. I believe in HER Fund’s mission, and it is an excellent platform to connect with local organisations dedicated to women empowerment.”
HER Fund Funder, RS Group Annie Chen
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HER Impact 2020 - 2021
SHE DARES TO CHANGE Funding Women’s Rights HKD
$907,350 AWARDED
VIA
21
GRANTS
TO
20
ORGANISATIONS
CORE, FLEXIBLE FUNDING WHERE IT IS NEEDED MOST HKD
HKD
HKD
$137,000
$349,500
$140,800
TOWARDS FREEDOM FROM VIOLENCE
TOWARDS FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION
TOWARDS FREEDOM FROM POVERTY
HKD
HKD
$50,000
$230,050
TOWARDS CIVIL PARTICIPATION
TOWARDS CAPACITY BUILDING
Grantee Partners Primary Impact
20%
52%
FREEDOM FROM VOLIENCE
FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION
20%
8%
FREEDOM FROM POVERTY
TOWARDS CIVIL PARTCIPATION
*Percentages of total programme grant making dollars
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Supporting Women Leaders
169 WOMEN LEADERS RECEIVED TRAINING
HOURS OF CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS
5840 WOMEN DIRECTLY BENEFITED
500 VOLUNTEER HOURS
156
92 ORGANISATIONS PARTICIPATED IN CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING
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Financial Highlights 1% 1%
Network Building
Others
15%
1%
10%
Local Fundraising
Resources Mobilization and Communication
Organizational Management and Administration
57%
27%
Funds for Designated Programmes
General Fund
89% Grant-making and Capacity Building Programmes
Total Income HK$ 3,482,751
Total Expenditure HK$ 2,853,056
Designated Programmes include projects for HER Fund, preventing violence against women and girls, and building donor and partnership acquisition programme.
Balance Sheet LIABILITIES AND ACCUMULATED FUND
HKD
Current liabilities Accrued expenses
$ 6,380
Receipt in advance
$ 2,500,668
Total liabilities
$ 2,507,048
ACCUMULATED FUND General fund
$ 2,117,394
Reserve fund
$ 200,000
Total Liabilities and Accumulated Fund
$ 4,824,442
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Board of Directors As of March 31, 2021 LEE Chi Yan Athena, Chairperson HOUN Suk Han Ada, Vice-chairperson FUNG Pui Kee Brigit, Hon. Treasurer MUI Tai Loy Terry, Hon. Secretary
BUT Tsz Ting, Board Member FONG Man Ying, Board Member CHAN Florence Sai Wing, Board Member
Honorary Legal Advisor LAM Tze Yan
Advisors CHEUNG Hiu-wah, Mandy Programmme Management in NGO CHEW Choo-Lin Founder, HER Fund & Chairperson, The Institute for Women’s Empowerment CHUNG Yuen-Yi Founder, HER Fund Christine FANG, JP Ex-Chief Executive, The HK Council of Social Service Sophia KAO, SBS, JP Ex-chairperson, Women’s Commission Mary Ann KING Pui Wai Cross-Sector Cultural Activist
LAM Ying Hing Lecturer Phoebe SO Ex-chairperson, HER Fund TO Kit Lai Linda Founder, HER Fund Senior Social Worker AU Mei Po Mabel Chairperson, The Association for the Advancement of Feminism WONG Shui Hung Linda Barrister
Learn more about HER Fund For more information about HER Fund, including detailed information relating to our Grantee Partners and activities in Fiscal Year 2020-2021, please visit our website at www.herfund.org.hk.