Nonprofits, despite their diverse missions, share the same operational standards similar to corporations, necessitating sound governance, contracts, and insurance to manage risks and limit liabilities. Issues like employment, data privacy, tax, and compliance are often overlooked in organizational health, leading to costly financial, legal, and reputational consequences.
The Foundation’s capacity-building efforts focus on a decentralized, bottom-up approach that embraces peer learning and the sharing of experiences and strengths. However, operational gaps such as legal and organizational health often receive inadequate attention due to skills gap, time and resource constraints. In view of this, the Foundation seeks to partner with experts to collaboratively address these existing gaps.
Recognizing the importance of enhancing the resilience and operational health of nonprofits in Hong Kong, the Foundation has co-funded PILnet Hong Kong’s (PILnet) legal health check program for nonprofits together with The Swire Trust. The initiative guides nonprofits through a comprehensive self-assessment of operational standards, and connects them with law firms and individual corporate lawyers, providing actionable support at no cost.
Through the assessment and communication facilitation, PILnet acts as a bridge between nonprofits and legal professionals, fostering longer-term relationships that encourage nonprofits’ proactive action. The program also features awareness-building seminars and workshops, along with customized tools and resources tailored for nonprofits’ needs. The Foundation hopes the initiative will sustainably increase legal awareness and resilience among nonprofits in Hong Kong.