Philanthropy is a virtue

Philanthropy 
Noun 

The desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes – Oxford Dictionaries

The act of philanthropy is not something that can be taught in schools but it is heart-warming to see individuals and businesses that are very willing to practice it in the society.
​
As an immigrant from Hong Kong, I was taught at a young age to “有钱出钱，有力出力” which literally means “give money if you have money, give strength if you have strength”. In Canada, we further see this practiced in everyday life with “Go Fund Me” becoming increasingly popular, whereby people pitch in to help complete strangers in need.

Over the course of the year, scheduled initiatives ranging from marathons, charity concerts, telethons, to galas take place in Vancouver. I have had the pleasure of sitting on various organizing committees with passionate people who put time and effort into raising money towards important causes, such as health care, art, less-privileged groups or diversity.
​
To expand fund-raising efforts, many charitable organizations now dedicate efforts towards targeting particular audiences, such as Chinese or South Asian communities, as these are the two largest immigrant groups. These marketing strategies are effective in targeting the groups through refined communication channels and culturally-sensitive efforts.

CREDIT: BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION – FOR CHILDREN WE CARE GALA 2019

Every year, three major hospital fund-raising galas are designed around Chinese New Year to celebrate the most important festival in the Chinese culture:
​
Over the course of four weeks, some $10 million were raised with the help of the Chinese community. Though the events were not attended by the Chinese community alone, over 70% of attendees are Chinese-Canadian, primarily from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, or local-born Chinese. Clearly, effective, targeted marketing strategies are the key to the success of fund-raising efforts.

The age-old Chinese adage to give in whatever way we can, that was taught to us by our parents, continues to ring true. In Vancouver, there are many worthy causes in need of our help – are you ready to give back to the community?