Private Foundations
Founded in 2016 by Tencent co-founder Charles Chen Yidan and backed by a HK$2.5 billion independent trust, the Yidan Prize Foundation is headquartered in Hong Kong and runs what is described as the world's largest education prize. Each year it awards two prizes — for Education Research and Education Development — with each laureate receiving a gold medal, a HK$15 million cash prize and a HK$15 million project fund. Unusually for a family foundation, its nomination process is fully open: anyone may nominate an individual or team without an invitation.
Private Foundations
Founded in 1982 by industrialist Dr Tin Ka Ping and funded by assets donated by him and his family, the foundation is devoted to education with an emphasis on moral education and Chinese culture. It has funded more than 300 schools and universities plus some 1,800 rural libraries across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Mainland China, alongside hospitals and infrastructure projects. Giving is strategic and institution-led, with no public application portal.
Private Foundations
Founded in 1970 by Dr Din Hwa Chen, the Nan Fung Group founder and devout Buddhist, The D. H. Chen Foundation is one of Hong Kong's oldest private philanthropic organisations. Guided by Chen's philosophy of 'care for others as well as you would care for yourself', it designs and funds its own initiatives across education, mental wellbeing and social inclusion. Its flagship Scholarship Programme supports up to 20 Hong Kong undergraduates a year at five local universities with full tuition, overseas learning and living allowances.
Private Foundations
Established in 2010 in memory of Sino Group founder Ng Teng Fong, this family foundation champions education, healthcare, arts and culture, heritage and community services. Its HK$100 million-endowed Ng Teng Fong Scholarship has supported more than 5,000 students from Hong Kong and Mainland China, and it has partnered with over 300 NGOs and community organisations. Grant-making is proactive and relationship-driven, with no public application process published.
Private Foundations
Founded in 1962 by Dr Li Shu Fan, the surgeon behind the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, the foundation exists to advance local medicine and public health. It has endowed eleven professorships at HKU and CUHK plus an international professorship at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and offers clinical scholarships, bursaries, research grants and financial assistance to selected patients. Awards are administered through the hospital and partner universities rather than through public applications.
Private Foundations
Established in 1980 by Li Ka-shing — who calls it his 'third son' and has pledged a third of his assets to it — the foundation is Hong Kong's largest private philanthropic vehicle, with over HK$26 billion deployed across 27 countries and regions, about 80% within Greater China. Its work centres on education reform, medical research and services, and nurturing a culture of giving. Grant-making is strategic and invitation-driven, though it periodically launches open relief funds for crises, such as the HK$1 billion Crunch Time Instant Relief Fund and the 2025 Tai Po fire relief fund.