2026 Operation Santa Claus applicants seek long-term change, not ‘quick fixes’

Charities applying for this year’s round of funding from Operation Santa Claus (OSC) aim to tackle the root causes of Hong Kong’s problems and create a lasting impact that goes beyond the financial support period, organisers have said.OSC, one of Hong Kong’s most prominent annual charity fundraising campaigns, received 102 funding applications by its June 10 deadline.Senior manager Rachel Chow Chiu-yan, who leads the effort jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK, said the noticeable difference this year was that the nature of the projects was far more sophisticated.“We’re seeing a profound shift from ‘quick-fix’ charity to deep, systemic intervention,” she said.This year’s applicants are focusing on three main areas identified by OSC as needing urgent intervention in Hong Kong: poverty; health and well-being; and inclusivity.Many of the proposals aim to help the working poor, who remain unable to build long-term financial self-sufficiency despite working full-time jobs.Several projects seek to provide low-income families with equal access to resources they cannot afford, such as private therapy, while others aim to offer training in artificial intelligence (AI) or the arts for children with special educational needs (SEN).They also seek to help migrant domestic workers, as well as refugees and asylum seekers struggling with inadequate welfare while legally restricted from working.The issue of health and well-being is in focus this year. Photo: Karma LoSome initiatives aim to provide accessible healthcare to people unable to access care in crowded public hospitals or afford private treatment.Proposed support includes mental health services for overlooked and stigmatised groups, including trauma counselling for refugees, and emotional support for psychosis survivors, women from ethnic minority groups, and carers of SEN children.Other projects plan to provide subsidised basic physical care, such as affordable dental treatment for low-wage workers, occupational wellness support for elderly cleaners, free chronic disease screenings for migrant domestic workers, and low-cost family intervention to ease parenting stress and parent-child conflict in cash-strapped households.Some proposals seek to remove barriers in hiring for disabled professionals, and tackle the obstacles to housing access faced by people with visual impairments.Further ReadingCharities are also hoping to empower marginalised people to lead support services, encouraging them to be proactive, rather than passive recipients.For example, some projects encourage refugees to run their own mental health programmes, SEN students to act as sensory ambassadors, and the elderly to co-create coastal audio tours with young people.“It’s no longer about just patching a problem. It’s about redesigning solutions for a modern Hong Kong,” Chow said.To keep up with the growing number of corporate partners looking to better align their donations with specific needs, OSC developed an AI-assisted analytic tool last year to map out different project focuses.The fundraising campaign plans to use the software this year to better match vetted projects with partners’ donation targets.“Community needs are complex, and OSC has transformed alongside them. We no longer simply ask donors for support without a deep understanding of these intricacies,” Chow said.This year’s charity applicants are also leveraging advanced tech, such as AI, to solve complex, systemic and long-term problems.OSC noted that some projects sought to empower children from low-income families through AI-driven career simulation, addressing insufficient career guidance for the city’s under-resourced youth.“By leveraging AI as a learning tool to simulate personal development, these platforms enable beneficiaries to engage in early career planning,” said Nicholas Wong Ka-lam, the campaign’s assistant manager.All applications are currently undergoing assessment, and the projects selected to receive funding will be announced by the end of July.Established by the SCMP and RTHK in 1988, OSC has since raised more than HK$415 million and supported more than 382 charitable projects across Hong Kong, benefiting more than 100,000 people.