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Mission statement
Creating a cycle of love
CTBC Charity Foundation was established in November 2004 and is an extension of
parent CTBC Financial Holding Company’s investments in social welfare. We work to
assist disadvantaged children and families while also actively establishing a corporate
culture of volunteerism to truly live up to our brand promise, “We are family”. CTBC works
to bring happiness to those less fortunate and our promise to work to better our society will
continue as long as we are needed.
We have always believed that we can bring about amazing changes if we can start a cycle of love.
In 1985, CTBC launched our annual “Light up a Life” fundraising campaign. Light up a Life is the first and longest-running charitable drive held by a Taiwanese enterprise specifically to aid disadvantaged children. In the face of an ever changing world, over these many years our campaign has remained a constant.
In 2004, CTBC Charity Foundation was officially established with the goal of providing assistance and relief to disadvantaged children and families. We have also worked to build our volunteer culture so even more people will devote themselves to meeting the needs of the disadvantaged. In the future, we will continue our efforts and spread our warmth and positive energy throughout Taiwan. CTBC can create a virtuous cycle to inspire more companies and individuals to combat poverty in our society.
CTBC has never wavered in our insistence on meeting our corporate social responsibilities.
CTBC Charity Foundation was established in November 2004 and is an extension of
parent CTBC Financial Holding Company’s investments in social welfare. We work to
assist disadvantaged children and families while also actively establishing a corporate
culture of volunteerism to truly live up to our brand promise, “We are family”. CTBC works
to bring happiness to those less fortunate and our promise to work to better our society will
continue as long as we are needed.
We have always believed that we can bring about amazing changes if we can start a cycle of love.
In 1985, CTBC launched our annual “Light up a Life” fundraising campaign. Light up a Life is the first and longest-running charitable drive held by a Taiwanese enterprise specifically to aid disadvantaged children. In the face of an ever changing world, over these many years our campaign has remained a constant.
In 2004, CTBC Charity Foundation was officially established with the goal of providing assistance and relief to disadvantaged children and families. We have also worked to build our volunteer culture so even more people will devote themselves to meeting the needs of the disadvantaged. In the future, we will continue our efforts and spread our warmth and positive energy throughout Taiwan. CTBC can create a virtuous cycle to inspire more companies and individuals to combat poverty in our society.
CTBC has never wavered in our insistence on meeting our corporate social responsibilities.
Pitch a tent of happiness for children in need
When speaking of happiness, one of the Bible’s many stories on the subject are very enlightening. After Jesus’ disciple Peter accompanied Him up the mountain, Jesus was transfigured before Peter. Shining with a bright white light, He moved Peter’s heart. Peter thought how wonderful it would be to lead a simple life of faith. He implored Jesus, “If you wish, I will put up a tent and we can live here forever.” A tent may be a very rudimentary dwelling, but in Peter’s heart this blessing gave him a satisfaction that a material life was not capable of achieving. When people truly experience the gloriousness of true happiness, even a simple, crude tent can satisfy every need.
My mother, Mrs. Mitzi Koo, often reminded me, my brother, and sister that we must always be thankful. She would say, “It is an incredible blessing that we can lead life without financial worries.” Participating in such meaningful charitable activities over these past few years has truly brought this point home to me.
When speaking of happiness, one of the Bible’s many stories on the subject are very enlightening. After Jesus’ disciple Peter accompanied Him up the mountain, Jesus was transfigured before Peter. Shining with a bright white light, He moved Peter’s heart. Peter thought how wonderful it would be to lead a simple life of faith. He implored Jesus, “If you wish, I will put up a tent and we can live here forever.” A tent may be a very rudimentary dwelling, but in Peter’s heart this blessing gave him a satisfaction that a material life was not capable of achieving. When people truly experience the gloriousness of true happiness, even a simple, crude tent can satisfy every need.
My mother, Mrs. Mitzi Koo, often reminded me, my brother, and sister that we must always be thankful. She would say, “It is an incredible blessing that we can lead life without financial worries.” Participating in such meaningful charitable activities over these past few years has truly brought this point home to me.
I once met a single mother from Pingtung who received assistance from CTBC Charity Foundation. She had to use her meager salary to raise three children alone. A new employment opportunity arose,but she would have had to leave her children in the south of Taiwan as she travelled to Taipei for work. While her salary would have been higher, she declined the offer. She told me, “No matter how difficult life may be, I want to be together with my children. They are what make me happiest.” Her words were a revelation to me. I deeply believe that children should be with their families. This is the simplest blessing and also is our most basic right.
My father Jeffrey L. S. Koo has always worked to make CTBC a happy place not only for its employees, but also to spread this happiness to our customers and society as well.
Ten years ago, when I served as Chinatrust Commercial Bank’s chairman, the biggest challenge I faced was not only reaching record profits, but also living up to this ideal. At that time, the management team and I decided that the best way to achieve our goal was to first assist disadvantaged children and ensure they could experience the simple joy of being together with their families. Later, we were commissioned by the government to run the nation’s social welfare lottery and we also established the CTBC Charity Foundation. When CTBC submitted our bid to run the lottery in 2007, we promised that each year we would provide the government with nearly NT$2.1 billion in rebate payments. Many people could not understand our thinking. Through the issuance of lottery tickets and CTBC’s hard work, we hope to assist in areas where society lacks sufficient resources to offer opportunities for balanced development and strive to ensure that children can enjoy the most basic happiness of living together with their families.
CTBC Charity Foundation’s founding mission is the pursuit and protection of children’s basic happiness. Although at this early stage this idea may be ours alone, more and more CTBC employees support this goal and have joined the ranks of our volunteers. They can interact with the children receiving assistance and understand them. Through love, all of CTBC can promote this ideal. CTBC Charity Foundation also cooperates with social welfare and charity organizations to effectively utilize the public’s caring donations. In 2011, we launched our own version of a microloan, the CTBC Poverty Alleviation Program, in the hope that more disadvantaged children and their families could have a stable financial foundation, so children could remain at home and enjoy this wonderful time in life.
I have been very lucky to have this chance to help people in need. Most importantly, I have been able to work with a group of like-minded individuals, CTBC’s caring volunteers, to face what may seem to be an impossible mission, “fundamentally resolving Taiwan’s poverty problem”. We hope to bring happiness to all children and that one day through the hard work of everyone at CTBC, we can pitch a tent of happiness for these children.
My father Jeffrey L. S. Koo has always worked to make CTBC a happy place not only for its employees, but also to spread this happiness to our customers and society as well.
Ten years ago, when I served as Chinatrust Commercial Bank’s chairman, the biggest challenge I faced was not only reaching record profits, but also living up to this ideal. At that time, the management team and I decided that the best way to achieve our goal was to first assist disadvantaged children and ensure they could experience the simple joy of being together with their families. Later, we were commissioned by the government to run the nation’s social welfare lottery and we also established the CTBC Charity Foundation. When CTBC submitted our bid to run the lottery in 2007, we promised that each year we would provide the government with nearly NT$2.1 billion in rebate payments. Many people could not understand our thinking. Through the issuance of lottery tickets and CTBC’s hard work, we hope to assist in areas where society lacks sufficient resources to offer opportunities for balanced development and strive to ensure that children can enjoy the most basic happiness of living together with their families.
CTBC Charity Foundation’s founding mission is the pursuit and protection of children’s basic happiness. Although at this early stage this idea may be ours alone, more and more CTBC employees support this goal and have joined the ranks of our volunteers. They can interact with the children receiving assistance and understand them. Through love, all of CTBC can promote this ideal. CTBC Charity Foundation also cooperates with social welfare and charity organizations to effectively utilize the public’s caring donations. In 2011, we launched our own version of a microloan, the CTBC Poverty Alleviation Program, in the hope that more disadvantaged children and their families could have a stable financial foundation, so children could remain at home and enjoy this wonderful time in life.
I have been very lucky to have this chance to help people in need. Most importantly, I have been able to work with a group of like-minded individuals, CTBC’s caring volunteers, to face what may seem to be an impossible mission, “fundamentally resolving Taiwan’s poverty problem”. We hope to bring happiness to all children and that one day through the hard work of everyone at CTBC, we can pitch a tent of happiness for these children.