2025.04.22
NPO Leaders Unite for Enhanced ESG and Global Reach
Aligning with Sustainability Trends: NGOs/NPOs Boost Social Impact
Linking to global sustainability trends to fuel NGO and NPO growth, Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE) hosted the 2025 NGO/NPO Social Impact Enhancement Workshop on April 21. Min-Hsiu Chiang, Distinguished Professor of Public Administration at National Chengchi University with long-standing expertise in the third sector, urged organizations to strengthen external communications and build recognition and trust among businesses and society. Leaders echoed this, noting alignment with international standards and award participation spotlights their efforts.
Guided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NGIO Deputy Executive Director Jia-Qi Kang praised NGOs' role amid Taiwan's diplomatic challenges. They enrich policy, foster dialogue, and raise visibility, embodying "everyone is a diplomat." With global focus on sustainability, Taiwan's IT prowess, democratic values, and natural assets offer collaboration edges.
"We represent pioneers of human civilization, ideals, and highest actions," Min-Hsiu Chiang told over 480 in-person and online attendees. He stressed NGOs/NPOs thrive on altruism and common good, core to ESG and SDGs. Responding to SDGs from their missions and partnering across sectors unleashes powerful action.
Chiang observed domestic and international third-sector sustainability faces stakeholder accountability, fundraising woes, and cross-sector hurdles. But growth stems from adversity, enabling repositioning. Strategies like value translation, cross-governance, and organizational learning boost diversity. Linking advances ESG/SDGs mainstreaming and impact.
Sustainability Drives: Circulating Love
In 75 years, Taiwan Fund for Children and Families shifted from aid recipient to helping 30+ countries and 60,000+ kids yearly, with offices in Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, and more. CEO Da-Yao Zhou credits built trust: local officials and UN diplomats back them. Sustainability-framed education aids poverty escape, water improvement, resilient communities, and vocational training for intergenerational cycles.
"Education has no endpoint, just fuel stops." Zhou recalled: 20 years ago in Mongolia, aid needed police. Now, empowered communities plan, execute, and evaluate. Soon expanding to Nepal for education equity.
Believing "'Circulate Love' anchors sustainability," Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation CEO Yi-Ling Chen honors founder Samuel Noordhoff, who trained Taiwanese doctors abroad. This made Taiwan's craniofacial expertise world-class and aided Philippines, Vietnam teams.
Chen noted Noordhoff stressed mending psychological scars too via holistic care (medical, social) from prenatal to adulthood. Building on experience, this year's International Craniofacial Training adds social worker module: "Love is our base. Sustainability makes it visible."
From core business, Quanta Education Foundation's 20-year "Quanta Arts Journey" and "Quanta Intel Journey" integrate corporate volunteers, educators, and bureaus for K-12 aesthetics/coding. CEO Hui-Chia Hsu says plans balance student/teacher growth, competency-based autonomy. They meet quality education, inequality reduction via partnerships.
They seed "champions" per county for expansion, national exchanges/competitions as innovation catalysts for cultural/tech equity. Sharing in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia lately.
Innovative Communication, Partners United
"Taiwan's vitality impresses us!" TAISE Secretary-General Yong-Shun Shen, overseeing TCSA/TSAA reviews, noted 32 NGOs/NPOs among 800+ last year. Frontline in policy advocacy, oversight, reform, they underpin governance and show resilience in crises: true sustainability stories.
He calls for cross-boundary learning, using global reporting for transparency, awards, and sharing. Partnering stakeholders toward SDGs.
Seeing NGOs/NPOs' global dedication, Jia-Qi Kang pledged support: funding for international roles, conferences, offices. "Let's do right for the world together."
