Gwangju Dong-gu Ranks 2nd Nationwide with 2.4 Billion Won in Hometown Donation Contributions Last Year

Cumulative Amount of 3.32 Billion Won Over Two Years
"Efforts to Improve Residents' Quality of Life"

Gwangju Dong-gu (District Chief Lim Taek) announced on the 7th that the Hometown Love Donation Fund collected last year amounted to 2.4 billion KRW, bringing the total to approximately 3.3 billion KRW over the two years since its inception.

According to provisional statistics, this ranks second among 243 local governments nationwide and first among 226 basic local governments.

Dong-gu stated that the Hometown Love Donation Program has established itself as a successful donation model for local governments, attributing its success to Dong-gu's systematic and innovative operational strategies.

Specifically, in its first year of implementation in 2023, the Hometown Love Donation Program raised 8,179 donations totaling 920 million KRW. In 2024, it saw remarkable growth, collecting 23,400 donations and 2.4 billion KRW. The total accumulated amount over two years is 3.32 billion KRW.

This successful case demonstrates an exemplary operational strategy for the Hometown Love Donation Program that other local governments can follow, effectively serving as a bridge between the local community and donors.

From the first year of the program, Dong-gu emphasized the need to introduce private platforms to enhance donor convenience and actively implemented administrative strategies to vitalize the Hometown Love Donation Program.

Additionally, Dong-gu increased participation and gained donors' trust by selecting fund projects that resonate with everyone, transparently disclosing the use of donations, offering a variety of return gifts and convenient choices, and conducting nationwide promotions.

Furthermore, Dong-gu focused on region-specific projects such as the designated donation initiatives "Gwangju Theater 100-Year Project" and "Developmental Disability Youth E.T Baseball Team Support Project," allowing donors to feel the tangible impact of their contributions. Recently, Dong-gu has also strengthened partnerships with private apps such as Naver Pay, CJ ONE, and SamzzumSam to expand benefits.

The digital service opening project launched by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in December last year also played a role. The ministry collaborated with financial institutions such as Nonghyup, IBK, KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, and the official Hometown Love Donation portal "WeGive" and other private platforms to create an environment where people can easily donate through various channels.

Lim Taek, Chief of Dong-gu, said, "This achievement was made possible thanks to the cooperation and participation of everyone who loves Gwangju Dong-gu," adding, "We will cherish the intentions of our donors and do our best to revitalize the local economy and improve the quality of life for our residents."

He continued, "By utilizing innovative systems such as private platforms like WeGive, we will continue to encourage even more people to participate in the Hometown Love Donation Program and strive to create positive changes in the local community."