Over 409 Million KRW Raised in Two Years
Boosting Fundraising by Discovering Major Donors
Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) is promoting resident-centered projects using hometown love donation funds.
Introduced in 2023, the hometown love donation system allows individuals to donate to local governments other than their registered address and receive tax deduction benefits (full deduction up to 100,000 KRW, 16.5% deduction on the amount exceeding 100,000 KRW) along with 30% of the donation amount returned as a gift.
Through this donation system, Jung-gu has collected 409.23 million KRW in donations over the past two years. Especially last year, by conducting customized promotions, interest and participation in the donation system increased, resulting in an 87% increase in donations compared to the previous year.
This year, Jung-gu plans to use part of the donation funds for projects that residents can directly feel. To allow donors to take pride in contributing to the happiness of their hometown residents, 11 projects that residents can experience in their daily lives will be implemented.
First, the district will promote projects to enhance resident convenience. The ‘AI Jung-gu Mayor,’ which reads Jung-gu news to residents, will be introduced to deliver district news more familiarly and promptly. Additionally, the ‘Visiting Knife Sharpening Service,’ which was piloted and well-received during last Lunar New Year, will be expanded to provide ‘Visiting Knife Sharpening and Umbrella Repair Services’ during Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays. The ‘Swap Store’ project, which promotes resource circulation, will also be operated by opening recycling markets and experience booths to raise residents’ awareness of environmental protection.
Residents’ capabilities will be strengthened through learning and experience. The district plans to assist employment through ‘Special Employment Lectures for Middle-aged and Older Adults,’ providing tailored job search strategies from resume and cover letter writing.
By supporting ‘Lifelong Learning Clubs,’ voluntary resident study groups will be discovered and resident communities revitalized. Also, centered around the district public libraries, ‘Resident-friendly Reading Programs’ will be operated to spread reading culture, and through the ‘Dasan Fortress Wall Special Project,’ resident participation programs and cultural events will be prepared to revive the historical value of the fortress wall and foster residents’ pride.
Residents’ healthy daily lives will also be supported. The ‘Health Class Visiting Apartments’ program will cultivate healthy lifestyle habits among residents, and the ‘Happy Growing Jung-gu Mom’s Edition’ program will build parenting confidence and help parents play healthy caregiving roles by forming a parenting empathy community.
For community communication and harmony, the ‘Global Resident Community Activation’ will support stable settlement of foreigners and multicultural families in the community, and a ‘Euljiro Community Space’ will be created within the Euljiro-dong Administrative Complex, scheduled for completion in the first half of this year, providing a place for resident communication.
Meanwhile, last year, the district took the lead in fundraising by actively promoting face-to-face to local company employees and traditional market users. This year, in addition to existing gifts, differentiated attractions such as Jung-gu Tour Pass tickets will be added. Furthermore, the district plans to further activate the donation system by discovering high-value donors and thoroughly managing donation funds.
Mayor Kim Gil-seong said, “We will do our best to widely promote the benefits of the hometown love donation system and establish a culture of giving,” adding, “We will continuously promote resident-centered projects so that donors’ precious hearts can be felt by residents.”
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