About Us

The Simon K. Y. Lee Foundation (“the Foundation”) is a Hong Kong-based philanthropic foundation established in 1985 by the late Dr Simon K Y Lee, a successful businessman and philanthropist. It comprises three daughter funds, the Simon K. Y. Lee Elderly Fund, the Simon K. Y. Lee Children’s Fund and the Simon K. Y. Lee Karen’s Fund.


The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors which comprises the family members of Dr. Simon K Y Lee. We believe in active collaboration among stakeholders. The Elderly Fund and the Children’s Fund are each overseen by an Advisory Committee, which comprises professionals in relevant but different fields to assist the Board in strategic planning and decision-making. We also work closely with our grantees and partners to enhance project effectiveness, mutual understanding and organizational capacity.

Our seed money comes from two endowments from Dr Simon K Y Lee at the establishment of the Foundation in 1985 and of the Elderly Fund in 2007. Besides, the Sun Hing Group of Companies, the family business of Dr Lee’s father, donates part of its profit to the Foundation each year. Dr Karen Lee, who departed in 2014, designated the Foundation as the only beneficiary of her residuary estate, bestowing upon it the entirety of her remaining property and assets.

Sun Hing was given the first Coutts Prize for Family Business Hong Kong 2013 for the Family Philanthropy category for its contribution to the Foundation and the latter’s funding strategy.