The meaning of life lies in devotion. A profitable enterprise should be indebted to the place in which its success is rooted.

A private venture with individual proprietorship, the Evergreen Group has a global presence in all areas of transportation: air, sea and land. It is a legendary example of the economic vitality of modern Taiwan.

While expanding into various facets of transportation, the consortium has quietly sponsored cultural and educational projects for the public good. Dr. Y. F. Chang, founder and chairman of the Evergreen Group, cares for his native land and is determined to give back something to society. Over the past two decades. Evergreen's public welfare activities have contributed to society in the same way that its business activities have contributed to Taiwan's economy.

Dr. Chang is devout to his religious beliefs and asserts that "the meaning of life lies in devotion." According to his philosophy, a profitable enterprise should be indebted to the place in which its success is rooted and has on obligation to repay that debt.

A true altruist, Dr. Chang established both the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation and Chang Yung-Fa Charity Foundation. The latter contributes charitable medical aid and emergency relief on an ongoing basis. Dr. Chang has committed himself to laying a sound cornerstone for maritime education, which will cultivate talent in the maritime field. As on industrialist, he helps develop friendship between Taiwan and the rest of the world. In this way, he hopes to fulfill the philanthropic goals he has set for himself.

Giving back to Taiwan in all regards

The Foundation has aggressively contributed to public welfare on an ongoing basis. It looks forward to seeing more benevolent enterprises and citizens.

Founded in 1985, the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation gives aid to disadvantaged minorities on behalf of the Evergreen Group. The Foundation started with benevolent medical aid, student-aid funds as well as research on public affairs. Next, it organized the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra and has been preparing to construct a maritime museum. Currently the staff is around 70 persons.

All potential aid recipients are well screened by the Foundation's staff to ensure that every donation goes to an honest and worthy cause.

The Foundation has also installed notification channels in major hospitals, neighborhood service centers and other public service organizations. Volunteer workers in hospitals inform the Foundation when they know of patients facing economic crises.

Financial support for poverty-stricken students

"... I graduated from a five-year vocational school through your help. I have good news for you. I won the recommendation contest, and will soon enter the National University of Science and Technology. I want to share my pleasure with all of you at the Foundation."

"The news reminds me of those difficult days. My family faced financial ruin and I was unable to finish my studies ... The vocational school helped me apply for your aid fund. You gave me a helping hand and solved my predicament. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to continue my studies..."

The Foundation receives similar cards and letters every year. It has helped thousands of high school and university students facing economic hardship. Dr. Chang himself experienced a hard school life and knows the difficulties teenagers face when trying to study without financial support. The Foundation does not offer scholarships - a privilege for top students - instead, it offers a grant-in-aid for every destitute young person who desires to continue their studies. During the past 15 years, more than 10,000 students have benefited from the aid funds.

In Taiwan, opportunities for advanced music education remain insufficient and many promising young students are unable to fulfill their musical potential because economic hardship prevents them from studying abroad.

The Evergreen Group set up a music grant-in-aid in 1986 and the Foundation took over this work three years later. Altogether, they have sponsored 28 of Taiwan's finest music students to study at major music academies in the United States, with the aim of cultivating a generation of local musical talent.

An entrepreneur-funded think tank

Promoting medical care, education and culture is not sufficient. The fate of a nation can hang in the balance if entrepreneurs have no concern for public affairs. In 1989, Dr. Chang launched the National Policy Resource Center (NPRC). It analyzes political, economic and educational matters along with social issues and their implications for Taiwan.

The organization first appeared as a subsidiary of the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation. As Taiwan's largest non-partisan privately funded think tank for public affairs, it was looked upon as one of the most respected research institutions in the Asian region. Now the NPRC has expanded and re-established itself as an independent foundation - the Institute for National Policy Research (INPR).

A gallery of donated paintings

Dr. Chang donated his collection of paintings to the Foundation over many years and then established the charity gallery in 1999. The main purpose was to inspire more philanthropic people and together build a better society. The Foundation uses all income from art sales to finance student-aid funds and public services.

The gallery holds a diverse collection of pictures and paintings. With a view to encouraging artistic creativity, it also serves as a showcase for local artistic talent. The gallery has sponsored various individual exhibitions and works with veteran and novice local artists. Through all these activities, the gallery intends to popularize the appreciation of art, bring art into the everyday lives of citizens and help create an atmosphere conducive to literary and artistic expression.

Long-term philanthropic goals

During the past two decades. Dr. Chang has silently taken care of society and its disadvantaged minorities. The Foundation has donated nearly NT$1.6 billion and mode every endeavor to provide medical aid and student-aid funds to the needy and to enhance Taiwan's culture and art.

The Foundation intends to keep giving back to Taiwan. Dr. Chang hopes these activities will inspire more philanthropic people who together will contribute humanitarian work that will build a more peaceful society.

A combination of education and fun

Dr. Chang has donated his collection of maritime artifacts and antiques - collected from every corner of the world over a period of three decades - to a new museum. The establishment is to provide its visitors with an educational and entertaining experience.

As the founder of the Evergreen Group, Dr. Chang is devoted to developing a sound basis for maritime education. He encourages research and development in maritime education, actively promotes the field of study, opens lecture courses in local and foreign maritime colleges and provides grants and scholarships for students.

The museum, which is still at the planning stage, will serve as a bridge between the general public and maritime history, art and technology. To that end, the museum has been designed to entertain and educate.

The display area will have a zone for each subject, among them model ships, nautical instruments, marine paintings from diverse countries and interactive multimedia displays.

The long-term target of the museum is to collect models of Chinese merchant ships and boats, with particular emphasis on Taiwanese vessels. The museum will collect comprehensive information on these vessels, study them and produce its own models. This effort will create a museum with unique characteristics, and one that will contribute to preserving and popularizing Taiwanese maritime culture.

Nurturing local musical talent and reaching out to the world

Taiwan's young and energetic musicians are disciplined artists who perform with team spirit. Their mission is to introduce the beauty of Taiwanese music to the rest of the world.

The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra is the realization of Dr. Chang's musical dreams. He knows only too well that music can alter personality and temperament. When a sad person listens to music, their mood is elevated. When a cheerful person listens to music, they receive greater satisfaction. While music soothes and pacifies individuals, it uplifts society and enriches its culture.

Despite Taiwan's economic achievements, its respect for culture falls far behind that of the Western world. As a role model for society, Dr. Chang is doing all he can to safeguard and enrich the nation's culture.

Developing a musical wonderland

In April 2001, the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation invited a number of Chinese musicians and international arts consultants to form the 20-strong Evergreen Orchestra.

The team started with chamber concerts such as string quartets, woodwind quintets and brass quintets. It held campus concerts and embarked upon tours for charitable causes.

The team expanded to a 70-strong symphony orchestra in the middle of 2002. World-renowned musician Kek-Tjian Lim was appointed as music director and principal conductor. The symphony orchestra will invite outstanding musicians to be guest conductors or to perform in collaboration.

The outcome will be a symphony orchestra with a diverse membership and a global perspective.

The up-and-coming team that is the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra comprises young, energetic musicians selected from over 600 candidates. They play together seamlessly, with team spirit and discipline, producing a professional and unique result.

They strive to learn and grow, hoping to establish a firm foothold and develop a musical wonderland with Taiwanese character. While maintaining the essence of classical music and Taiwanese folk songs, the orchestra adds new interpretations and brings the music to an international level.

Bringing the beauty of Taiwanese music to the world

The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra has held concerts since September 2002. At each concert, the team interprets famous classical pieces, demonstrating its artistic skills and unique style. Furthermore, it presents local Taiwanese folk songs and ballads in the form of classical music, introducing the beauty of Taiwanese music to the rest of the world.

The target of the symphony orchestra is to cultivate local musical talent in all respects - whether the artists be compilers, composers, conductors or performers. Its slogan is "Enriching local musical art and reaching out to the world." The team intends to interlace local and worldwide musical resources, create a brand new musical wonderland and step onto the international stage.

Caring for the distressed and disadvantaged

Social work is the Foundation's mission. It also donates to public welfare activities held by other benevolent communities, hoping to inspire a virtuous climate in society.

For rendering relief on a larger scale, the Evergreen Group in August 1996 founded the Chang Yung-Fa Charity Foundation dedicated to social work. The Chang Yung-Fa Foundation, on the other hand, focuses on culture, art and education.

All-out effort after the 921 earthquake

The staff of the Chang Yung-Fa Charity Foundation interviewed potential recipients around Taiwan, ensuring each and every donation went to worthy cause. Each year, they make more than 1,000 donations for emergency relief, medical aid, funeral subsidies and other charitable purposes. These donations add up to tens of millions of dollars annually.

Immediately after the 921 earthquake in 1999, the domestic and overseas subsidiaries, distributors, agents and staff of the Evergreen Group organized a donation to relieve victims in the stricken areas. Around NT$377 million was collected in total, including NT$50 million from Dr. Chang.

In the initial period of emergency relief, the consortium's volunteer workers provided immediate relief funds and essential everyday items to people in distress according to the estimated requirement of each area. As time progressed, aid packages were tailored to ensure that the needy got precisely what they required to start rebuilding their lives.

They provided 653 container houses and 192 dry containers. They also participated in community-revival projects, the preservation of water resources and the reconstruction of damaged schools.

Among the more noted accomplishments, they helped the Yung Shing Primary School in Shitan, Miaoli County purchase campus land. They sponsored the reconstruction of Suili Junior High School in Nantou County, Ku Keng Junior High School in Yunlin County and Chung Shan Primary School in Dongshi, Taichung County. The three schools were completed in 2001, two years after they were ruined in the disaster.

Planting Evergreen seeds of hope

The three schools built with the consortium's help smell of Evergreen. Teachers and students there alike are grateful. The Suili Junior High School felt an immense gratitude to the Foundation: "After the earthquake, the Foundation-sponsored reconstruction project broke ground. Our school was rebuilt piece by piece. We watched and waited every day. Now, the school is as good as new. Thank you. Foundation. If it were not for your helping hand, we would not have a new, pretty schoolhouse. We would still be sitting on the sports ground studying."

Likewise, the Ku Keng Junior High School was deeply touched: "Reconstruction started not long after the earthquake. Now, this graceful building has been completed. This is fantastic ... The Evergreen Group is enthusiastic, considerate and makes painstaking efforts. Now, we have a splendid new schoolhouse. Every classroom has ventilation, lighting and a washbasin. The design is both stylish and dignified. Everything here is so much superior to our living environment."

The Chung Shan Primary School put down their thoughts as well: "The crisis was our turning point, thanks to our savior the Chang Yung-Fa Charity Foundation. We were in a state of despair when suddenly the Foundation confirmed its sponsorship of the reconstruction of the school. The Ministry of Education and County Government relayed the goods news. Allthe teachers and students rejoiced. For an entire year, Foundation and rendered all necessary assistance. They built the school as if they were building their own enterprise. We are touched by their sense of mission."

Social work is the highight at the Foundation. It also donates to public-welfare activities held by other charitable communities, hoping to inspire a virtuous climate in society.