About Us

Tzu Chi Charity Mission

"We should respect all life equally. We are willing to provide humanitarian assistance wherever disasters occur. Overseas Tzu Chi people are always grateful for the chance to live in foreign lands. They use the money that they earn locally to do charity work for their local communities. Thus, they earn love and respect from their neighbors." Master Cheng Yen

Aid the poor and educate the rich

In 1966, Tzu Chi began to reach out to others with charity work. Now, after more than 30 years, Taiwanese society has moved from poverty to prosperity. Tzu Chi has also expanded from 30 members in Hualien to hundreds of thousands of members all over the world.

In the beginning, Master Cheng Yen started in an impoverished Hualien, relying on housewives who saved 50 cents or a dollar from their grocery money to contribute to helping the poor. At that time, all the donations were solicited publicly so more and more members begin to join the group. And as the standards of living rose in Taiwan, the emphasis shifted from providing material needs to providing spiritual support. At the same time, in 1985, the mission of charity extended from Taiwan to overseas. Tzu Chi members overseas used the money that they learned locally to do charity work in their local communities.

In the spring of 1991, Tzu Chi took its first steps toward international relief work when it provided assistance in the aftermath of a major typhoon in Bangladesh. In the summer of the same year, with the guidelines of directly providing relief to those in need and holding on to the right principles, Tzu Chi assisted with flood recovery in China. These actions cemented Tzu Chi's path into providing international relief.

In the most advanced and prosperous society, there will still be people suffering in the dark corners. Someone said "Tzu Chi is Taiwan's way of giving back to the society after accumulating its wealth. Tzu Chi's compassion toward others has never wavered, and their compassionate actions continuously grow without diminishing. If this continues over a long period of time, then the goal of bringing peace to society won't be that far off."