Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan

The Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan (財團法人台灣尤努斯基金會), commonly known as the Yunus Foundation Taiwan, is a non-profit foundation established in Taiwan on 18 May 2015. It was created by Tsai Hui-ling (蔡慧玲) and Wang Chuan-min (王絹閔), who invited Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus to Taiwan and, with his blessing, assembled 108 'pioneer angels' to build the organization. Professor Yunus serves as the foundation's founder and chief advisor. The foundation's mission is to spread the Grameen model and social business philosophy in Taiwan. Its work is organized around the 'Three Zeros' (三零) vision — zero net carbon emissions, zero poverty, and zero unemployment — and four core undertakings (四大志業): Yunus Social Business Centres, promotion of the Grameen model, a social business fund, and development of Yunus social businesses. It operates from a Taipei office in Nangang District, with a Taichung story house and a Kaohsiung sustainability office. Among its flagship activities is the Taiwan Yunus Innovation Award (台灣尤努斯創新獎), a competition for young social innovators that has run for multiple editions, alongside the 'Three Zeros Action' (三零行動) campaign, the Yunus Three Zeros ESG Impact Dialogue, and an influence-makers column. The foundation also partners with universities across Taiwan — including Chang Jung Christian University, National University of Kaohsiung, National Quemoy University, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Soochow University, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, National Taipei University of Business, Chung Yuan Christian University, National Dong Hwa University, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Chihlee University of Technology, and Nanhua University — to host Yunus Social Business Centres. As a non-profit foundation rather than a commercial enterprise, it relies on donations and public support, publishing annual reports and accountability disclosures. Its stated aspiration is a world of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions, echoing Professor Yunus's belief that 'making money is happiness, making other people happy is super happiness.'

The Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan was established on 18 May 2015. Its origins lie in the efforts of Tsai Hui-ling (蔡慧玲) and Wang Chuan-min (王絹閔), who were inspired by Professor Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank success story. They invited Professor Yunus to give a lecture in Taiwan, and to ensure the Grameen model could take root locally, they gathered 108 'pioneer angels' — Tsai serving as preparatory committee chair and Wang as executive director — to form the foundation. With Professor Yunus's blessing, the '財團法人台灣尤努斯基金會' was formally established in 2015, dedicated to promoting the Grameen model and nurturing social businesses in Taiwan. Professor Yunus, born in Chittagong, Bangladesh, is the founder of Grameen Bank and a pioneer of microcredit. Grameen Bank has served more than nine million families, operates over two thousand branches in Bangladesh, and has expanded to more than sixty other countries. In 2006, Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize. He also served as a Tokyo 2020 Olympic laureate, a social business advisor for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and in August 2024 was sworn in as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government. His 'Three Zeros' vision — zero net carbon emissions, zero poverty, zero unemployment — became the foundation's guiding framework. The foundation organizes its work around four core undertakings (四大志業): Yunus Social Business Centres, promotion of the Grameen model, a social business fund, and development of Yunus social businesses. It has established Yunus Social Business Centres in partnership with numerous Taiwanese universities, including Chang Jung Christian University, National University of Kaohsiung, National Quemoy University, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Soochow University, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, National Taipei University of Business, Chung Yuan Christian University, National Dong Hwa University, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Chihlee University of Technology, and Nanhua University. A signature initiative is the Taiwan Yunus Innovation Award (台灣尤努斯創新獎), a competition that has run for multiple editions — the website lists the first through sixth editions, with winning teams featured for the first and fourth editions. The foundation also runs the Three Zeros Action (三零行動) campaign, the Yunus Three Zeros ESG Impact Dialogue, and an influence-makers column. It maintains a Taipei office in Nangang District, a Taichung story house in Wufeng District (Guangfu New Village), and a Kaohsiung sustainability office in Gushan District. It publishes annual reports, including a 2024 results report, and a timeline of major events. In 2025 the foundation marked ten years of promoting the Three Zeros vision in Taiwan.

• 2025

  Foundation marks ten years of promoting the Three Zeros vision in Taiwan.

• 2024

  2024 results report published; Professor Yunus sworn in as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government on 8 August.

• 2015

  Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan formally established on 18 May.

• 2015

  108 'pioneer angels' assembled to build the foundation under Professor Yunus's blessing.

A non-profit foundation promoting social business and the Grameen model in Taiwan, guided by the Three Zeros vision of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions.

• Taiwan Yunus Innovation Award

  A social innovation competition for young people, held for multiple editions (first through sixth listed).

• Yunus Social Business Centres

  University-based centres partnering with the foundation across Taiwan.

• Social Business Fund

  A fund supporting the development of Yunus social businesses.

• Three Zeros Action

  A campaign promoting zero net carbon emissions, zero poverty, and zero unemployment.

1. 1財團法人台灣尤努斯基金會 - 財團法人台灣尤努斯基金會yunustw.org
2. 2尤努斯博士與基金會 - 財團法人台灣尤努斯基金會yunustw.org
3. 3Category:Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwanwikidata.org
4. 4台灣尤努斯基金會zh.wikipedia.org