Run for funds
Expatriates and Vietnamese alike are raising charity funds for the sake of
poor and disadvantaged locals
The last days of the year were so busy to
Andy Gent, chief executive officer of HSBC
Vietnam as there was a heap of work for him to
complete to meet the New Year dateline.
However, this British banker managed to find
time for a task which seemingly did not relate
to his bank: preparations for a race of xich lo,
or cyclo, the three-wheeled, man-powered
vehicle which was once popular in Vietnam.
Expatriates' charities... Of course, Andy Gent
organizes the cyclo race not merely for fun. As
supporters of the Saigon Children Charity, he
and other sponsors have to ponder on ways
to raise funds. Their answer is to continue
organizing the three-year-old Saigon Cyclo
Challenge.
Therefore, although the race is three months ahead, Andy Gent and other
co-organizers have joined hands to host it. Gent has sent an e-mail to AIA
general director to request some staff for the organizing board. He
suggests a specialist from KPMG should come to manage financial
affairs of the project. And he has also sent letters to big companies to ask
them to sponsor the Saigon Cyclo Challenge 2003. The last two races
each earned some US$20,000 for the organizers.
One of the founders of the race is Jake Olver, former director of Cathay
Pacific in Vietnam. With over ten years of being a charity sponsor in
Asian countries, Olver has gained expertise in the field. According to him,
if fundraisers are able to devise projects that can make people feel
happy with their charities and show business executives that companies
would further enhance their corporate images, the fundraisers will be
more likely to be successful.
Every year, most companies earmark part of their budget to sponsor
scholarships and poor patients, help disabled children, and build houses
for socially privileged people. However, charity activities always need
more money than companies voluntarily give. Therefore, diverse forms
and projects should be worked out to gain more funds.
Every year, the BBGV (British Business Group Vietnam) holds a charity
run to raise funds for local disadvantaged children. To appeal to
between 1,500 and 3,000 participants as well as corporate sponsors, the
organizers have devised various ways to render the event more
fascinating. On one occasion, they invited famous singers or athletes to
join the run; on another they auctioned paintings, balls and T-shirts with
signatures of famous Manchester United football players.
Apart from large-scale charity events, many organizations have initiated
different ways to lure companies. For instance, to support the HCM City
Children Fund, a lot of companies have bought greeting cards or desktop
calendars produced by the fund. This year, KPMG bought greeting cards
from the HCM City Children Fund. Although the designs of the cards are
not excellent given professional norms, the receivers may feel something
human behind the New Year wishes in them.
Since 1998, a group of Japanese companies has organized a bazaar
almost every year. The organizers ask for donations that are products of
Japanese companies in Vietnam. A proportion of the donations are sold
at the bazaar, and the remaining part is used as prizes for a lottery whose
tickets are sold for US$5 or US$10 apiece. The bazaar gains around
US$30,000 every year for the HCM City Poor Patient Society.
... and charities of locals. The HCM City Poor Patient Society has its own
ways to mobilize funds from companies. Nguyen Vinh Nghiep, former
HCM City People's Committee chairman and chairman of the society,
says one of the secrets he uses to raise funds is to ask companies to
sponsor people in the localities where they have expanded business to.
In addition to permanent support for poor patients in the city, Nghiep's
society has also sponsored other charity activities, especially free eye
operations.
When Kinh Do set up a factory in the northern province of Hung Yen,
Nghiep requested it to provide funds for eye operations for 200 local
people. In the near future, 400 eye operations will be conducted on local
residents in Binh Thuan and Daklak provinces.
Likewise, knowing that Saigon Beer has established ties with Danang
and Can Tho, Nghiep has requested them to sponsor 400 eye
operations for local poor patients.
Aside from funds from business directors, Nghiep has also asked for
support from employees. "Every six months, I ask them for the salary of
one working day," he says. "Otherwise, I advise them to 'raise' piggy
banks, and gather the money once every two or three months." Paying
attention to big sponsors, Nghiep says small donations are equally
important.
In short, despite being on behalf of a noble cause, charity fundraising is
not quite simple. "Charity fundraising is also an art," says Olver, who is a
co-founder of the Saigon Cyclo Challenge. In every circumstance,
harmonizing the interest of all participating parties will help increase the
possibility of success.
By Thuc Doan - The Saigon Times Weekly - January 18, 2003.
A philanthropist hero
Nguyen Vinh Nghiep, former
HCM City People's Committee
chairman and incumbent
chairman of the HCM City Poor
Patient Society, was conferred
Labor Hero last year
In charity fundraising, knowing
diverse ways to attract
companies, and having
credibility as well as devotion do
not mean a sure-fire success, says Nguyen Vinh Nghiep. In addition,
fundraisers must have resignation and temporarily put aside their
self-respect to get the money they want, he says.
Nghiep recalls in the old days when he was holding the municipal
chairmanship, many company directors just wanted to shake hands with
him. "You give me a great honor to receive you," they said to him.
However, after he retired, they simply refused to meet him although he
had called several times for an appointment.
Some agreed to meet Nghiep, but no sooner had he finished the story
than the host stood up and disappeared. A few minutes later, the host
came out again, with a bundle of notes in his hands, which he almost
threw it on the desk.
Luckily, people with helpful hearts in their chests are ubiquitous. Thanks
to these philanthropists, Nghiep's Poor Patient Society has fulfilled a
great deal of tasks. Over the past nine years, the society has raised
funds worth VND150 billion (around US$10 million) to give free health
care services to 700,000 poor patients, 85,000 vision-impaired people,
15,000 cleft palate children, and thousands of other disabled kids. The
society's goal is to help bring back light to 100,000 vision-impaired
people in the next five years.
Pham Phu Ngoc Trai, IBC-Pepsi chairman and vice chairman of the
society, says Nghiep has all the virtues of a social activist. They are
credibility to instill belief, extensive relationships to persuade
participants, a warm heart to attract more, initiatives to diversify projects,
and, most importantly, patience to pursue goals, Trai elaborates. "'With a
warm heart we can do anything' is what we have learnt from Chairman
Nghiep," adds Trai.
Nghiep says now as a retiree, he can do concrete jobs for the sake of the
needy. "It's my greatest ever happiness," he says. "There's one thing
which has bothered me. Now at 73, sometimes I feel exhausted. I'm
seeking a successor who will replace me after a while."
The Saigon Times Weekly - January 18, 2003.
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