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The Vietnam News

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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.