Donation crowdfunding for social projects in Vietnam

How donation crowdfunding fits Vietnamese giving habits

Donation crowdfunding in Vietnam builds on a strong custom of mutual help, often described by the phrase lá lành đùm lá rách, which means that intact leaves shelter torn ones. Neighbours, families and workplaces regularly collect money for people hit by storms, floods, illness or poverty, and the word từ thiện, meaning charity, is part of everyday language.

Social media turned that custom into online appeals. Facebook, Zalo and TikTok carry stories of families, schools and remote villages, and mobile payment apps let thousands of people contribute small sums within minutes. The same speed that helps a good cause also creates risks, because a story shared widely is difficult to verify.

That tension explains why Vietnam has tightened the way public appeals are run, and why transparency is now an expectation and not a favour. Social project fundraising now sits under a clearer legal frame than it did a few years ago.

What Decree 93 expects from people who ask for gifts

The central text is Decree 93 of 2021, which regulates the mobilisation, receipt, distribution and use of voluntary contributions to support people in difficult circumstances. It followed public controversies over charity money, and it set out who may call for support, how funds should be received and how results must be reported. Voluntary contributions given to a named cause must therefore be traceable.

Its core ideas are straightforward. Organisers are expected to receive money through bank accounts, not as loose cash and unrecorded transfers. Individuals who campaign for charity are expected to use a separate bank account for the purpose, to make the account details public and to account for what was received and spent. Cooperation with an authorised organisation is a common and safer route for private organisers.

Because decrees are amended and interpreted by ministries, anyone starting a campaign should check the current text and local guidance from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and from the provincial authorities.

Authorised organisations behind charity appeals

The Vietnam Fatherland Front and its committees at central and local level are the best-known recipients of public giving. After major storms and floods, they open relief accounts and publish statements of money received. The Vietnam Red Cross Society and licensed charity and social funds are other established recipients, and local governments organise relief for their own areas.

Newspapers and television stations also run appeal programmes in cooperation with these bodies. For donors who prefer security over spontaneity, giving through such an organisation provides a recognised chain of custody and an official statement of results. Many charity appeals of this kind show the donor exactly where the money is held.

For a small social project, such as a library for a mountain school or a clean-water system for a hamlet, the practical choice is often to work with a registered association, a local committee or a licensed fund, and to run the online page as a supporting channel.

Publishing accounts: the culture of sao kê

In recent years Vietnamese supporters have come to expect a sao kê, a published bank statement that lists money received and paid out. Public debates over celebrity and community fundraising made this expectation stronger, and after large relief campaigns, organisations have released detailed statements for anyone to read. Vietnamese charity fundraising is judged today by how openly it reports.

For organisers, this means that a donation page should be prepared to show its records. Keep one account for the project, avoid mixing it with personal spending, and take receipts for everything purchased. If costs are paid in cash, note the date, the supplier and the purpose.

A short written report with photographs from the site, along with the statement, answers most questions before they are asked and protects the organiser from rumours.

Payment apps, QR codes and online giving

Vietnam has a highly digital payment culture. Donors use bank transfers with QR codes, often generated through the VietQR standard and interbank systems run by NAPAS, as well as wallets such as MoMo and ZaloPay and the VNPay network. Scanning a code and confirming with a fingerprint takes seconds, which suits small gifts.

Overseas donors commonly use international cards or transfers from partner banks. The State Bank of Vietnam regulates payments and foreign exchange, so organisers expecting funds from abroad should ask their bank how receipts are recorded.

A donation page should display the account name along with the number, because a mismatch between the name on the page and the name on the account is among the first signs of a false appeal.

Tax treatment and receipts for charitable gifts

Vietnamese tax rules allow deductions for certain charitable contributions, usually where the gift goes to an eligible organisation such as a recognised charitable, humanitarian or study-promotion fund and the donor holds the right documents. Gifts to private individuals do not normally qualify.

Companies that give to social projects should ask the recipient for a formal receipt and a contract, and may need to check with the tax department how the expense is treated in their accounts. Accounting guidance for social and charity activities has also been issued by the Ministry of Finance for organisations that receive and spend donations.

Tax arrangements change, so donors who care about deductions should consult the General Department of Taxation or a licensed accountant. That includes online giving by foreign supporters, whose gifts also need a clear receipt.

Data, privacy and online safety

Personal data protection is regulated in Vietnam, and Decree 13 of 2023 sets rules for processing personal data. Charity pages often show photographs of children, patients and elderly people, and organisers should obtain consent and take care that images do not expose people to harm or embarrassment. That structure makes donation crowdfunding more convincing to donors and to officials alike.

Impersonation is common. Scammers copy photographs and stories, change the account number and share the message in groups. Donors can reduce the risk by checking who is behind the post, searching for the same story in reliable media and being wary of urgent requests to transfer money to an unknown person.

Suspicious accounts can be reported to the platform concerned and to the local police, and a record of the transfer should be kept.

Social media can start a campaign, but a stable base of supporters is built by consistent updates. Short posts after each milestone, such as the first roof tile laid or the first scholarship paid, keep contributors engaged and make later appeals easier.

Planning a social project fundraising campaign

Plan a campaign around a defined project with a budget, a timeline and a named local partner. A clinic upgrade, a set of scholarships or a flood-resistant classroom are easier to explain than a general wish to help. Ask the commune or district authorities what permissions apply to the work and to the appeal.

Choose how the money will be received and published before the first post. Agree who will sign off spending, and tell supporters in advance when updates will appear. Thank donors in plain Vietnamese, and where an English version is useful for overseas supporters, make sure it matches the original in every number.

At the end, publish a final report, return or reallocate any surplus openly and keep the records for as long as officials or donors may ask for them.