by Stacey Choe
APC participated in a dialogue with local Vietnamese social sector stakeholders in March this year in HCMC on Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship for Social Impact. The session was organised by Ho Chi Minh City Peace and Development Foundation (HPDF) and brought together interested parties from NGOs, academia, and private sector. This event followed the first Vietnam philanthropy roundtable that APC co-organised with HPDF in July 2018 when there was much enthusiasm to continue the engagement.
In order to build up the social impact sector, APC suggested a few practical ideas to bring the players together and keep everyone attuned to the trends and happenings in the local sector and wider region.
The first suggestion was to collaborate on a Green paper on the Vietnam Social Impact Ecosystem. This will go beyond an overview mapping and will put forth recommendations for each sector to undertake in order to increase understanding and impact. This will encourage the review of policies and processes, and the promotion of giving. It should involve policymakers and the business sector to be more inclusive. Mdm Ninh suggested that researchers from the local universities can partner on this.
The second recommendation was to start a social impact newsletter. Mdm Ninh offered that HPDF will be the central coordinating organisation, APC will provide a column on regional best-in-class models and impact trends. Other participants were also excited to chip in, including Hult Prize’s Mr. Hung offering their space as a secretariat and meeting space, and LIN Center for Community Development also excited to be involved. They are currently working on a White Paper on the Non-Profit Law.
Attendees acknowledged that there was a need to increase awareness within the sector to understand further what is happening as there currently appears to be little exchange and communication. The event closed with Mdm Ninh reiterating the need to move forward with more actionable steps.