[Reading level: C1 – Advanced]
“I’ve been sponsoring children in mountainous areas for three years. Now the project is accused of operating without transparency. Do I have the right to check where the money I contributed has gone?”
This is one of many people who have asked me the same question in recent days. They send money to charitable projects with the belief that it will reach those in need. Only when suspicions arise do they become alarmed.
As charity models have expanded too quickly, the law as well as people’s awareness of donors’ rights seem unable to keep up.
Currently, there are three main “pathways” for charitable activities, but not all of them have clear legal frameworks. Decree 93/2021/NĐ-CP on mobilizing support for overcoming natural disasters, epidemics, and serious illnesses sets out explicit responsibilities for transparency. Decree 93/2019/NĐ-CP, amended and supplemented by Decree 136/2024/NĐ-CP, requires social and charitable funds to have strict governance mechanisms and supervisory boards.
The third path—long-term charitable programs such as meal sponsorships, scholarships, educational support, etc.—still lacks a unified, specialized legal corridor. They fall under scattered regulations of various laws such as the Civil Code, the Education Law, and the Law on Children. For conditional donations, the Civil Code merely establishes the principle that if the agreed-upon conditions are not fulfilled, the donor has the right to demand reimbursement and compensation for damages.
It sounds simple, but implementation in reality is extremely difficult.
In theory, you have the right to file a civil lawsuit or make a criminal complaint if you suspect signs of misappropriation of charity money. But without strong evidence, you could even be counter-accused of defamation—a legal risk that discourages many people.
I once advised a donor group that wanted to sue a project because they suspected that the money hadn’t reached the students in full. They had all the transfer receipts, as well as screenshots of confirmation messages from the project. Altogether they had donated more than 600 million VND over three years. In the fourth year, a member of the group visited the mountainous area and had a casual conversation with the principal. Upon hearing the amount the group had contributed, the principal asserted: “Our school received only half of that.”
The group immediately contacted the project and requested detailed reconciliation. The project responded: “We will prepare a report.” One month passed—nothing. Two months, three months—they received only repeated responses: “Because of the large volume, we need more time” and “We are still compiling the data.”
“So how can we prove they’re wrong?” the donors asked me.
That is precisely the problem. The burden of proof falls on the donor, when it should be the responsibility of the recipient.
When you give long-term charitable support through an organization for them to distribute, then legally this is a conditional gift relationship. You donate with the condition that they must use it for the stated purpose. And if the condition is not fulfilled? Article 462 of the 2015 Civil Code clearly states you have the right to reclaim the money and demand compensation.
So why are donors reluctant to demand it back?
Because they rarely have solid evidence, and because of the unspoken belief that “once you give, don’t ask,” and that asking means a lack of trust.
In the end, after I guided them to send an official written request for clarification—with the notice that they would file a lawsuit if not provided—the project finally sent an Excel sheet, which even included expenses not related to the original commitments.
I explained that “if they solicited money for purpose A but then used it for purpose B, even if B is something good, it is still a violation. That is deviating from the commitment and breaching the conditions of the donation.”
But exhausted after months of back-and-forth, the donor group reluctantly let the matter go and simply stopped supporting the project.
Another widespread problem in charitable activities in Vietnam is the use of personal bank accounts to receive donations. This is, in my view, the most serious issue. Decree 93/2021 stipulates that individuals and organizations mobilizing voluntary contributions to support disaster relief, disease relief, or serious illness must open separate bank accounts for each campaign; they are not allowed to use accounts mixed with personal funds.
When charity money and personal money sit in the same account, the line between the two becomes dangerously blurred. If you withdraw 100 million today, is that charity money or personal money? If you spend on your family, how can you prove it wasn’t from the donations?
More importantly, a personal bank account is not subject to the same oversight mechanisms as one dedicated to charitable activities. Banks have no obligation to provide special monitoring. Authorities cannot easily inspect. Donors have no strong legal basis to demand full public statements or account records.
Donors have every right to ask and to verify where their money has gone, for what purpose, into which account, and who manages it. You have the right to set conditions, and if those conditions cannot be fulfilled, they must refund the money or request your permission to redirect it elsewhere.
A transparent project will proactively provide information. Any project that avoids such requests should be reconsidered before you contribute more money. Transparency protects not only donors, but also honest charitable workers.
The United States once prosecuted a major charity-related case. The nonprofit organization Feeding Our Future in Minnesota allegedly inflated meal numbers to withdraw around 250 million USD from a federal child nutrition program during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prosecutors argued that the meal records were fabricated using falsified logs, lists, and invoices. The money was diverted into luxury spending, vehicles, and real estate. During the FBI investigation, they found one site that claimed to serve 6,000 meals a day but in reality had only about 40 visitors.
Long-term charitable activities need clearer rules. We cannot allow projects to raise hundreds of billions of VND while still operating in a legal gray zone. Therefore, regulations should soon require large-scale projects—say, over 500 million VND per year and lasting more than six months—to register with authorities and undergo independent oversight. They must publicly disclose information quarterly—not just total numbers but detailed, verifiable reports. They must also establish a quick complaint-resolution mechanism, rather than waiting until people go online to expose them before action is taken.
The core of charitable activity is transparency, to ensure trust. When trust in charity wavers, the entire society suffers—including those who are genuinely doing good.
(*) This article reflects the personal opinion of lawyer Hoàng Hà.
Source: https://vnexpress.net/tien-tu-thien-di-dau-4991170.html
WORD BANK:
sponsor /ˈspɑːn.sɚ/ (n/v): nhà tài trợ; tài trợ
accuse sb of doing sth /əˈkjuːz/ (v): buộc tội ai làm gì
transparency /trænsˈpær.ən.si/ [C1] (n): sự minh bạch
charitable /ˈtʃer.ə.t̬ə.bəl/ (adj): từ thiện
suspicion /səˈspɪʃ.ən/ [B2] (n): sự nghi ngờ
arise /əˈraɪz/ [C1] (v): phát sinh
alarm sb /əˈlɑːrm/ (v): làm ai lo sợ
donors /ˈdoʊ.nɚz/ (n): những người quyên góp
keep up with sth /kiːp ʌp wɪð/ (v): theo kịp cái gì
legal framework /ˈliː.ɡəl ˈfreɪm.wɝːk/ (n): khung pháp lý
decree /dɪˈkriː/ (n): nghị định
epidemic /ˌep.əˈdem.ɪk/ (n): dịch bệnh
set out sth /set aʊt/ (v): quy định điều gì
explicit /ɪkˈsplɪs.ɪt/ [C1] (adj): rõ ràng, minh bạch
amend /əˈmend/ [C1] (v): sửa đổi (văn bản luật)
supplement /ˈsʌp.lə.ment/ (v): bổ sung
sponsorship /ˈspɑːn.sɚ.ʃɪp/ (n): sự tài trợ
unified /ˈjuː.nə.faɪd/ (adj): thống nhất
legal corridor /ˈliː.ɡəl ˈkɔːr.ə.dɔːr/ (n): hành lang pháp lý
scattered /ˈskæt̬.ɚd/ (adj): rải rác, phân tán
the Civil Code /ðə ˈsɪv.əl koʊd/ (n): Bộ luật Dân sự
merely /ˈmɪr.li/ [B2] (adv): chỉ đơn thuần
agreed-upon /əˈɡriːd əˌpɑːn/ (adj): đã thỏa thuận
reimbursement /ˌriː.ɪmˈbɝːs.mənt/ (n): sự hoàn trả
compensation /ˌkɑːm.pənˈseɪ.ʃən/ [B2] (n): bồi thường
implementation /ˌɪm.plə.menˈteɪ.ʃən/ (n): việc triển khai thực hiện
file a lawsuit /faɪl ə ˈlɑː.suːt/ (v): nộp đơn kiện
a civil lawsuit /ˈsɪv.əl ˈlɑː.suːt/ (n): vụ kiện dân sự
make a criminal complaint /ˈkrɪm.ə.nəl kəmˈpleɪnt/ (v): tố cáo hình sự
suspect /səˈspekt/ (v/n): nghi ngờ; nghi phạm
misappropriation /ˌmɪs.əˌproʊ.priˈeɪ.ʃən/ (n): sự biển thủ, chiếm dụng
counter-accuse /ˌkaʊn.t̬ɚ əˈkjuːz/ (v): tố ngược lại
defamation /ˌdef.əˈmeɪ.ʃən/ (n): phỉ báng, vu khống
sue /suː/ (v): kiện
transfer receipt /ˈtræns.fɚ rɪˈsiːt/ (n): biên lai chuyển khoản
upon doing sth /əˈpɑːn/ (prep): ngay khi làm gì
assert /əˈsɝːt/ [C1] (v): khẳng định
reconciliation /ˌrek.ənˌsɪl.iˈeɪ.ʃən/ (n): hòa giải
compile /kəmˈpaɪl/ (v): tổng hợp, biên soạn
recipient /rɪˈsɪp.i.ənt/ (n): người nhận
a conditional gift relationship /kənˈdɪʃ.ən.əl ɡɪft/ (n): quan hệ tặng cho có điều kiện
article /ˈɑːr.t̬ɪ.kəl/ (n): điều khoản (trong luật)
reluctant to do sth /rɪˈlʌk.tənt/ [B2] (adj): miễn cưỡng làm gì
unspoken belief /ʌnˈspoʊ.kən bɪˈliːf/ (n): niềm tin ngầm
clarification /ˌkler.ə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (n): sự làm rõ
commitment /kəˈmɪt.mənt/ [B2] (n): cam kết
solicit /səˈlɪs.ɪt/ (v): kêu gọi, vận động (quyên góp)
deviate /ˈdiː.vi.eɪt/ (v): lệch khỏi, sai lệch
breach /briːtʃ/ (v/n): vi phạm; sự vi phạm
back-and-forth /ˌbæk.ənˈfɔːrθ/ (n): qua lại, tranh luận nhiều lần
stipulate /ˈstɪpjə.leɪt/ (v): quy định rõ
relief /rɪˈliːf/ (n): cứu trợ
campaign /kæmˈpeɪn/ (n): chiến dịch
blur /blɝː/ (v): làm mờ, gây nhầm lẫn
withdraw /wɪðˈdrɑː/ (v): rút (tiền, lời tố cáo, tham gia)
subject to sth /ˈsʌb.dʒekt tuː/ (adj): chịu sự…, tùy thuộc vào
oversight mechanism /ˈoʊ.vɚ.saɪt ˈmek.ə.nɪ.zəm/ (n): cơ chế giám sát
inspect /ɪnˈspekt/ (v): kiểm tra
account record /əˈkaʊnt ˈrek.ɚd/ (n): sổ sách kế toán
verify /ˈver.ə.faɪ/ [B2] (v): xác minh
proactively /proʊˈæk.tɪv.li/ (adv): chủ động
charitable worker /ˈtʃer.ə.t̬ə.bəl ˈwɝː.kɚ/ (n): người làm công tác từ thiện
prosecute /ˈprɑː.sə.kjuːt/ (v): truy tố
allegedly /əˈledʒ.ɪd.li/ (adv): bị/được cho là
inflate sth /ɪnˈfleɪ.t/ (v): thổi phồng cái gì
prosecutor /ˈprɑː.sə.kjuː.t̬ɚ/ (n): công tố viên
fabricate sth /ˈfæb.rə.keɪt/ (v): bịa ra, ngụy tạo
falsify /ˈfɑːl.sə.faɪ/ (v): làm giả, giả mạo
log (bảng kê) /lɑːɡ/ (n): bảng kê, sổ ghi chép
invoice /ˈɪn.vɔɪs/ (n): hóa đơn
divert /daɪˈvɝːt/ (v): chuyển hướng, dùng sai mục đích
gray zone /ɡreɪ zoʊn/ (n): vùng xám (không rõ ràng pháp lý)
disclose /dɪsˈkloʊz/ (v): công khai, tiết lộ
verifiable /ˈver.ə.faɪ.ə.bəl/ (adj): có thể xác minh
establish /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ/ [B2] (v): thiết lập
complaint-resolution mechanism /kəmˈpleɪnt ˌrez.əˈluː.ʃən ˈmek.ə.nɪ.zəm/ (n): cơ chế giải quyết khiếu nại
expose sb /ɪkˈspoʊz/ (v): phơi bày ai, vạch trần
core /kɔːr/ (n): cốt lõi
waver /ˈweɪ.vɚ/ (v): dao động, lung lay
genuinely /ˈdʒen.ju.ɪn.li/ (adv): một cách thật lòng
ỦNG HỘ READ TO LEAD!
Chào bạn! Có thể bạn chưa biết, Read to Lead là một trang giáo dục phi lợi nhuận với mục đích góp phần phát triển cộng đồng người học tiếng Anh tại Việt Nam. Chúng tôi không yêu cầu người đọc phải trả bất kỳ chi phí nào để sử dụng các sản phẩm của mình để mọi người đều có cơ hội học tập tốt hơn. Tuy nhiên, nếu bạn có thể, chúng tôi mong nhận được sự hỗ trợ tài chính từ bạn để duy trì hoạt động của trang và phát triển các sản phẩm mới.
Bạn có thể ủng hộ chúng tôi qua 1 trong 2 cách dưới đây.
– Cách 1: Chuyển tiền qua tài khoản Momo.
Số điện thoại 0947.886.865 (Chủ tài khoản: Nguyễn Tiến Trung)
Nội dung chuyển tiền: Ủng hộ Read to Lead
hoặc
– Cách 2: Chuyển tiền qua tài khoản ngân hàng.
Ngân hàng VIB chi nhánh Hải Phòng
Số tài khoản: 012704060048394 (Chủ tài khoản: Nguyễn Tiến Trung)
Nội dung chuyển tiền: Ủng hộ Read to Lead
Lớp luyện thi IELTS online
Bạn đang có nhu cầu thi chứng chỉ IELTS cho đầu vào đại học, đi du học, xin việc hay xin cư trú và đang phân vân chưa biết học ở đâu?
Nếu bạn đang tìm kiếm dịch vụ luyện thi IELTS online với giáo viên uy tín và chất lượng, cũng như học phí phải chăng, thì thầy Trung và Cô Thủy (Admin và dịch giả chính của Read to Lead) có thể là một lựa chọn phù hợp dành cho bạn.
Hãy liên hệ (nhắn tin) tới trang Facebook cá nhân của mình (https://www.facebook.com/nguyen.trung.509) để tìm hiểu về lớp học và được tư vấn cũng như được học thử nha!
