Vietnam Foundation is an Australian Non-Profit charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC). The Foundation was established in 1995 to serve as a bridge between Australia and Vietnam to help improve the lives of poor people and disadvantaged communities in rural Vietnam.
We are an approved organisation under the Overseas Aid Gift Deductibility Scheme (OAGDS) of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT), and our VNF Vietnam Relief Fund was granted Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). All donations of $2.00 or more to the Fund by individuals, organisations and Companies in Australia are fully tax-deductible.
Our Mission
Our mission is to help and empower the poor and disadvantaged people and communities in remote areas in rural Vietnam to break out of the cycle of poverty.
We work collaboratively with our local partners to deliver a range of well targeted development and aid programs in a cost-effective, empowering and sustainable way.
Why Vietnam Foundation?
OUR POINTS OF DIFFERENCE
- All donations over $2.00 to our VNF Vietnam Relief Fund are fully tax-deductible.
- All Directors and staff of Vietnam Foundation are volunteers with no renumeration, and we operate entirely without overheads. This ensures that close to 100% of your donation money goes directly to creating the greatest impact in the lives of children and families in areas of extreme poverty in rural Vietnam, where people subsist on less than two USD per day per person.
- Our direct and cost-effective approach to projects’ delivery is based on partnering with local NGOs and charities to empower people and communities in these areas to rise out of extreme poverty.
Our Approach
Partnering
We place strong emphasis on working with our local partners in Vietnam to optimise the effectiveness of funds, and on participation by local communities, which also helps aid recipients and communities build capacity and resilience while creating a better, more sustainable environment.
Empowering & Sustainability
We seek not only to fund and help deliver development and aid projects but to also empower aid recipients by encouraging participation by the local people and communities. This grassroots participation helps local communities build capacity and develop resilience and self-reliance.
Our Recycled Bicycles program for school children and Rain Water Harvesting program promote recycling and Environmental Sustainability, as well as significantly improving the welfare and health of local children and families.
Our Policies
The Vietnam Foundation Board are committed to ensuring transparency and governance across all our projects. Visit our Policies page to access information on our funding guidelines and assessment criteria, donations, and required documentation including our Child Protection Policy.
Our People
Board of Directors & Executive Committee Members
President
Dr Nhan Gia Ly | Bachelor of Engineering (Hons 1), PhD University of NSW
- Former Senior Principal Research Scientist & Program Manager, CSIRO
- Former Senior Program Manager, Australian Wool Innovation
Vice President
Mr Hao Van Nguyen | Bachelor of Engineering (Hons 1), Master of Engineering University of Canterbury NZ
- Former Technical Director- General Electric Company (UK-NZ)
- Former Construction Director- Building Services Co-Partnership (NZ)
- Former Project Director- Waterman International (UK- Australia)
Vice President
Mr Truong Quang Minh | Bachelor of Engineering (Hons 1), University of NSW, MAS University of New England
- Operations Manager, Manian
- Consultant, Ethnic Communications
- Vice President, Association of Vietnamese Performing Artists Australia
Treasurer
Ms Tinh Tien Le | Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts (Hons) University of Canterbury, New Zealand, MAS Southern Cross University, Australia, CPA Australia
- Certified Practising Accountant
- Former Public & Management Accountant
- Former Tax Agent
Secretary
Mr Hong Ba Le | Master of Science (Hons) University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- Former Enterprise Systems Consultant, Hewlett Packard Australia
- Former Computer Services Centre Manager, Prahan College of TAFE, Melbourne
- Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
Board of Directors
Director
Professor Binh Tran-Nam | Bachelor of Economics (Hons 1) James Cook University, Master of Economics Australian National University, PhD University of NSW, Australia
- Professor, School of Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, UNSW Sydney
- International Fellow, Exeter University & Adjunct Research Fellow, Monash University
Director
Dr Thuy Mai-Viet | Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), PhD University of NSW
- President, University Preparation College
- Former Senior Statistician, Pathfinders and Australian Post
- Former Director, Australia-Vietnam Business Council
- Former Director, Australia-Vietnam Medical Hoc Mai Foundation
Director
Mr Hai Dinh | Bachelor of Engineering (Hons 1) University of Newcastle
- Former Technical Director – Intelle Building Services
- Former Technical Director Buildings – Aurecon Australia
- Former Director-in-charge Building Services – Meinhardt NSW
- Former Director Building Services – Hyder Consulting NSW
- Former Director Building Services – Engineering Consultants of Australia
Mr Nguyen Kim Long | BEc University of Tasmania
- Former Finance Officer – The Treasury (Canberra)
- Former Senior Investigation Officer – Ministry of Finance (PNG)
- Former Head Project Administration – Asian Development Bank (Philippines)
- Independent Consultant – Agriculture and Rural Development
Dr Khoa Ho-Le | Bachelor of Engineering, PhD Monash University, BSc University of Melbourne
- Former Research Scientist, CSIRO
- Former Senior Application Developer, Leading Edge Technologies
- Former Managing Director, Abaki Pty Ltd
- Supervisory Board Member, Mekong Conservancy Foundation
- Member of Board of Directors, Australia Vietnam Education Promotion Association.
Mr Rhys Williams – Bachelor of Arts, Grad Dip Education, Dip Applied Social Research, Grad Cert Adult and Vocational Education
- Owner/Director Imago Creations: Education and not-for-profit advisory
- Former Director, Transnational Education Partnerships, Victoria University. Operated VU courses with partners in China, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka)
- Former senior manager, RMIT University. Roles: offshore courses, online learning, social science department head
- Board member KOTO International Limited, supporting disadvantaged youth in Vietnam
Vietnam Foundation Ambassadors
Mai Nguyen-Long
“I was inspired to become a VNF Ambassador to help create different opportunities for and with others, deepen my understanding of transnational relationships and maintain a connection with Vietnam.’’
Mai Nguyen-Long is a visual artist. Tasmanian born, she grew up in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. She has a Bachelor of Arts/Asian Studies Australian National University (1991), Postgraduate Diploma Museum Studies University of Sydney (1993), and a Master of Arts in Visual Art Queensland College of Art, Griffith University (1997). In 1994 she studied Vietnamese language at Vietnam National University and Vietnamese Art History at Vietnam University of Fine Arts. She received an Australian Government RTP scholarship in 2017 to undertake a Doctor of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong.
For more than a decade Mai worked for Aus Health International, the former international arm of NSW Health. As international client relations officer she managed study tours for visiting health professionals and government officials and assisted marketing and development projects. As an exhibiting artist, Mai has participated in storytelling performances and received Commonwealth and State grants for community development projects, working with disadvantaged schools and participants from diverse backgrounds. In 1999 Mai was an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development supported by AusAID. Since 2018 she has been Vice President Vietnam Centre Australia.
In Country Representatives
Associate Professor Nguyễn Thiện Tống
BE (Hons 1), PhD Sydney University, MPA Harvard
- Former Head of Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City
- Former Vice President, Mekong University, Vinh Long Province.
Dr Huỳnh Công Hoài
BE HCMC University of Technology VN, ME AIT Thailand, PhD INPT France
- Associate Professor, HCMC University of Technology, Vietnam
Ms Nguyễn Thị Huyền Trân
BA University of Social Sciences and Humanities VN, MSM L’Université Libre de Bruxelles Belgium, BA HCMC University of Law VN, Attorney-at-Law License (Ministry of Justice, Vietnam)
- Deputy Manager of Administration, Legal and General Affairs, Sojitz Vietnam Co Ltd
Dr Lưu Thái Danh
BSc(Agr) University of Queensland, MSc KU Leuven, PhD UNSW
- Lecturer, Cần Thơ University, Vietnam