How might Vietnam reverse the current trend towards a more vertical approach to philanthropy, and return to a more horizontal form of philanthropy?

1975 – 1986: A centralized, state-subsidized era where relief activities were strictly state-managed, while private or religious initiatives were heavily restricted.
1986 – 1999: The Đổi Mới (Renovation) policy diversified social resources. The private sector and non-governmental organizations began participating, though the model remained heavily top-down (vertical philanthropy).
1999 – 2010: The IT boom and global integration spurred professionalization, laying the groundwork for horizontal philanthropy.
2010 – 2025: The digital revolution enhanced transparency and aligned philanthropic work with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Informed by 30 years of professional engagement in Vietnam’s non-profit landscape and the historical socio-economic dynamics of the Southern region, this research paper investigates how civil society organizations can effectively pivot towards a decentralized, community-led (bottom-up) approach. The analysis traces this institutional evolution across four primary stages of Vietnam’s post-1975 socio-economic development, as follows: