California · Nonprofit
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO (California) receives grants from 5 organizations whose IRS filings report $61,876 to it, the largest being FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND ($40,850). 3 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 100% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- Revenue FY2025
- $56k
- Funders on record
- 5
- Grants received
- $62k
- Net assets
- $91k
What Vietnamese American Organization - Vao does
Mission
VAO | Vietnamese American Organization's mission is to empower individuals to actively engage, learn, and take the lead in strengthening the local community through social service, education, leadership, and cultural activities, all while steadfastly promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are dedicated to providing comprehensive support and resources that uplift individuals, families, and the community as a whole. Our programs and services aim to promote learning, personal growth, and the development of leadership skills. Additionally, we celebrate and honor the rich cultural diversity within our community.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990-EZ.
Programs
Community Outreach & Engagement - Through community outreach and engagement programs, our platform is structured to achieve our objectives by establishing the necessary infrastructure to stabilize our operations. Moreover, we aim to broaden avenues for community engagement through outreach initiatives and expand opportunities for community involvement. VAO also offers a range of services to help organizations and agencies achieve their goals and deliverables. One of our core strengths lies in community engagement, outreach, and participant recruitment. By leveraging our expertise and resources, we can assist organizations and agencies in connecting with the Vietnamese community and recruiting participants for various programs and initiatives.
$54,818 spent100% of program spendingOrganizing & Advocacy - VAO continually strives to advancement and uplifting of our community. We engage, promote and advocate social issues, civic and health awareness through organized events and collaborative activities with local nonprofit partners, government and public agencies.
$0 spent0% of program spendingLanguage & Cultural Arts - At VAO, we believe that preserving and promoting language and cultural arts is essential to maintaining the identity, pride, and resilience of the Vietnamese American community. Through a range of programs and events, we provide meaningful opportunities for individuals of all ages to engage with Vietnamese language, traditional arts, and cultural heritage.
$0 spent0% of program spendingCommunity Help Line - A non-emergency telephone helpline to assist immigrants and the underserved community by connecting them to available programs and resources.
$0 spent0% of program spendingCommunity Craft Day - Community Craft Day is an inclusive event that offers a plethora of opportunities for community engagement. Volunteers and partner organizations come together to host arts and craft workshops, providing community members with the chance to explore their creativity and learn new skills. This collaborative effort fosters a sense of camaraderie and empowerment within the community, while also promoting the importance of artistic expression and hands-on learning.
$0 spent0% of program spendingCommunity Portrait Day - Community Portrait Day is a heartwarming event designed to bring families together. It offers the opportunity for community members to have professional photo portraits taken by skilled photographers who volunteer their time and expertise. This event not only captures cherished moments but also fosters a sense of togetherness and unity within the community.
$0 spent0% of program spendingCommunity Festival- Community Festival, aimed at promoting community involvement, celebrating culture, and providing entertainment, unity, inspiration, and empowerment for all.
$0 spent0% of program spendingMid Autumn Festival - The Mid-Autumn Festival ignites joy and enthusiasm among families and children as they come together to celebrate Vietnamese American culture. This vibrant event features traditional lanterns, delectable Mid-Autumn cakes, and a variety of cultural activities. It serves as a cherished opportunity for the community to reconnect with their heritage, share stories and traditions, and create lasting memories with loved ones.
$0 spent0% of program spendingChristmas Toys Giving - The Christmas Toys Giving event presents a wonderful opportunity for community engagement, as volunteers come together to dedicate their time during the festive season. We collect and distribute toys to hundreds of children and families, spreading joy and holiday cheer. Alongside the toy distribution, the event features games, activities, and opportunities for families to capture cherished memories with Santa through family photos. It serves as a heartwarming occasion for the community to come together, celebrate, and create lasting moments of happiness.
$0 spent0% of program spendingVietnamese American Leadership Initiative - Vietnamese American Leadership Initiative (VALI) aims to bridge the generational gap and create a pathway for the next generation to discover their potential and contribute to the community's growth. By nurturing emerging leaders, VALI seeks to inspire a renewed sense of purpose, unity, and empowerment among Vietnamese Americans. Through VALI, we provide a comprehensive platform that equips participants with essential leadership skills, cultural awareness, and a deep understanding of their heritage.
$0 spent0% of program spendingCommunity Spotlight - Community Spotlight is a social media project committed to showcasing and sharing stories of leadership and inspiration that positively impact the Vietnamese American community. Whether it's individuals, groups, or businesses, our aim is to showcase those who are making a positive impact.
$0 spent0% of program spendingDeportation Defense: VAO is dedicated to supporting individuals facing deportation by providing clear guidance, essential resources, and effective advocacy. Our Deportation Support Services offer compassionate, comprehensive case management, step-by-step guidance, advocacy, and resource connections to empower those facing deportation.
$0 spent0% of program spendingTieng Viet with FRIENDS:Tieng Viet with Friends is a Vietnamese language club hosted in San Jose, California as part of Vietnamese American Organization (VAO)
$0 spent0% of program spendingCommunity Award Gala - The Community Award Gala is a premier event honoring the Vietnamese American journey. This celebration is dedicated to gratitude, legacy, and resilience, recognizing individuals, organizations, and businesses who have made meaningful contributions to the Vietnamese American community in the Bay Area.
$0 spent0% of program spendingDeportation Defense - VAO is dedicated to supporting individuals facing deportation by providing clear guidance, essential resources, effective advocacy, and comprehensive case management. Our goal is to ensure their rights are protected, their contributions are valued, and their families remain united. No one should have to face this fight alone.
$0 spent0% of program spendingKnow Your Rights - help individuals and families discover their constitutional rights as immigrants and provide guidance on how to express them confidently.
$0 spent0% of program spending
The 16 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990-EZ. Program spending in total: $54,818.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2019, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2019, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2022 to 2023, from $88k to $164k (+87%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2023 0% · 2024 21%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
99% of VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO’s revenue is contributions — more donation-reliant than the typical peer (78% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 2 of the last 5 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Quyen Mai
Executive Director
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990-EZ.
Who funds it, year by year
2020 → 2023: the base held at 3 funders, grant income rose $21k → $30k.
4 of 5 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 100% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 4 of 5 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO leans on a few funders — its largest provides 66% of grant income and the top three 100%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
100% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2020 71% · 2021 100% · 2023 100% — growing more concentrated.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
100% of VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO's grant income arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors, whose addresses record where the money is held rather than where the donor is. Too little is directly attributable to place on a map.
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $62k arriving through sponsors registered in 4 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO's revenue fell 36% between 2019 and 2025.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 10,242 arts & culture nonprofits under $100k, FY2025
Organizations like VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In California
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Public support
98%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO?
- VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO (California) receives grants from 5 organizations whose IRS filings report $61,876 to it, the largest being FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND ($40,850). 3 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 100% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- How many funders does VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO have?
- IRS filings report 5 organizations giving $61,876 in grants to VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO, 3 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO?
- FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND is the largest funder on record, with $40,850 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION - VAO find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in California. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Vietnamese American Organization - Vao →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2019–2025), and the filings of 5 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing