Our mission

We are a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting disadvantaged individuals and communities in Vietnam to achieve self-sufficiency through sustainable solutions in the areas of health, education and economic development

Our History

Three decades of humanitarian and development assistance to Vietnam

Fighting post-war poverty and desolation

In 1989, the US lifted travel restrictions to Vietnam after more than a decade of sanctions. This decision meant that, for the first time since the end of the Vietnam War, Vietnamese Americans could freely return to the homeland they had left. Many of VNHELP’s founders were among that first cohort of Vietnamese Americans to return, and they personally witnessed the poverty and desolation still prevalent throughout much of the country. They decided they had to do something to help ease the suffering.

Formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 1991

At first it was small, charitable projects they each ran in their own time. But in 1991, the friends who would become VNHELP’s founders realized they could do so much more if they combined their resources. In that moment, VNHELP was born.

Now one of the largest Vietnamese non-profits

It is now one of the largest Vietnamese American-founded nonprofit organizations providing humanitarian and development assistance to Vietnam. Its programs have expanded to reach thousands of people each year through health, education, and economic development.

Continually striving for sustainable change

Whether it’s through grassroots initiatives, strategic partnerships, market-based solutions, or social business, our goal is to give everyone a chance to succeed in life. We won’t stop until it becomes reality.

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1991	VNHELP is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our first projects include supporting childcare centers in Hanoi, Saigon and Can Tho, and a hospital in Song Be. The Nguyen Truong To Scholarship Program is launched this year.
1994	VNHELP organizes its first public fundraising event at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts with Dang Thai Son, an international gold medalist pianist. The concert is sold out, representing a major stepping stone in VNHELP’s outreach to the community.
1999	After a particularly devastating typhoon season wrecks much of Vietnam, VNHELP launches the Vietnam Relief Fund and raises over $60,000 through an online campaign for short and long term recovery efforts. The School Construction program is launched.
2000	VNHELP moves office from Oakland to San Jose.
2002	VNHELP is featured on the front page of the San Jose Mercury News.
2003	VNHELP begins a partnership with the Wheelchair Foundation to organize the Wheel and Grace project, distributing 1500 wheelchairs to Vietnam in the country’s single largest distribution in history. VNHELP’s volunteer Executive Director Thu Do is featured on ABC channel 7’s “Profile of Excellence.”
2005	VNHELP initiates the School Construction Matching Fund.
2006	The Sponsor a Child program formally begins and Thu Do leaves her job in the engineering sector to become VNHELP’s full-time director.
2009	The Microfinance program is launched in Vinh Phuc and Can Tho provinces. VNHELP also takes on its first clean water projects with the East Meets West Foundation.
2011	VNHELP celebrates its 20th anniversary and 20 years of dedication to alleviating poverty in Vietnam.
2018	VNHELP is featured on San Jose Mercury News

Our Approach

Engagement based on five principles

VNHELP was founded on the vision that people can begin to pull themselves out of poverty and build self-sufficiency through greater access to resources. To help us realize this vision, we partner with local organizations and individuals in Vietnam who have a deep connection to the people and their needs, and we equip them with the tools necessary for success.

Health
Develop, promote, and maintain various programs related to preventative care and health education in rural area.

Education
Provide financial assistance to poor students and individuals who have the determination and ability to excel; provide funds to build or repair schools to increase access to education.

Self-help
Emphasize self-help programs to enable local people and project beneficiaries to achieve sustainable livelihoods.

Direct Humanitarian Aid
Collaborate with individuals and organizations who share our common goal to bring humanitarian aid directly to the needy people in Vietnam.

Cultural Exchange
Promote Vietnamese culture in the United States through cultural and art events to increase understanding between the two peoples.