Our Story and Philosophy

Our Logo

Our logo is a play on typography, with an emphasis on the V (Viet) representing our commitment to the youth and families of Vietnam. VH is the wind, carrying the leaf high and far away, which symbolizes VietHope as the lifting force for the students we serve, empowering them to reach their highs in life.

Viethope Logo

Mission

Founded in 2002 by a group of university students in the Boston area, VietHope was born as a dedication to Vietnam’s youth and development. Our mission is to empower financially disadvantaged students in Vietnam with access to education, in order to rise out of poverty. VietHope shares the dream that every child in Vietnam will grow up with the opportunity to reach their full potential. With our help, and your support, VietHope scholars are creating a better world for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Volunteer working with students.
Volunteerism is in our DNA.

Operating Model

VietHope is youth-based and volunteer-driven.

Although VietHope has three paid staff members based in Vietnam, our core team is made up of volunteers – students and young professionals from across Vietnam and the U.S. who are committed to delivering VietHope's mission and vision. Whether it’s reading 300 scholarship applications, visiting students’ homes, or teaching students communications skills – it’s done by volunteers! In fact, many of our volunteers in Vietnam are former VietHope scholarship recipients.
Smiling children huddled together

Strategy

Empowering low-income youth to rise out of poverty is a long-term investment.

VietHope has changed the lives of many young students by connecting them to sponsors’ support. To date, sponsors have entrusted us with $1,120,000 which we have channeled to support over 8,600 disadvantaged but talented students throughout Vietnam.

Over the years, we have observed the impact of our own programs’ successes and gaps. Based on this, VietHope has built a portfolio of strategic and sustainable programs that equip low-income youth with the skills and strengths needed to truly beat the odds. To learn more about VietHope's unique strategy, visit Our Programs page.

Transparency

We are committed to responsible stewardship of sponsors' funds.

Each year, VietHope produces an Annual Report to all sponsors, which summarizes the way we stewarded their funds.  As a 501(c)3 charity, VietHope also reports our finances and operations to the IRS each year.   These reports are available upon request.