About Scholarships Stewardship Contact
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Education · Opportunity · Stewardship

Building a lasting family
tradition of giving.

A multi-generational educational philanthropy foundation — helping students reach the highest levels of learning, achievement, and stewardship.

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2021 Founded
$29K+ Total Giving
18 Grantees
3 Scholarship Tracks
Our Purpose

A multi-generational
educational philanthropy foundation.

Focused on helping students reach the highest levels of learning, achievement, and stewardship — built from a Vietnamese-American family story of immigration, education, and service.

The Foundation exists to turn those values into practical support for students, families, schools, and community institutions. The approach is steady and deliberate: give thoughtfully, manage responsibly, keep clear records, and build charitable traditions that can continue for generations.

Pham Foundation is a California private family foundation. It is governed by the family that built it, guided by the experiences that shaped them, and designed to be carried forward by the generation that follows.

A tradition of service

Education as a pathway to opportunity

Quiet generosity without recognition rules

Long-term commitment to families and communities

Deep respect for students, teachers, and institutions

Teaching the next generation that stewardship is an obligation

"Treat the Foundation's assets as borrowed from your children, not inherited from your parents."
— Pham Foundation Restated Articles of Incorporation · June 2026
Current Focus Areas

Focused giving
with a long horizon.

Supporting education, opportunity, scientific curiosity, and family stewardship through practical, long-term charitable giving.

Scholarships
Education & Opportunity

Supporting students through scholarship programs, with attention to academic achievement, perseverance, and future promise.

STEM
Engineering & Science

Encouraging students who show academic strength, leadership, and professional promise in engineering and related disciplines.

Discovery
Science & Nature

Supporting institutions that make science, nature, and hands-on learning visible and accessible to families and students.

Legacy
Family Stewardship

Teaching the next generation that responsible giving, careful recordkeeping, and caring for others is an obligation — not an option.

Program Timeline

Built deliberately,
one promise at a time.

2021 — Ongoing

Bay Area Science & Discovery

Since its founding, the Foundation has supported four Bay Area institutions committed to science, nature, and hands-on learning — the California Academy of Sciences, Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Gardens of Golden Gate Park, and the Exploratorium. This commitment was made before any other program was in place, and it continues in perpetuity.

View Science Institutions →
March 2026

SJSU Scholarship Established

The Foundation funded its inaugural $5,000 scholarship through San José State University.

View SJSU Program →
2026–2031

Quảng Ngãi Scholarship Commitment

A five-year, $25,000 commitment to recognize students and teachers at Trần Quốc Tuấn High School in Quảng Ngãi.

View Quảng Ngãi Program →
Target 2027

UC Berkeley Scholarship

The next university scholarship is planned for UC Berkeley, following a similar institution-administered model.

Foundation approach: The Foundation does not make promises first and search for funding later. It builds the financial base, protects the assets, invests with care, and gives from a position of stability.

Pham Foundation scholarships are administered through partner institutions. The Foundation does not accept direct scholarship applications. Students interested in the SJSU program should contact San José State University's scholarship office directly.

Science & Discovery Support

Four institutions.
A promise made in 2021.

The Pham Foundation has supported the California Academy of Sciences, Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Gardens of Golden Gate Park, and the Exploratorium since its founding — a commitment made before any other program was in place.

These four Bay Area institutions shaped how our family learned together. Saturday mornings at the Academy. Quiet walks through the gardens. Our daughters watching engineers at the Exploratorium and marine biologists at the Aquarium — science and nature not as subjects, but as experiences worth returning to.

Their work makes curiosity visible, keeps the natural world present in public life, and gives families access to learning that lasts. The Foundation's support is permanent — not project by project, but as a standing commitment.

California Academy of Sciences

California Academy of Sciences

Natural history, planetarium science, public education, and conservation awareness.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Marine education, ocean conservation, and the responsibility to protect the natural world.

The Gardens of Golden Gate Park

The Gardens of Golden Gate Park

Botanical education, public access to nature, and environmental learning.

The Exploratorium

The Exploratorium

Hands-on experimentation, engineering curiosity, and family discovery.

Public Information & Transparency

Clear records.
Responsible oversight.

The Foundation maintains full public disclosure of its IRS filings, grantmaking activity, and financial records. Pham Foundation is a private family foundation and does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Governing documents were restated in June 2026 — the full framework is described on the Governance page.

View Public Filings & Grant Records
Privacy Policy Accessibility Statement Public Filings Governance