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EN VI
Pham Foundation · Est. 2021

A family that gives back.

A multi-generational educational philanthropy foundation — built from a Vietnamese-American story of immigration, education, and the belief that opportunity should be passed forward.

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From the Founders

Why we built
this Foundation.

We grew up in families where giving back was not a formal act — it was a way of life. Scott's father spent most of his life as an educator and a quiet supporter of those around him. Even when resources were scarce, he gave: to relatives in Vietnam, to students he had never met, to anyone who needed help continuing their education. He never stopped. He never asked for recognition.

His mother organized communities, led youth programs, and modeled what it means to stay committed to others over a lifetime — not just in good years, but in every year. Together, they showed us that generosity is not measured by what you have, but by what you consistently do.

Tammy's path through education — from Quảng Ngãi to Berkeley to British Columbia — was shaped by the same belief: that education is the most durable thing a family can invest in. That belief is now the Foundation's purpose.

The Foundation exists to carry those values forward — through scholarship programs, institutional partnerships, and a long-term commitment to the schools and universities that gave our family its footing in the world. Its founding documents state the mission plainly: multi-generational educational philanthropy, supporting students, teachers, and educational institutions in the United States and internationally, in reaching the highest levels of learning, achievement, and stewardship. That is not a tagline. It is a constitutional commitment — written into the Articles of Incorporation and binding on every generation that governs this Foundation after us.

Scott H. Pham & Tammy T. Duong Founders · Pham Foundation · Est. 2021
"Education is the thread that runs through everything our family has built. We were raised by parents who believed, above all else, that learning was the most lasting gift they could pass on."
— Pham Foundation · Founded 2021
The Founders

Two people.
One shared purpose.

Scott H. Pham and Tammy T. Duong established the Foundation from a shared conviction: that the educational opportunities that shaped their lives should be made available to the next generation — wherever they are. The Foundation's Articles of Incorporation name this directly: two founders born in Quảng Ngãi, Việt Nam, who immigrated to and built their lives in the United States, and who believe that education is the most durable form of generosity, and that a family's values are best preserved not through accumulation but through purposeful giving across generations.

Scott H. Pham
Scott H. Pham
Founder · President
Governance · Infrastructure · Strategy

Born in Quảng Ngãi, Việt Nam in 1971, Scott immigrated to the United States in 1981 and graduated from San José State University with a degree in Civil Engineering. His life represents the belief that education, family responsibility, and opportunity can transform not just one person's future — but the future of many generations.

Tammy T. Duong
Tammy T. Duong, Ph.D.
Co-Founder · Treasurer · Program Director
tammy@phamfoundation.org
Programs · Relationships · Culture

Born in Quảng Ngãi, Việt Nam, Tammy earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley and completed her Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia in 2023. An alumna of Trần Quốc Tuấn High School — the first school the Foundation's Vietnam scholarship serves — she carries the personal connection that gives the mission its meaning.

What Guides Us

The values behind
every decision.

These are not statements — they are the principles that have shaped every program, every partnership, and every dollar the Foundation has committed.

I

Education is a pathway, not a privilege.

We give to students who are working hard — not to students who already have every advantage. The Foundation exists to recognize effort, perseverance, and potential wherever they appear. The Perseverance Scholar award exists specifically because we believe the student who achieves despite hardship deserves recognition at least as much as the student who achieves with ease.

II

Sustained presence over single gestures.

One-time donations are easy. Coming back every year is a commitment. The Foundation structures its scholarships as multi-year programs — five-year commitments at partner schools — because we believe that sustained presence is more meaningful than a single act of generosity.

III

Give where you have a personal connection.

Every school and university the Foundation partners with is a place the family knows personally — Scott's engineering school, Tammy's high school, Tammy's university. That connection is not incidental. It is the reason these programs exist. The Foundation does not give broadly. It invests in places and people it knows well.

IV

Grow quietly. Let the work speak.

The Foundation does not advertise, seek recognition, or solicit donations from strangers. Growth comes through the quality of the work and the trust of the people who have seen it. Word of mouth is our only growth strategy — because it is the only one we believe in.

V

Build for generations not yet born.

The Foundation is not designed for this generation alone. Every decision we make — about programs, about assets, about governance — is made with the next generation in mind. We treat the Foundation's resources as borrowed from our children, not inherited from our parents. The standard is long-term stewardship, not short-term generosity. In 2026, the Foundation formalized this commitment in its Restated Bylaws — establishing a stewardship pathway that prepares each generation for governance responsibility before it is needed.

How We Govern

A foundation built
to outlast its founders.

In June 2026, the Foundation adopted Restated Articles of Incorporation and Restated Bylaws — the first major governance restatement since founding. These documents formalize what was always the founders' intent: that the Pham Foundation remain under family governance in perpetuity, with a structured pathway for each generation to carry it forward.

The governance architecture is organized into four tiers. The founding family holds sovereign authority. Their daughters are formally designated as Junior Members with a defined pathway to full governance. A small board provides support and continuity. An institutional backstop ensures the Foundation can never be extinguished by the absence of any individual.

The Foundation restates its governing documents every five years — the next restatement is anticipated in 2031. Each cycle ensures the documents remain current with the Foundation's growth and the founders' evolving intent. One commitment in those documents is permanent and cannot be changed by any future board vote or amendment: the Foundation is and shall remain a private family foundation. It will never convert to a public charity. That designation is not a tax preference — it is the expression of how this family intends to give, and who it trusts to govern what it has built.

The full governance framework is described on the Foundation's Governance page.

Built to last.
One generation at a time.

We did not build this Foundation to make a statement. We built it because we believe that giving back — done carefully, done consistently, done with the next generation in mind — is one of the most meaningful things a family can do.

The Foundation is still young. The work is just beginning. But the values that guide it are old — and they are ours.

— Scott & Tammy
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