Education & Scholarships
Supporting students through scholarship opportunities, with special attention to high-achieving students preparing for careers in engineering, technology, and public-impact fields.
Education • Community • Stewardship
Building a lasting family tradition of giving.
Pham Foundation is a private family foundation created to support education, community opportunity, and thoughtful giving rooted in gratitude, immigrant experience, and service.
About the Foundation
Pham Foundation is a California-based private family foundation founded by Scott H. Pham and Tammy T. Duong to support charitable giving, education, and community impact in a thoughtful and organized way.
The Foundation reflects a Vietnamese-American family story shaped by immigration, education, hard work, and gratitude. Its purpose is to turn those values into practical support for students, families, schools, and community institutions.
Our approach is steady and practical: invest carefully, give thoughtfully, document responsibly, and build charitable habits our family can continue over time.
Why We Give
The Foundation’s charitable philosophy began long before the organization itself was formed.
Scott Pham grew up watching both of his parents dedicate their lives to serving others. His father spent most of his life as an educator, helping young people pursue education and opportunity. Even when resources were limited, he worked tirelessly to support poor relatives in Vietnam, students he had never met, and families who needed help continuing their education. He continued this work throughout his life until his passing.
His mother was deeply involved in community leadership and youth development, helping organize youth groups and continuing charitable and community-focused work throughout her adult life. Together, they demonstrated that generosity is not measured only by wealth, but by consistency, sacrifice, and a willingness to help others over a lifetime.
These family examples helped shape Scott and Tammy’s shared commitment to philanthropy, education, mentorship, and community support. His early experiences with giving began through the Boy Scouts, later serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster, volunteering through church communities, and eventually mentoring young engineers during his professional career at San José State University.
In business, the same philosophy continues. Through long-term property ownership and management, efforts have been made to support veterans, working families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities by maintaining stable housing opportunities and community-oriented operations.
Giving back is a choice. Our family has chosen this path for ourselves and for our children. The Foundation exists not only to provide charitable support today, but also to carry forward a family tradition of service, responsibility, gratitude, and care for others.
The Foundation was created with the hope that future family members will continue participating in philanthropy, education, and service.
Current Focus Areas
The Foundation is developing its giving around a few practical areas where focused support can make a meaningful difference.
Engineering & STEM Opportunity
Encouraging students who show academic strength, leadership, initiative, and professional promise in engineering and related disciplines.
Community Support
Supporting charitable work that strengthens families, expands opportunity, and helps communities build stability over time.
Family Stewardship
Building a charitable structure that teaches responsible giving, careful governance, and service-minded leadership across generations.
Recent Initiatives
The Foundation is in an active development stage, with early work focused on education, scholarship support, public transparency, and responsible governance.
2026 — Pham Foundation Engineering Scholarship
Funded an inaugural $5,000 scholarship grant through San José State University to support a promising engineering student selected through the university scholarship process.
2026 — Public Financial Transparency
Began preparing public financial summary materials based on IRS Form 990-PF filings so visitors can more easily understand the Foundation’s finances, grants, and charitable activity.
2026 — Foundation Website Development
Continued development of this website as a public-facing information resource for students, community partners, institutions, and the general public.
2021–Present — Long-Term Charitable Platform
Established the Foundation as a family vehicle for philanthropy, educational giving, and community support.
Founders
Scott H. Pham and Tammy T. Duong are husband-and-wife founders of Pham Foundation. Together, they established the Foundation to build a lasting family tradition of philanthropy centered on education, community support, and responsible giving.
Their work reflects not only their own experiences as Vietnamese Americans, but also the values of a larger close-knit extended family and community rooted in California. Through the Foundation, they hope to continue traditions of education, service, generosity, and responsibility that have been carried forward within their family and community.
Scott H. Pham
Scott H. Pham was born in Quang Ngai, Viet Nam in 1971 and immigrated to the United States in 1981. He later graduated from San José State University with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. His life and work reflect the belief that education, family responsibility, and opportunity can transform not only one person’s future, but the future of many generations.
Tammy T. Duong
Tammy T. Duong was born in Quang Ngai, Viet Nam. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and pursued advanced studies in biotechnology and fermentation sciences. In 2023, she completed her Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia.
Her professional experience in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research helps inform the Foundation’s interest in science education, innovation, environmental care, and organizations that promote public understanding of science and technology.
Guiding Belief
Support should be thoughtful, practical, and lasting. The Foundation exists not only to give, but to preserve and pass forward a tradition of responsibility, gratitude, and service.
Science & Technology Education Support
Pham Foundation believes that science education, public exploration, and access to discovery-based learning can inspire future generations of engineers, researchers, educators, and problem-solvers.
As part of its broader charitable mission, the Foundation is proud to support institutions that promote scientific literacy, environmental care, innovation, and hands-on educational experiences for families, students, and the broader community.
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences combines natural history, environmental research, planetarium science, and public education into one of the nation’s leading science institutions. The Foundation values its role in inspiring curiosity, conservation awareness, and lifelong learning.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium is internationally recognized for marine education, ocean conservation, and public engagement with environmental care. The Foundation supports efforts that help future generations better understand and protect the natural world.
The Gardens of Golden Gate Park
The Gardens of Golden Gate Park help preserve and maintain some of San Francisco’s most historic public gardens, including spaces dedicated to botanical education, conservation, and community enjoyment. The Foundation supports institutions that provide public access to nature, environmental learning, cultural heritage, and peaceful spaces that encourage curiosity, reflection, and lifelong appreciation for the natural world.
The Exploratorium
The Exploratorium has long served as one of California’s most innovative science museums, encouraging hands-on experimentation, creativity, engineering curiosity, and interactive learning for students and families of all ages.
Continuing Commitment: The Foundation intends to continue supporting science,
technology, conservation, and public educational institutions as part of its broader
mission to invest in education, curiosity, community learning, and future generations.
Public Information & Transparency
As a private foundation, Pham Foundation files annual IRS Form 990-PF returns. The Foundation intends to make public-facing financial summaries available in a clear, readable format for visitors who want to understand its charitable activity, grants, expenses, and assets.
IRS Form 990-PF Summaries
Public financial summaries may include revenue, investment income, expenses, grants paid, officer compensation, net assets, and other publicly reportable information.
View 2025 Public Financial Summary (IRS Form 990-PF)
View 2024 Public Financial Summary (IRS Form 990-PF)
Grant Making Summary
The Foundation will continue to document charitable grants and scholarship support as programs develop.
Governance
The Foundation emphasizes careful governance, documentation, reasonableness, and responsible fiduciary oversight.
Note: Pham Foundation is a private family foundation. The Foundation currently supports selected organizations and institutional partnerships and does not operate a general open grant application process at this time.
Institutions, schools, and community partners may contact the Foundation for general inquiries or partnership discussions.
Contact
For general inquiries, institutional coordination, scholarship-related communication, or public information requests, please contact the Foundation.
Email: info@phamfoundation.org
For Students & Partners
Scholarship opportunities administered through partner institutions may follow that institution’s application and selection process. Please review the applicable school or program instructions when a scholarship opportunity is announced.