Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance

What Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance does

Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance (VAYA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan, community-based organization founded in 2004 in San Diego, California. It is entirely volunteer- and youth-run, governed by an elected executive board (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian) supported by volunteer staff (Webmaster, Social Media Manager). Its mission centers on promoting youth leadership, cultural awareness, social awareness, and community development among Vietnamese-American youth and families in San Diego County.

VAYA's core offering is the annual San Diego Tết Festival, hosted at Mira Mesa Community Park since 2013 and described as one of the largest and only free Tết festivals in San Diego, attracting 20,000-25,000 attendees each year. Supplementary programs include the Miss Vietnam San Diego pageant, the Community and Civic Engagement Scholarship ($300 award for graduating high school seniors sponsored by Smileinsight Dental), free financial literacy workshops co-delivered with California Coast Credit Union, an annual street clean-up initiative, and cultural/commemorative events such as the 2019 Black April Commemoration featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. Việt Thanh Nguyễn. Distribution is built around a WordPress website (vayasd.org), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, a bi-weekly eNewsletter, and an InfoSocial community mailing list.

VAYA's business model is donation- and event-driven rather than commercial. Revenue streams include tax-deductible donations via PayPal, sponsorship underwriting (notably California Coast Credit Union), and modest ticket sales for specific fundraisers such as a $10-per-ticket Halloween Warehouse Party and a $30-per-person fundraising banquet. Primary cultural events such as Tết are free admission, and the organization publishes no financial disclosures. Geographic scope is limited to San Diego County, California, with no current evidence of expansion outside the region.

Name

Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance

Legal name

Vietnamese American Youth Alliance

Website

https://vayasd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance (VAYA) is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-run nonprofit in San Diego that organizes cultural events, leadership programs, and community service for Vietnamese-American youth and families, anchored by its annual free Tết Festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Cultural Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Community event management
• Cultural festival organization
• Youth leadership development
• Community-based nonprofits
• Cultural heritage programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Accepts donations through PayPal and other channels to support organizational activities and maintain free community events
2. Event Ticket Sales: Sells tickets for specific events such as the Halloween Warehouse Party ($10 per ticket) and fundraising banquets ($30 per person)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VAYA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes cultural events and youth programs for the Vietnamese-American community in San Diego. Its primary offering is the annual San Diego Tet Festival, complemented by the Miss Vietnam San Diego pageant, a community engagement scholarship for high school seniors, financial literacy workshops delivered with partner credit unions, and community service initiatives such as the annual street clean-up.

Product overview

Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance (VAYA) is a community-based non-profit organization offering a portfolio of youth-focused cultural and civic programs. The core offerings center on the annual San Diego Tết Festival (Vietnamese New Year celebration), the Miss Vietnam San Diego pageant, and community service initiatives including street clean-ups. Supplementary programs include a community and civic engagement scholarship for high school seniors, financial literacy workshops in partnership with California Coast Credit Union, video content through the Video Gallery, and a bi-weekly newsletter/mailing list service. The organization operates entirely on a volunteer and youth-run basis, with programs designed to promote youth leadership, cultural awareness, social activism, and community development in San Diego.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• San Diego Tet Festival Annual Vietnamese New Year festival organized by VAYA, one of the largest cultural festivals in San Diego, attracting approximately 20,000-25,000 visitors annually. Features carnival rides, Vietnamese food, lion dancing, the Miss Vietnam San Diego pageant, and cultural activities; admission is free.
• Miss Vietnam San Diego Pageant Annual beauty pageant held during the Tet Festival to select Vietnamese-American community ambassadors, part of the larger cultural celebration.
• Community and Civic Engagement Scholarship Scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors in San Diego who are at least 1/8 Vietnamese, selected based on community and civic engagement rather than academic performance.
• Financial Literacy Workshop Free educational workshop delivered in partnership with California Coast Credit Union that teaches students about credit management, credit reports, personal finance, and cash flow management.
• Annual Street Clean-Up Community service initiative bringing together volunteers for environmental beautification, including registration via liability and consent documentation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000-25,000 annual attendees at Tet Festival
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pacific Arts MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2016Co-presented Vietnamese films including 'Sweet 20' at the sixth annual Pacific Arts Movement Spring Showcase. Sponsors and supports Vietnamese cinema in the San Diego community.
• Smileinsight DentalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 January 2016Sponsored VAYA's Community and Civic Engagement Scholarship with a $300 award for graduating high school seniors in San Diego.
• California Coast Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor and partner for Tet Festival and other VAYA events. Funded VAYA's entry in the 31st Annual Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair and provided financial literacy workshops for students in partnership with VAYA.
• San Diego Union-TribuneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia sponsor for VAYA's annual Tet Festival. VAYA has engaged with the publication on community sensitivity matters.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates: National Asian-Pacific American advocacy organization with chapters across the U.S. Provides civic engagement, leadership development, and community programming at significantly larger scale, serving as a broad incumbent peer in the same identity-based civic space.
• National Association of Asian American Professionals: National nonprofit focused on leadership development and professional networking for Asian-Americans. Comparable to VAYA's youth leadership development mission but at a national, professionally oriented scale.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: National Asian-American civil rights and community services coalition. Operates education, civic engagement, and cultural programs for Asian-American communities at a much larger scale, making it a comparable but broader-scope peer.

Direct peers

• Asian American Arts Centre: Asian-American arts and cultural organization that produces cultural programming, exhibitions, and community events. Comparable in mission to deliver culturally-rooted programming for Asian-American communities.
• Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce: Vietnamese-American business and community organization that runs networking events, cultural programming, and civic engagement initiatives. Comparable community-organization structure serving the same ethnic community.
• Pacific Arts Movement: San Diego-based Asian and Pacific Islander arts organization that co-presents Vietnamese cinema with VAYA. Operates cultural programming and film showcases for the same pan-Asian audience, making it a directly comparable cultural-programming peer.
• Boat People SOS: Vietnamese-American community services and refugee support nonprofit based in Southern California. Operates cultural, educational, and civic engagement programs for the Vietnamese diaspora, making it a directly comparable peer in mission and target community.

Regional players

• Vietnamese Community Association of Orange County: Orange County-based Vietnamese-American community organization offering cultural programs, services, and events for the local Vietnamese diaspora. Comparable in mission but serves a different Southern California geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/vayasd
• Facebookfacebook.com/VayaSanDiego
• Instagraminstagram.com/sandiegotetfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vietnamese-american-youth-alliance

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance