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Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation
Also Known As: VVAF
1725 Eye Street, NW 4th Floor Washington, DC 20006

GENERAL INFORMATION

Who We Are

Co-founder and coordinator of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize-winning global landmine campaign. Operates international rehabilitation clinics, landmine awareness programs and conducts mine impact surveys.

• This organization is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity .
• This organization is not required to file an annual return with the IRS because its income is less than $25,000.
• Financial information in this report is derived from the organization's December 31, 2007 Form 990.
• Additional narrative information in this report was last supplied by the organization on February 25, 2009.
• It makes its audited financial statements available to the public upon request.
• Contributions are deductible, as provided by law.

How to Help

This organization is seeking funds from contributions and grants. These funds will be used for unrestricted operating expenses and special projects.

Location(s) Served

• International: South East Asia, Sub saharan Africa, Middle East

NTEE Code

• Q33—International Relief
• Q40—International Peace and Security

Chief Executive

Mr. William Belding

Chief Executive Profile

Veterans' issues and the impact of war and conflict on civilians have long resonated with William Belding, who earned two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts during his five-year tenure with the U.S. Navy. He completed three tours of Vietnam as a Navy SEAL from 1967 to 1972. Throughout his career, his dedication to veterans' issues has been evident. An experienced attorney, Belding has also worked pro bono for various veterans' organizations. Before his appointment as VVAF President in October 2004, Belding served as Chief of Staff at Common Cause, a non-partisan, non-profit advocacy organization working to hold government accountable to its constituents. Belding streamlined operations, enhanced program development, and established management controls, all while increasing membership and donor revenue. In addition, as President and Chairman of Veterans Park in Los Angeles from 1996 to 2000, he raised over $10 million from the private sector and initiated cooperative agreement with the federal Veterans Administration for this non-profit. Belding also served from 1992 to 2002 as a consultant to Harrison Realty in Bangkok, Thailand, handling sophisticated international real estate acquisitions and dispositions as well as financing and development. He was General Counsel at Rancon Financial Corporation from 1985-92, a real estate syndication firm in California with over $1 billion in assets. Belding has a law degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco and a B.A. in Economics from Ezra Stiles College, Yale University.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MISSION AND PROGRAMS

Mission

VVAF addresses the causes, conduct and consequences of war through programs of advocacy and service for victims of conflict around the world.

Programs

VVAF implements POST-CONFLICT REHABILITATION PROGRAMS in Angola, Ethiopia, Cambodia, and Vietnam and supports rehabilitation and disability programs throughout Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Thousands of people who suffer from disabilities caused by war or debilitating diseases such as polio and clubfoot benefit every year from artificial limbs, braces and wheelchairs produced at VVAF clinics. In addition, patients are enrolled in physical therapy sessions where they develop the strength, flexibility, and skills to become mobile again. VVAF's community follow-up and outreach teams bring assistance to people where they live. Through the creation of self-help groups and the implementation of sports and recreation activities through our Sports for Life initiative, people develop the confidence, skills, and social networks necessary to become active participants in their societies. And War Kids Relief aims to help the children of Iraq rebound and recover from the disruptive effects of war and give them hope for a better future than the one they would face otherwise.

In addition, VVAF's INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND MINE ACTION PROGRAMS (iMMAP) is conducting work in post-conflict countries, including Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to evaluate the impact of landmines and provide technical assistance to coordinate information necessary for relief and development. Further, VVAF is conducting a comprehensive national survey in Vietnam to assess the impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance that have beset the country and its people since the U.S.-Vietnam War.

Finally, VVAF's NUCLEAR THREAT REDUCTION CAMPAIGN (NTRC) educates and mobilizes key constituencies to advance U.S. public policy on a bipartisan basis that reduces the threats posed by nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

Additional Comments from the Organization

VVAF is proud to have been the co-founder, primary funder, and coordinator of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

GOALS AND RESULTS

Accomplishments for Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2005

1. Opened a second free clinic in Ethiopia, offering rehabilitation and disability programs to treat war victims in a region recovering from years of conflict.
2. Surveyed more than 10,000 local communities in Iraq to assess the extent of landmine contamination. Findings evinced that one in five communities are endangered by landmines and other unexploded ordnance.
3. Upon the call of the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre, provided critical information management support to help guide and maximize relief efforts in Pakistan following the October 2005 earthquake.

Objectives for Fiscal Year Beginning January 1, 2006

1. Expand the War Kids Relief program in Iraq by creating a stable network of orphanages, launching a family program to reintegrate children back into safe family environments, and constructing a Baghdad Career and Life Skills Center to provide a safe haven for older children (age 12-18) and give them a place to learn vital job and life training skills.
2. Open two new rehabilitation centers in Vietnam, delivering the necessary assistance and care to hundreds of disabled children and adults.
3. Expand the Returnee Integration Support Program in Cambodia to provide essential services to Cambodian returnees - people who were admitted to the United States decades ago as refugees and are today being deported to Cambodia.

Self Assessment

Humanitarian programs are evaluated according to guidelines for recipients of funds from the US Agency for International Development.

FINANCIAL DATA

Revenues and Expenses: Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007

Balance Sheet: Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007

Note: The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot long survive, but the types of assets and liabilities also must be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

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