Houston, TX

BOAT PEOPLE SOS INC

EIN 45-4040991

Justice, Rights & Public Safety Immigrants & Refugees Immigrants & refugees

Mission

To empower, organize, and equip Vietnamese individuals and communities in their pursuit of liberty and dignity.

IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity Contributions are tax-deductible

About BOAT PEOPLE SOS INC

Boat People SOS (BPSOS) — Houston is the local branch of a national Vietnamese-American community organization that provides direct social, legal, and health-navigation services, community organizing, and advocacy to Vietnamese refugees, immigrants, survivors of trafficking, and other vulnerable community members in Texas. Founded from voluntary rescue missions in 1980, BPSOS expanded from maritime rescue and refugee protection into a multi-site U.S. network offering citizenship/legal clinics, health outreach, senior services, workforce and youth support, and anti-trafficking initiatives. The Houston affiliate operates as a donor-facing 501(c)(3) organization; the EIN 45-4040991 was confirmed against nonprofit filings and public nonprofit databases. In recent filings (fiscal 2023–2024) the Houston office reported annual revenues in the roughly $1.7–1.8 million range and used foundation and federal grant support to expand programs in Texas, including targeted senior services, citizenship/legal clinics, and health coverage navigation over the last 2–3 years.

Notable achievements

Mass rescue and refugee advocacy (historical milestone)

BPSOS originated in the 1980s as a voluntary rescue and refugee-rights organization; historically the network reports rescuing and assisting thousands of Vietnamese 'boat people' and subsequently shifting to long-term resettlement, legal protection, and advocacy work.

Secured multi-year foundation support (2024–2025)

The Houston affiliate secured multiple foundation grants and philanthropic awards in recent years — including six-figure grants from regional foundations and targeted grants from national immigrant-justice funders — enabling expansion of direct services and outreach in Texas.

Program expansion: senior services and legal clinics

Houston programs were expanded with grant-backed initiatives to reduce barriers for Vietnamese older adults (age 55+), and to scale citizenship/legal clinics and health navigator services, increasing the organization’s direct-service capacity in the region.

At a glance

Total assets: $1.2M
Annual revenue: $1.8M
Tax status: 501(c)(3)Public charity
EIN: 45-4040991
Location: Houston, TX
Website: www.bpsos.org
On Mahalo since: May 2026

Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.

Recognition

Charity Navigator profile and rating: listed with a multi-star rating (Three-Star / approximately mid-70% score on the platform) reflecting disclosure of financial documents and accountability practices.

Maintains active 501(c)(3) status with publicly available Form 990 filings and is included in major nonprofit databases (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer / GuideStar) for transparency and donor review.

Recognized by regional funders and partners: recipient of foundation and government awards in recent years to support immigrant health, legal services, and senior programming in Houston.

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