VAB was registered in New York as a charitable agency in late 1998. The IRS tax-exempt status for contribution to VAB was received in February 1999. Initial volunteer Directors and Advisers were identified by March 1999 and fundraising efforts were initiated, primarily through direct mail to Bangladeshis and others sympathetic to our cause. VAB started its high school scholarship and skill training programs in collaboration with Prakritajan, a local NGO, from 2000. In 2005, VAB started to implement its own programs with an office in Dhaka and received registration from the NGO Bureau in 2006. VAB has increased its funding support from individual donors and expanded the scope and extent of its programs significantly over time
In 2003, VAB opened a New Jersey Office where VAB supported a group of volunteer professionals to promote digital education by organizing computer literacy centers in Bangladesh with the help of D-Net, a local NGO in Bangladesh. Following work as VAB’s New Jersey’s chapter for 10 years, the Group was registered with IRS as an independent charity under the name of Computer Literacy Program Volunteers for the Underprivileged in 2014.
In 2012, the Canadian Chapter of Volunteers Association for Bangladesh (VAB-C) was founded and registered with the Canadian government. This Chapter will focus on five areas: Student Empowerment in education; Student Empowerment in Health; Teacher Empowerment; School Empowerment and Community Linkage Empowerment. Details about VAB-C can be seen at: www.vabcanada.org
VAB-USA follows a corporate non-profit management model with a Board of Directors, a Management Group, an Advisors Group, a few Associates, and Regional Representatives working under VAB by laws and the rules of registration by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the State of New York. Details of individuals currently involved are on the Contact section.
VAB- Bangladesh is managed by a Country Director, responsible to VAB –USA Board of Directors through the President. He is assisted by an Advisory Group as required under the rules of registration by the Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) Bureau, Government of Bangladesh. Details of individuals currently involved are on the Contact section.
VAB-Bangladesh has recently established a Board of Trustees to invest and manage endowment fund raised in USA and in Bangladesh through secure investments in order to ensure financial stability for VAB. Details of individuals currently involved are on the Contact section.
VAB published its ten-year history in a booklet titled: A Decade of Supporting Education to Reduce Poverty: A Better Life for the Poor in Bangladesh through Quality Education and Skill Training, 2010. An internet copy can be e-mailed on request.
VAB was registered in New York as a charitable agency in late 1998. The IRS tax-exempt status for contribution to VAB was received in February 1999. Initial volunteer Directors and Advisers were identified by March 1999 and fundraising efforts were initiated, primarily through direct mail to Bangladeshis and others sympathetic to our cause.
In 2003, VAB opened a New Jersey chapter which has been supporting computer literacy centers in Bangladesh with the help of D-Net, a local NGO in Bangladesh. In 2005, VAB started to implement its own programs with the office in Dhaka and received registration from the NGO Bureau. VAB has increased its funding support from individual donors significantly over time.
VAB works with existing high schools with funds annually from individual philanthropists, mostly expats and their friends. It works with rural non-government high schools because it wished to concentrate on the most disadvantaged.
In 2012, the Canadian chapter,VABC was registered with Corporations Canada. VABC supports projects designed and implemented by VAB and has been contributing financially and supporting a few VAB projects since its inception in 2012.
1998: Registered in USA
2000: Registered in Bangladesh
2012: Registered in Canada