Insights

Refugees arrive in the United States with tremendous skills, but too often face a tangle of barriers that make it hard for them to get good jobs and other critical supports. And too often, traditional resettlement approaches inadvertently create additional challenges. For example, …

In Toronto, the escalating housing crisis and gaps in federal funding have led to the city’s shelters reaching and even exceeding capacity. As a result, many recent refugees and asylum seekers have had to sleep on the city streets. While the allocation of …

by Smitha Das, Joi Edwards, Katheryn Witt   Rethinking Who’s at the Table Philanthropy has the power and the resources to help build an economy where all people—no matter their race or class—can thrive. Power, ownership, and choice over where and how capital is …

Said Hassan founded Community Services Agency (COMSA) in 2017 to meet the unique needs of refugees and immigrants arriving in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he had settled himself a year earlier.  “Our goal is to build a resourceful community that contributes to the …

In June, Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN) kicked off its 2023 Community Benefits Ambassadors program. TCBN, a grantee partner of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, works to ensure that Toronto’s construction projects provide jobs to immigrants, refugees, women, and other groups underrepresented in …

The Drivers Cooperative, a grantee partner of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, is a New York City-based organization of over 9,000 drivers who came together during the pandemic in pursuit of fundamental change in the rideshare vehicle industry.   A driver-owned alternative to Uber …

Non-profit organizations in Canada play a crucial role in creating communities and economies that are inclusive of immigrants and refugees. However, a lack of flexible, stable, long-term funding often holds non-profits back from being innovative and providing the level of support that communities …

  The World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund today announced a $500,000 commitment to Mission Driven Finance (MDF) Capital Partners, a new vehicle to fuel inclusive economic development by equipping businesses and projects doing good with the right capital in the right size …

With an increasing number of immigrants arriving in Canada, there is a need for accessible tools that can assist newcomers as they navigate the Canadian job market. To address this need, PeaceGeeks, a Vancouver-based non-profit that creates digital tools to support displaced people, …