Insights

Seeking 10-12 early-stage startups supporting immigrants, refugees, and communities of color disproportionately impacted by climate change   Village Capital, with support from the World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund, today launched an accelerator program for startups creating inclusive solutions for immigrants, refugees, …

The WES Mariam Assefa Fund is excited to announce C$600,000 in grants to organizations working to support immigrants and refugees in Quebec. This new funding is supporting Au Coeur de l’Enfance and Solidarity Across Borders in their efforts to address the barriers that …

The WES Mariam Assefa Fund is excited to announce $230,000 in grants to seven New York-based organizations that support asylum seekers. The funding will enable these groups to strengthen their work on the ground responding to the significant increase in asylum seekers arriving …

On January 17, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund welcomed our new Senior Director, Léa Tienou-Gustafson. Léa comes to us from the Chicago non-profit Heartland Alliance, where she served as director of refugee and immigrant community services, supporting over a thousand refugees and immigrants …

Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) matches refugees abroad with career opportunities in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. TBB works directly with governments around the world to open up skilled migration pathways to refugees. Through a grant from the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, TBB …

As the year winds down, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund team is reflecting on the extraordinary organizations, leaders, and efforts that inspired us.  In 2022, we funded a total of 66 organizations across the United States and Canada, including 39 brand-new partners, who …

Earlier this year, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund announced a $1.5 million partnership with Echoing Green to launch the Racial Equity and Immigrant Justice initiative, a fellowship to support immigrants and refugees of color in the United States and Canada. Through Echoing Green’s …

In 2019, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund launched the Fund Ambassador program, which engages staff from across WES to develop skills in philanthropy and identify mission-aligned organizations to receive Fund donations. This month, we celebrate the accomplishments of the third cohort of Fund …

Immigrants and refugees play a crucial role in the U.S. workforce, especially in growth industries including tech and healthcare, yet they continue to be overrepresented in low-wage occupations. With a desire to learn more about the efforts to address this gap by supporting …