Insights

Written by Lei Ma, U.S. Senior Program Associate  Since the WES Mariam Assefa Fund launched in 2019 with a mission to catalyze economic and social inclusion for immigrants and refugees, we knew that our work needed to adopt an intersectional lens, as people’s …

The United States has seen a significant uptick in the number of individuals seeking asylum within its borders, with over 150,000 arriving in New York City alone just in the past year and a half. With nearly half a million job openings throughout …

By Matthias Pries, Impact Investing Manager  Migration is the loom that weaves the rich tapestry that is Canadian society. Walk down the main street of any Canadian city and you can see, smell, and hear it. Working at World Education Services (WES) has …

Guest Blog by Lila Berryman, senior innovation specialist, Venture 2 Impact, and Nouhaila Chelkhaoui, founder and CEO, Scale Without Borders At Venture 2 Impact, with support from the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, we set out to develop a project that would support Canadian …

New funding opportunity seeks to support organizations elevating the voices and influence of immigrants and refugees in United States communities The World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund today announced a new grantmaking initiative. Elevating Migrant Leadership: Building Inclusive Futures will support U.S. …

Our partners, the many organizations led by immigrants, refugees, and community members with lived experience, never fail to inspire us at the WES Mariam Assefa Fund as we work at the nexus of so much energy and dedication to building inclusive communities and …

Since 2020, the Fund Ambassadors Program has played a pivotal role in educating WES staff about philanthropy while supporting mission-aligned immigrant and refugee grassroots organizations in the United States and Canada. As we celebrate the program’s fourth year, the Ambassadors are proud to …

By Matthias Pries, Impact Investing Manager    “Sometimes you have to be together in a physical space with folks to forge trust and build genuine relationships and connection.” Betty Francisco, CEO of Boston Impact Initiative This idea captures the inspiration for World Education …