Funding and Financing for Impact
Learn how the innovative use of financial tools—including participatory grantmaking, investments, and more—creates access to opportunity for immigrants, refugees, and the communities they join.
- All Blog Posts
- Credential Advice
- Funding and Financing for Impact
- Welcoming Communities in Action
- Worker and Employer Strategies
- Adult Education
- Building Skills
- Canada
- Career Pathways
- Credential Advice
- Credential Evaluations
- Culture & Experience
- Economic Inclusion
- Economic Mobility
- Employer Practices
- Employment
- Featured Articles
- Featured Articles
- Financial Access and Inclusion
- Funding and Financing for Impact
- Health Care
- Immigrant Engagement
- Immigrant Leadership
- Immigration
- IMPRINT
- Innovative Finance
- International Students
- Internationally Educated Teachers
- Licensure Pathways
- ONA Network
- Partnerships
- Policy
- Policy Advocacy
- Policy and Policy Advocacy
- Programs and Partners
- Promising Practices
- Refugee Resettlement
- SIIP
- Skill Underutilization
- UntappedTalent
- Welcoming Communities in Action
- WES Help
- WES News
- WES Style Guide | Brand Guides
- WES Style Guide | Content Style Guide
- WES Style Guide | Development
- What's New
- Worker and Employer Strategies
- Worker Cooperatives
- Workforce Education
- Workforce Inclusion
- Workforce Integration
- Wraparound Supports
Building Worker Power Through Collaboration with Community Organizations
Written by Olivia Fox, Program Intern at the WES Mariam Assefa Fund When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, racialized essential workers at the Cargill meatpacking plant in Alberta faced a disproportionately high risk of contracting the virus. The existing exploitative and dangerous work conditions in the meatpacking sector, such as crowded industrial spaces and […]
WES Mariam Assefa Fund Announces $1 Million in Funding Towards Elevating Migrant Leadership
WES Staff |
NEW YORK—(October 23, 2024) Today, the World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund announced that it is awarding a total of $1 million to 10 organizations that seek to increase civic engagement and leadership among immigrant and refugee community members. The awards, of $100,000 each, are part of an initiative called Elevating Migrant Leadership: Building […]
Transforming Workplaces: How the Apis & Heritage Finance Fellowship is Fostering Employee Ownership
WES Advisor |
In the face of a $8.4 trillion racial wealth gap in the United States, solutions aimed at fostering economic equity are not only crucial, they serve as beacons of hope for tangible change. Apis and Heritage Capital Partners (A&H), a Black-led impact investment firm founded in 2021, is addressing the racial wealth gap by […]
Shifting Power Through Collaboration: Redefining Philanthropy Together
WES Advisor |
Written by Mohammad Jawad Shahabi, Program Manager Last year, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund partnered with the Foundation of Greater Montreal (FGM) to support its 2023 Collective Fund for Social Equity, a participatory grantmaking initiative and a collaboration between several funders focused on supporting asylum seekers and refugees. Asylum seekers and refugees face significant […]
Reflecting On and Celebrating the WES Mariam Assefa Fund at Five Years
Léa Tienou-Gustafson |
How might a new philanthropy with $30 million in seed funding build on years of experience working with refugee, immigrant, and international student communities? How can philanthropic capital be more strategically allocated to unlock economic opportunity among underserved populations? How could a new grantmaking organization operate in an intentional way to disrupt power imbalances between grantors […]
How the Ellis Island Initiative Is Changing the Narrative to Welcome Immigrants in New York State
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 New York State, immigrants and refugees potentially have many opportunities to contribute […]
The Who, What, and Why of Investing in Newcomers
WES |
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 given me a chance to strengthen this tapestry. How? By investing in […]
Fund Launches Initiative to Elevate Migrant Leadership and Build Inclusive Futures
WES |
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. organizations that are working to strengthen immigrant and refugee voices and leadership. […]
Reflecting on 2023 and What We’re Looking Forward to in 2024
WES |
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 economies. As we kick off the New Year, the Fund team is […]
Creating a Philanthropic Legacy: WES Fund Ambassadors Unveil Program’s Latest Donations
WES |
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 announce that nine organizations have been selected to receive a total of […]
Deepening Community Across WES’ Mission Investing Partners to Advance Collective Impact and Action
WES |
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 Services’ inaugural investee partner gathering. In late October, ahead of the SOCAP23 […]
Building an Ownership Movement to Close Racial Wealth Gaps
Smitha Das & Santhosh Ramdoss |
Ownership is a key driver of wealth creation, yet many individuals and communities lack access to these opportunities. This ImpactAlpha article, co-authored by Smitha Das, Senior Director of Investments, WES, and Santhosh Ramdoss, President & CEO, Gary Community Ventures, explores emerging investment strategies, such as employee ownership, homeownership, and community wealth building. These approaches have […]
Want to stay in the loop?
Stay updated with us by signing up for our Newsletter.