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.
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Opportunity Challenge Spotlight Video: Worker Cooperatives
In early March, the Opportunity Challenge, a joint grantmaking initiative of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation, sought to identify solutions to create an inclusive economy in the U.S.—one that addresses the supports that immigrants need to achieve economic mobility. In September, we were thrilled to announce the 12 awardees of the […]
Fund Awards First Grants in Canada; Committing $1.9M CAD to Create More Equitable Systems for Immigrant and Refugee Workers
TORONTO – November 23, 2020 – The WES Mariam Assefa Fund, the philanthropic arm of World Education Services (WES), today announced its first grants in Canada. The Fund is awarding C$1.9 million to six organizations that are building stronger career pathways for immigrants and refugees, supporting workers affected by COVID-19, investing in immigrant leaders, and nurturing […]
Opportunity Challenge Spotlight Video: Enablers of Economic Mobility
In September, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund announced the 12 awardees of the Opportunity Challenge, chosen out of an applicant pool of 470 organizations. The Opportunity Challenge is a joint grantmaking initiative launched by the Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation to identify solutions that support the success of immigrants and refugees and create a more […]
Partner Perspectives: Erica Bouris of the International Rescue Committee on the Financial Volatility of COVID-19 and Its Impact on Low-Income Families
From just about any vantage point, 2020 has been a volatile year. A global pandemic has led to more than a million deaths worldwide—and caused massive economic disruption. In the United States, the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police led to a national reckoning over the continued reality of systemic racism and inequality. Adding […]
Developing the Fund’s Strategy in Canada: What We’ve Learned and What’s Ahead
The WES Mariam Assefa Fund launched in the U.S. in 2019 as the only philanthropic initiative focused exclusively on economic inclusion and mobility for immigrants and refugees in North America. Our intent was always to extend our work beyond the U.S. and into Canada. But we knew that being effective in the Canadian context would […]
Lessons Learned: Best Practices for Applying to an Open Grant Challenge
The Opportunity Challenge—the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and Tarsadia Foundation’s first ever open-call grant challenge—resulted in 400+ submissions from organizations offering a diverse range of solutions and innovations that support the success of immigrants and refugees in the United States. In September, after an exhilarating five-month application and selection process, we were thrilled to announce […]
Opportunity Challenge Spotlight Video: Inclusive Career Pathways
In September, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund announced the 12 awardees of the Opportunity Challenge, chosen out of an applicant pool of 470 organizations. The Opportunity Challenge is a joint grantmaking initiative launched by the Fund and Tarsadia Foundation to identify solutions that support the success of immigrants and refugees and create a more inclusive economy. The finalists and several semi-finalist organizations were awarded a […]
Opportunity Challenge Spotlight Video: Financial Access & Inclusion
In early March, the Opportunity Challenge, a joint grantmaking initiative of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation, sought to identify solutions to create an inclusive economy in the U.S.—one that addresses the supports that immigrants need to achieve economic mobility. In September, we were thrilled to announce the 12 awardees of the Opportunity Challenge, chosen out of an applicant pool of 470 organizations. […]
Announcing the 12 Awardees of the Opportunity Challenge
In response to COVID-19, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and Tarsadia Foundation have doubled their financial commitment to the Opportunity Challenge, a grantmaking initiative to support the success of immigrant and refugee workers in the U.S. NEW YORK – September 24, 2020 – The World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation today announced 12 awardees of the Opportunity […]
Creating Welcoming Workplaces: Let’s embrace workforce diversity like our future depends on it
By Monica Munn and Jina Krause-Vilmar The impacts of COVID-19, including the downturn in our economy, have collided along persistent and predictable racial and socioeconomic fault lines in the United States. Poor communities, immigrants, and people of color are among those most affected. It’s clear that the ability to overcome this pandemic and safely reopen […]
How OCASI is Working to Ensure Immigrants and Refugees in Canada Are Not Left Behind
Newcomers to Canada—especially those with precarious immigration status, many of whom already lived in a state of economic uncertainty—have been hard-hit by the economic impacts of COVID-19. Indeed, according to a recent study by the Labour Market Information Council, a non-profit research institute, “the rate of job loss among immigrants far surpasses that of Canadian-born – […]
Ensuring an Inclusive Economy Post-Pandemic: How Might We Finance This?
WES Mariam Assefa Fund Speaks with Cristina Alaniz, Student Analyst at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation Immigrants and refugees have been uniquely impacted by COVID-19. Both groups have disproportionately filled roles on the front lines of the pandemic and remain least likely to access benefits such as relief programs or unemployment insurance. […]
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