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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Breaking Barriers: Unlocking Innovative Credit Access For Immigrants
Written by Sifat Yusuf, WES Mariam Assefa Fund Program Manager; Cristina Lara-Agudelo, WES Investments Platform Manager; and Subaita Rahman, WES Communications & Public Policy Specialist The New Power Labs team presenting their research in Toronto on May 5, 2025, pictured with Fund Program Manager Sifat Yusuf. With immigrants making up 23 percent of Canada’s population—and […]
Three Key Takeaways for Advancing Immigrant and Refugee Inclusion
Every year at the National Immigrant Inclusion Conference (NIIC), leaders and advocates in the immigrant and refugee space gather to address challenges and opportunities affecting the field. This past December, WES joined the conversation with over a thousand changemakers who met in Houston, Texas, at a moment of political uncertainty. WES entered the convening with […]
From Vision to Impact: Five Years of the Fund Ambassadors Program
Ashley Taylor |
Written by Ashley Taylor, Senior Partnership & Strategy Associate for the Mariam Assefa Fund NEW YORK—(December 19, 2024) This year, we proudly celebrate the fifth year of the Fund Ambassadors Program alongside the WES Mariam Assefa Fund’s five-year anniversary. Since its launch in 2020, the Fund Ambassadors Program has empowered WES staff to have a […]
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 […]
Building Capacity Through Trust: Our Approach to Strengthening Grantee Partnerships
By Sifat Yusuf, Program Manager, WES Mariam Assefa Fund The immigrant-serving sector in Canada has faced growing challenges amid the country’s ever-shifting policies concerning immigrants and refugees. These challenges range from the impact of global events causing displacement, to the uncertainty of funding and resources, to policies that negatively impact people who hold temporary or […]
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 […]
WES Announces New Investment in 8B Education Investments
WES Advisor |
World Education Services (WES) today announced an investment in 8B Education Investments, a social fintech company specializing in supporting African students to attend global universities. 8B facilitates fair student loan financing and support services. WES’ catalytic investment will help 8B unlock additional student loan capital from its banking partners to bring education finance to African students at scale. […]
Equity in Action: Reflecting on Our 2023 U.S. Grantee Partner Retreat
WES Advisor |
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 multiple identities interconnect and can compound the effects of racism and inequity. […]
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 […]
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