Announcing the Semi-Finalists of the Opportunity Challenge: $1 Million to Uplift Immigrant Communities

Tuesday July 28, 2020

Today, we are thrilled to announce the 20 semi-finalists of the Opportunity Challenge: $1 Million to Uplift Immigrant Communities. Each one of these organizations is leading crucial initiatives that support the success of immigrants and refugees and strive toward building an economy that works for all.  While much of the country …

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Equitable Recovery for Immigrants and Refugees: Key Takeaways from WES’ Twitter Chat

Thursday July 2, 2020

Immigrants and refugees play vital roles on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 and will continue playing essential roles to keep the U.S. moving forward. The need to address longstanding barriers to economic mobility faced by many immigrants and refugees today is therefore clear. As we look to rebuild the economy, we …

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Early Insights and Ideas from the Opportunity Challenge

Thursday June 25, 2020

At the end of May, the application portal closed for the Opportunity Challenge: $1 Million to Uplift Immigrant Communities. This was the first open grant challenge for both the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation. The Opportunity Challenge was jointly launched …

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Fund Awards $1.35 Million in Grants to Support Career Pathways for Immigrants and Refugees Amid Pandemic  

Thursday June 18, 2020

The WES Mariam Assefa Fund, the philanthropic arm of World Education Services (WES), today announced the award of $1.35 million in grants to enable immigrant and refugee workers to advance in the workforce of today and tomorrow and build strong careers that support …

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Our Commitment to the Fight for Racial Justice

Friday June 5, 2020

Earlier this week, World Education Services (WES) CEO Esther Benjamin expressed our organization’s solidarity with Black lives and protests following the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police. As the philanthropic arm of WES, we want to share our thoughts and commitments as a funder …

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JFF Report: Investing in Immigrant Talent

Friday May 29, 2020

“Immigrant workers have always been essential,” Erica Cuevas and Laura Roberts of grantee partner JFF write in an opinion piece for RealClear Policy.  COVID-19 has introduced the term “essential worker,” and of the almost 49 million essential workers on the front lines of the pandemic, …

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New Research Tool Highlights Funding Needs for Immigrants and Refugees

Wednesday May 27, 2020

Earlier this month, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) released a new research tool, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor? The State of Local Funding for U.S. Immigrants and Refugees.”  NCRP’s research shows that while immigrants and refugees represent 14 percent of the U.S. population, local philanthropic dollars invested in immigrant communities were just shy of 1 percent of total philanthropic investment …

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Grantee Partner Spotlight: Meet the Community Finance Fellows at Mission Driven Finance

Thursday May 14, 2020

Despite sheltering-in-place during the COVID-19 pandemic, grantee partner Mission Driven Finance welcomed five leaders to its inaugural Community Finance Fellowship and kicked off the yearlong initiative (albeit virtually). The Community Finance Fellows are:  Louise Jordan, a San Diego native who has a legal …

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WES Mariam Assefa Fund Expands Work to Support Immigrant Communities in Canada

Wednesday May 13, 2020

Today, we are proud to announce the launch of the World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund in Canada. The Fund is WES’ philanthropic arm; it began its work in the United States in 2019 to complement and extend the social impact of …

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Grantee Partner Spotlight: Upwardly Global

Wednesday May 6, 2020

The WES Mariam Assefa Fund sees the COVID-19 crisis as a time to ensure our grantee partners flexibility so they can continue their work of building an inclusive, resilient economy for immigrants and refugees. The United States would not be able to respond to the pandemic without the skills and talent of the immigrant workforce. Our …

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