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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Webinar Recap: Learn More About the Opportunity Challenge
Monday May 4, 2020
Last week, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund co-hosted a webinar with the Tarsadia Foundation to provide an overview of its joint grantmaking initiative, the Opportunity Challenge: $1 Million to Uplift Immigrant Communities, and to answer questions from prospective applicants. A full recording of the event is available here. A few highlights that came up during the discussion: We …
Fund Announces COVID-19 Response Grants to Support Immigrant and Refugee Workers in the U.S.
Thursday April 30, 2020
Earlier this month, the World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund shared its initial responses to the needs exposed and created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Immigrants are America’s workers, and 12 million are currently on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. …
Meet the Selection Committee for the Opportunity Challenge
Wednesday April 29, 2020
We’re thrilled to introduce the selection committee of experts and community leaders who will be reviewing applications for the Opportunity Challenge: $1 Million to Uplift Immigrant Communities. This joint grantmaking initiative launched by the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation seeks to identify and scale creative, wrap-around solutions …
Protecting Immigrants and Refugees Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Monday April 27, 2020
In 2019, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund launched as a philanthropic initiative and made grants to five organizations united in one common goal: to build an inclusive economy that works for all immigrants and refugees. In the face of COVID-19 and its impacts, the Fund, the Beeck Center for …
10 Key Takeaways from our #ImmigrantsThrive Twitter Chat
Monday April 20, 2020
Twelve million immigrant workers are either employed in essential jobs on the front lines fighting COVID-19 or are facing economic hardship due to the pandemic, per the Migration Policy Institute. Many are employed in sectors experiencing massive layoffs or that lack paid sick …
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Thank you for your interest in the WES Mariam Assefa Fund. We’ll share updates on the Fund’s efforts, what we’re learning, and opportunities through our email list.