Mariam Assefa Fund – Who We Fund
We work with charities, non-profits, mission-driven for-profits, and fiscally sponsored organizations. Less than 2 percent of foundation funding in the U.S. goes to pro-immigrant groups; and less than 1 percent goes to women of color, according to the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. We seek to address that gap by deploying our own funds and partnering with co-funders. We especially value working with community-led, mission-aligned organizations led by individuals from the communities they represent.
Lived Experience
The Fund supports immigrant and refugee leaders and is focused on deepening the bench of leaders with lived experience as immigrants and refugees. Currently, we only fund initiatives in the U.S. and Canada.
Contact us to learn more!
“Canada is becoming a more and more diverse country, and everyone deserves to participate in the economy and prosper.”
“I realized my passion, which is working with small business owners and trying to understand what they do in their community.”
“I never saw myself as an executive director, but I wanted to address the need for adult education opportunities for immigrants in New Mexico.”
Insights
Our Commitments
Our vision of a future when immigrants and refugees can thrive reflects our commitments to:
- Invest in leaders from immigrant and refugee communities
- Prioritize funding strategies that address the structural barriers people experience because of their race, ethnicity, gender, culture, religion, citizenship, and other identities
- Shift power to our partners and communities and provide flexible funding and support
- Build a team whose diverse lived and learned experiences foster an inclusive culture
- Work with external consultants and vendors whose staff and leadership reflect immigrant and refugee communities as well as other communities that have historically been under-capitalized