• Press Release
• November 10, 2021

Community Sponsorship Hub and a Coalition of Private Funders Awards 1.2 million to 15 Local & National Resettlement Agencies, Expanding Opportunities for Local Communities to Welcome Afghans and Other Newcomers   

In the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and large-scale, rapid evacuation of Afghan allies and other at-risk populations, Americans have shown tremendous support for welcoming Afghan evacuees into their communities. In response to this historic and overwhelming public support, the Community Sponsorship Hub and a coalition of private funders are providing over $1.2 million to resettlement agencies, expanding opportunities for community members to welcome and meaningfully support Afghans and other refugee populations.   

The Community Sponsorship Hub is excited to announce 15 new grantees, encompassing 13 local resettlement agencies with community sponsorship programs in 16 cities, and 2 national resettlement agencies with community sponsorship programs across the country. This new round of funding will support the resettlement of Afghan evacuees and expand community sponsorship opportunities across the U.S.

Community sponsorship is a community-centered approach that allows community groups such as civic clubs, faith-based groups, private companies, and university communities, to welcome and support forcibly displaced populations as they resettle in the U.S. Through community sponsorship, newcomers and community members establish meaningful bonds that enrich communities and strengthen the U.S. resettlement program.

The Community Sponsorship Catalyst Fund (“Catalyst Fund”) was established in 2019 to expand the role of communities in welcoming and supporting newcomers as they resettle and rebuild their lives in the U.S. The third round of Catalyst Fund awards was made possible by the generous support of the Kaufer Family Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and the Shapiro Foundation.

The Catalyst Fund is housed within the Community Sponsorship Hub, an organization established in 2021 to grow the role of communities in the protection, resettlement, and integration of refugees and other forcibly displaced people. Learn more about Catalyst Fund grantees here.  And find out how you can become a community sponsor here.

Lisa Howe and Stephen Kaufer, representing the Kaufer Family Foundation, said, “In the weeks following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, we have seen tremendous support for Afghan evacuees from businesses, community groups, and faith-based organizations. From Greensboro, North Carolina, to Indianapolis, Indiana, to Phoenix, Arizona, Americans are stepping up to welcome newcomers as they resettle and rebuild their lives. We are proud to support The Community Sponsorship Hub’s Catalyst Fund, which expands opportunities for community groups to meaningfully engage and support their newest community members.”

“We are experiencing the dawn of a new welcoming movement in the United States,” said Gregory Maniatis of the Open Society Foundations. “Communities across the country—faith groups, veterans’ organizations, schools and residents from every walk of life—are stepping up to welcome and support Afghan and other newcomers. Americans know that this is the moment to revitalize our country’s core values, and that welcoming the stranger is at the heart of those values. The Community Sponsorship Catalyst Fund helps to make this possible by increasing the capacity of local groups to support their new neighbors.”

“Our Refugee Resettlement System has been asked to increase their resettlement capacity nearly 15X overnight in order to welcome our Afghan Allies. We are thrilled to partner with these incredible Resettlement Agencies who understand that meaningfully engaging Every Day Americans through Co-Sponsorship is the best way to rise to the challenge and engage in the act of welcome,” said Ed Shapiro, Managing Trustee of The Shapiro Foundation.

The complete list of recipients for the Community Sponsorship Catalyst Fund is as follows:

Local Resettlement Agencies

Ascentria Massachusetts (Worcester, Massachusetts)

Ascentria New Hampshire (Concord, New Hampshire)

Catholic Charities, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts)

Community Refugee and Immigration Services (Columbus, Ohio)

Church World Service North Carolina (Durham and Greensboro, North Carolina)

Exodus Refugee Immigration (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services (New Haven, Connecticut)

International Rescue Committee in Denver (Denver, Colorado)

Jewish Family Services (JFS) Metrowest (Framingham, Massachusetts)

Lutheran Social Services (LSS) Southwest (Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona)

RefugeeOne (Chicago, Illinois)

Samaritas Southeast Michigan (Detroit, Michigan)

Samaritas West Michigan (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

National Resettlement Agencies

Episcopal Migration Ministries (New York, New York)

Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services (Baltimore, Maryland)