Sponsor Circles
You can change the course of someone's life and build more welcoming communities along the way.
The Sponsor Circle Program is a community-led resettlement initiative that allows everyday Americans to take on the responsibility of welcoming a newcomer to their communities.
Abrupt changes to U.S. immigration policy have disrupted refugee resettlement and cut off access to resources for newcomers, including our Afghan allies and recently arrived refugees. This means thousands of newcomers are left without critical assistance and no clear guidance on how to navigate life in America. You can welcome those who have already overcome incredible challenges to get to safety and are facing new barriers to rebuilding their lives.
You can help.
Sponsor circles work in groups of five, bringing you and your neighbors closer together while providing opportunities for our Afghan allies and refugees just starting out in America.
You won't be alone.
Sponsor circles have access to application support, a growing suite of sponsor tools, and ongoing guidance from experts.
So many of us wanted to help with resettlement but without Sponsorship Circles we’d have been at a loss - not only on how to begin - but how to continue. Their speedy, kind and knowledgeable accompaniment has been invaluable.Winona Afghan Support Network Member
There was great need.
We responded.
Like many of you, the team at CSH was devastated to watch the situation in Afghanistan unravel. As tens of thousands of Afghans fled for their lives, communities across the United States loudly proclaimed their desire to welcome newcomers.
Working around the clock for several weeks as the last planes left Kabul, the Community Sponsorship Hub, together with a few of our coalition partners, built the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans. Notably described by CNN as the single biggest innovation in US domestic resettlement in more than 40 years, the Sponsor Circle Program places communities that want so desperately to be part of a solution, as the heart of welcome. It is a life-changing program for newcomers and communities alike.
Officially launched by the U.S. Department of State on October 25, 2021, the Sponsor Circle Program remains a crucial part of the solution to ensuring Afghans are welcomed directly into communities across the country.
On May 31, 2022, the Sponsor Circle Program expanded to support Americans welcoming Ukrainians through Uniting for Ukraine. We are honored to have founded this program and be part of this growing movement to welcome.
A new way to make a difference in the lives of newcomers
When welcomers form a Sponsor Circle and take on sponsorship together, they unlock additional resources and supports available through the Sponsor Circle Program, like informational sessions, temporary housing credits offered through Airbnb.org, templates, preparation checklists and ongoing guidance from welcoming experts.
In November 2022, Community Sponsorship Hub, in partnership with GoFundMe, announced the Sponsor Fund, which helps certified sponsors overcome financial barriers and creates opportunities for anyone, anywhere to contribute to the growing movement of welcome. Donations to the Sponsor Fund enabled communities across the country to welcome families fleeing violence, insecurity, and other humanitarian threats. Across the country, the Fund will create new opportunities for people to come together and welcome newcomers where it wasn’t possible before. Learn more about this new resource to defray the cost of sponsorship and help more Americans join the movement of welcome.
Get Involved
Whether as a recruitment partner, sponsor-supporting organization, or sponsor circle, there is a role for you in this program.
Take Action Now
Support CSH
Your support of the Community Sponsorship Hub keeps programs like the Sponsor Circle going. It also supports continued leadership and innovation in this space.