Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative Raises Over $12.5 Million in First 6 Months!

The Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative (RRLI) envisions a world in which all people who have experienced forced displacement have agency over their lives and access to solutions that rebuild their lives with dignity. 

RRLI’s mission is to resource refugee-led organizations (RLOs) to uplift communities and combat systemic refugee exclusion within refugee response. When we center people who have been forcibly displaced, we also center innovation, solutions, and movement building leading to immediate and long-term improvements in our lives. 

RRLI is a coalition of local refugee-led organizations with Asylum Access as an ally and convener. In May 2021 we won the prestigious Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact Award.

We are delighted to share some impact updates from our first 6 months!

Between May and October 2021, RRLI:

  • Raised over $12.5 million
  • Committed $8.3 million to highly impactful refugee-led organizations that have already reached thousands with holistic services and solutions
  • Planned our next grant cycle, to reach 10 new refugee-led organizations by June 2022

Between June and October 2021, coalition partners achieved the following exemplar successes:

  • RAIC in Indonesia processed private sponsorship applications for 18 individuals to Canada, an innovative approach to resettlement for families that have no options.
  • StARS in Egypt reached over 5,500 unaccompanied children and youth with wraparound services including education, group activities, direct support, and legal aid.
  • Refugiados Unidos in Colombia launched work in two new communities in Bogotá, supporting some of the most marginalized to access documentation, work permits, education, and business capital.

Looking Ahead:

Through our two interlocking strategies – (1) unlocking funding for RLOs and (2) strengthening RLOs – we have established a funding and support model that will enable at least 100 RLOs to sustain and scale their impact within the next 5 years. Through this effort, we will reach over 1,000,000 people across every major refugee-hosting region globally with holistic, community-driven support and solutions.

Join the Initiative!