Organizing 101: How nonprofit advocates can bring local government along for the welcoming journey
If you’ve ever wondered why key leaders aren’t at the table in your community’s welcoming coalition, the answer may be that your table isn’t big enough. With over 15 years of working with local governments and nonprofits, Welcoming America has seen many local nonprofits lead a community’s welcoming efforts. Many of these advocates have built…
Read MoreFrom Afghanistan to Virginia: How Richmond welcomes refugees
In 2016, a group of 30 Afghan women arrived at their local DMV office in Richmond, Virginia to take the learner’s permit test. When they arrived from Afghanistan a few years before, they didn’t know how to get a driver’s license and could not find information in their language. Kate Ayers, executive director of ReEstablish…
Read MoreCelebrating inclusive values: A look back at Welcoming Week 2023
For 11 years, communities around the world have been at the forefront of Welcoming Week to showcase their common values of belonging, equity, and inclusion as they strive to be more welcoming places for all. This year was no different. From September 8-17, communities celebrated their diversity, advanced inclusion, and brought people of different backgrounds…
Read MoreRedefining the refugee resettlement experience in North Carolina
In 2022, for the first time in history, over 100 million people were forcibly displaced. Ongoing global conflicts are bringing more individuals and families to the United States, making it critical to support organizations that are innovating and mobilizing their resources to welcome refugees. Last year, Welcoming America announced the recipients of $40,000 grants as…
Read MoreLessons and opportunities to build belonging: A look at our 2022 Fund to Foster Belonging grantees
Connection is the antidote to social division. Communities that intentionally bring people from all walks of life together reap the benefits of being a more welcoming place for all. Intergroup bridging is one way to foster connections among groups from different migration backgrounds. Bridging activities bring people together, and research shows that building bridges between…
Read MoreHow to get started with Welcoming Week
Welcoming Week is an opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate the values that make places more welcoming and inclusive for all who live there. In the months leading up to Welcoming Week, it’s time to start brainstorming ways to get involved. Whether you plan a local event or share your thoughts on social…
Read MoreWorld Refugee Day: Building communities where refugees belong
Each June, we recognize the importance of welcoming refugees into our communities. June 20 is internationally designated by the United Nations as World Refugee Day. The day celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to find safety and belonging in a new place. This year, World…
Read MoreImmigrant Heritage Month: Celebrating our stories of immigration
Each year, Immigrant Heritage Month celebrates the contributions immigrants and their descendants have made to the history and culture of the United States. In this blog, Welcoming America staff share their immigration and/or immigrant heritage experiences. What is your experience with immigration? I am an immigrant myself. My parents moved my siblings and I to…
Read MoreThree tips for community foundations wanting to advance immigrant inclusion
A new white paper from Welcoming America explores the capacity community foundations have to advance the work of welcoming newcomers into U.S. communities. Through our project and white paper we ask: How are community foundations currently engaging in welcoming work? What are the opportunities for community philanthropy to play an even stronger role in advancing…
Read MoreWhy We Gather: #Interactive2023 Reflections
Last week, more than 600 leaders from across the globe joined us in the Certified Welcoming city of San José, California for the 2023 Welcoming Interactive. Welcomers from local governments, nonprofits, and other sectors spent three days exchanging practices and ideas for including immigrants and refugees in their communities. A truly global event, participants from…
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