Employer Practices Grants

Grants and in-kind support to USA nonprofit and for-profit organizations to support economic mobility for refugees and immigrants. Funding is intended to promote equity and inclusivity in workplaces and communities. Requests may be made to support general operations or for a specific project or program.
The Foundation is looking to identify promising new ideas from organizations working with employers to advance more inclusive practices that improve economic mobility for immigrant and refugee workers.The Foundation is looking to fund ideas from organizations to directly engage employers to:Shift internal talent practices to reduce bias in recruitment and hiring, build more inclusive workplaces, and invest in the advancement of incumbent immigrant and refugee talent.Pilot demand-driven training and education programs that connect immigrant and refugee job seekers to quality jobs, particularly in high-growth sectors.Build coalitions within or across sectors to advance commitments and facilitate knowledge sharing and collective action among employers.Assess the impact of existing employer initiatives focused on immigrant and refugee workers to identify the path forward for those solutions.WES Mariam Assefa Fund’s four impact goals:Build the case for solutions that advance equitable economic mobility for immigrants and refugees Deepen the bench of leaders from immigrant communities and communities of colorAccelerate the uptake of worker-centered innovationsGrow the movement to foster welcoming, inclusive, and equitable workplaces and communitiesThe Foundation is looking for organizations that approach their work with:A systems change mindset. You consider how your work can lead to structural changes in the way employers are engaged in supporting economic mobility and quality jobs for immigrants and refugees.A learning orientation. You consider how the lessons from your work can be shared more broadly and impact the policies and/or practices of other service providers, training institutions, employers and policymakers.Innovation. You think about how to test new solutions or pivot existing solutions to improve employer practices, drive better employer engagement, and build more meaningful demand-led partnerships with employers.An intersectional lens. The way you design, implement, and evaluate your efforts seeks to meet the needs of workers facing multiple barriers to economic mobility, including racism, ableism, sexism, and other biases.Centering workers’ voices. Your work is designed, implemented, and evaluated in partnership with workers and you actively seek to center their perspectives and priorities in your approach. You work with employers to ensure the voices of jobseekers and employees are reflected in workplace culture, talent practices, and business practices.