International Institute of New England

Background

The International Institute of New England has its roots in the Young Women’s Christian Association’s (YWCA) Department of Immigration and Foreign Communities, which was established in 1910 to oversee the association’s “international institutes.” The institutes were field projects that later became known “Red Feather Agencies,” which offered multilingual social services to foreign-born women and girls in the United States. ²

In 1935, two of these field projects separated from the YWCA and began to build a network of aligned organizations to focus on the provision of services to immigrants intended to help them integrate into New England. By 1987, three organizations located in Lowell and Boston, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire formed a single entity that in 1994 was formally reorganized and consolidated as a single, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the International Institute of New England. ^{2 3}

Historically, the organization focused on teaching immigrants English, facilitating their integration into existing immigrant communities, educating them about the culture of the United States, teaching them job skills, and giving them assistance in finding employment. ²

Since the 1970s, the Institute has also offered programs to refugees from countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq, Serbia, Bhutan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Haiti. ²

Activity

Programs

As of 2025, the International Institute of New England provides humanitarian relief programs, English language instruction, employment assistance, skills training programs, and legal assistance services to immigrants and refugees in the New England region of the United States. ²

Advocacy

According to its website, the International Institute of New England regularly engages in advocacy and lobbying for increased state and federal funding to expedite immigrant entry into the workforce. ⁴

Funding

According to the International Institute of New England’s website, the organization is considered by the United States federal government to be a public-private partnership and receives 50 to 60 percent of its funding on an annual basis from government entities. The rest of the organization’s funding comes from support from a variety of aligned left-of center, regional and corporate organizations, including Boncel Philanthropies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, TD Charitable Foundation, Ann Theodore Foundation, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Greater Lowell Community Foundation, Theodore Edson Parker Foundation, Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and the Clowes Fund. ¹

Leadership

Jeff Thielman is the board president and CEO of the International Institute of New England. Previously, he cofounded the national Cristo Rey Network, and volunteered with Jesuit International in Tacna, Peru as a teacher and founder of a program for poor children called the Center for the Working Child. ⁵

William Gillett is the director of public policy and advocacy at the International Institute of New England. Previously, he was the chair of Ethics and Social Responsibility at Southern New Hampshire University. ⁶

Celine Mukasine is the chief financial officer of the International Institute of New England. Previously, she was the director of finance and deputy director of administration in the Liberia office of Last Mile Health, as well as a member of the leadership team at Foster America. ⁷

Alexandra “Xan” Weber is the chief advancement officer and senior vice president of the International Institute of New England. Previously, she worked in a variety of other roles at the institute, including director of community services, head of strategic direction, programs and Boston site director, as well as chief program officer. ⁸