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Non-profit

RefugeeOne

Website:

www.refugeeone.org
Location:

Chicago, IL
Tax ID:

36-3817743
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2022):

Revenue: $10,528,802
Expenses: $6,007,775
Assets: $12,176,477
Type:

Refugee Support Advocacy Organization
Founded:

1982
Executive Director:

Melineh Kano

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RefugeeOne provides refugee resettlement services to refugees primarily from the Middle East. Services include housing, English classes, health and mental services, programs for women, youth, and young adults, and job search support.

It receives funding from the United States government and from several left-of-center philanthropies including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Church World Service, National Philanthropic Trust, Network for Good, Schwab Charitable Fund, and Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund.

Background

RefugeeOne is the Illinois affiliate of Church World Service and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. It receives government funding from the U.S. Department of State to resettle refugees entering the United States 1 through the U.S. State Department Refugee Admissions Program. 2

It was started in 1982 and has provided services to over 20,000 refugees 2 from many countries including Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. 3 As of September 2022 it had 74 employees and had moved into a larger building in Chicago that houses all of its programs. 4

Programs

The Refugee Resettlement Services program provides new refugees with a furnished apartment and cultural orientation as well as several program services, including English language classes. 5

The Workforce Development Program assists refugees in obtaining a job and provides ongoing post-employment counseling and mediation. 5 It organizes a monthly job fair for refugees and local employers. 6

RefugeeOne’s Wellness Program provides health and mental health services. 5 In 2022 it started a dental clinic. 4

The Youth and Young Adults Program offers programs for school readiness, after-school care, summer day camp, tutoring, career counseling, and behavioral health. 5

Women’s Services provides refugee women with mentors who help them acclimate to life in the United States. In 2017 RefugeeOne started a Sewing Studio to train refugee women in sewing skills and in English to enable them to find work. 5

The Immigration Support Program includes refugee support in obtaining travel documents, employment authorizations, asylum applications, alien petitions, and Temporary Protected Status. 5

Afghanistan and Ukraine

RefugeeOne has focus programs for refugees from Afghan and Ukraine. In 2022, RefugeeOne formed a four-person team focused on resettlement for Afghan refugees. 7 8 RefugeeOne obtains state funding through a special grant pool from the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide assistance to refugees from Ukraine. 9

Advocacy

RefugeeOne advocates for the Afghan Adjustment Act to streamline Afghan immigration and encourages others to contact Congress in support of this legislation. 7 It supports federal policies to support Ukrainians coming to the United States including cash assistance, health insurance, and food assistance through public programs. 9

In November, 2023 RefugeeOne published an “advocacy alert” on Facebook to call on Congress to fund support for Ukrainian and Afghan refugees. 10  The Facebook post references an action alert from Church World Service urging people to contact their members of Congress and encourage them to provide benefits to Ukrainians and Afghans and reduce detention, deportation, and border-enforcement programs. 11

Funding

RefugeeOne reported $10,528,802 in revenues and $6,007,775 in expenses in 2022. 12 In 2022 40% of its revenue was from government funding, with the rest from philanthropic donations. 13

In 2022 the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation donated $250,000 to RefugeeOne with a focus on enabling RefugeeOne to provide services to Ukrainian refugees following the February 2022 invasion by Russia. 14

Left-of-center advocacy group Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights donated $86,200 to RefugeeOne in 2021. This organization paid out over $11 million in grants to 92 organizations for “immigrant and refugees assistance” in 2021. 15

Chicago grantmaking foundation Polk Brothers Foundation has donated to RefugeeOne every year since 2014. 16

Additional 2022 donors to RefugeeOne include left-leaning think tank Urban Institute, Church World Service, left-of-center grantmaking organization Chicago Foundation for Women, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Chicago Community Trust, and donor advised fund providers American Endowment Foundation, National Philanthropic Trust, Network for Good, Schwab Charitable Fund, and Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. 17

In October 2023 American Nurses Credentialing Center sponsored a giving campaign to support RefugeeOne at its annual conference that included matching contributions from the Humana Foundation, CeraVe, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and Fresenius Kabi USA .2

Leadership

Melineh Kano became executive director of RefugeeOne in 2012. Previously Kano was program director for Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries for 20 years. 18 Kano was a refugee, having fled Iran around the time of the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, arriving in the United States in 1984. 19

References

  1. RefugeeOne. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part III). 2022.
  2. “American Nurses Credentialing Center Kicks Off Conference in Chicago with Giving Campaign to Support RefugeeOne and the American Nurses Foundation.” ANCC 2023 News Releases. October 12, 2023. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2023/refugeeone-and-anf-text-to-give/
  3. “Who We Serve.” refugeeONE – What We Do. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.refugeeone.org/who-we-serve.html
  4. Joe Ward. “RefugeeOne Opens New Headquarters In West Ridge As Agency Nearly Doubles To Address Refugee Crisis.” Block Club Chicago. September 12, 2022. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/09/12/refugeeone-opens-new-headquarters-in-west-ridge-as-agency-nearly-doubles-to-address-refugee-crisis/
  5. “RefugeeOne.” GuideStar Profile. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/36-3817743
  6. George Castle. “Ukrainian refugees who fled war eagerly attend Norridge employment fair: ‘I want a job.’” Chicago Tribune. June 19, 2023. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/norridge/ct-nhh-ukrainian-refugee-job-fair-tl-0622-20230619-edimoihoqbcuvdwnpctrx5ljuq-story.html
  7. “Refuge for Afghans.” refugeeONE. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.refugeeone.org/afghanistan.html
  8. Elly Fishman. “She escaped the Taliban. A year later, her fate — like thousands of Afghans — is in limbo.” WBEZ Chicago. September 2, 2022. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.wbez.org/stories/afghan-asylum-seekers-in-chicago-face-uncertain-road-to-residency/78c4e8c4-26ca-403d-b04b-0aa136bde4d7
  9. “Solidarity with Ukraine.” refugeeONE – Ukraine. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.refugeeone.org/ukraine.html
  10. Facebook – RefugeeOne. November 16, 2023 post. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/RefugeeOne/
  11. “TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Fund Refugee & Newcomer Inclusion and Restore Needed Services for Ukrainian and Afghan Neighbors.” CWS – Take Action – Action Alerts. November 13, 2023. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://cwsglobal.org/action-alerts/take-action-urge-congress-to-fund-refugee-newcomer-inclusion-and-restore-needed-services-for-ukrainian-and-afghan-neighbors/
  12. RefugeeOne. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part I). 2022.
  13. refugeeONE Biennial Report For Fiscal Years 2021 & 2022. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.refugeeone.org/uploads/1/2/8/1/12814267/refugeeone_biennial_report_fy21_and_fy22.pdf. Link from “Annual Reports.” refugeeONE – Who We Are. https://www.refugeeone.org/annual-reports.html
  14. “Refugee One.” MacArthur Foundation – Grant Search. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.macfound.org/grantee/refugeeone-44532/
  15. Illinois Coalition For Immigrant And Refugee Rights. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990, Schedule I). 2021.
  16. “Current Grantmaking.” Polk Brothers Foundation. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.polkbrosfdn.org/grants/
  17.  “Results for “refugeeone”.” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?sort=best&form%5B%5D=IRS990ScheduleI&year%5B%5D=2021&q=refugeeone&submit=Apply
  18. LinkedIn – Melineh Kano. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/melineh-kano-8978318/
  19. Micah Materre. “Armenian refugee’s life work is to help others that are just like her.” WGN9. December 21, 2019. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://wgntv.com/news/chicagos-very-own/armenian-refugees-life-work-is-to-help-others-that-just-like-her/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: June 1, 1992

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2022 Jun Form 990 $10,528,802 $6,007,775 $12,176,477 $2,310,644 N $10,526,035 $15,580 $23,074 $268,614
    2021 Jun Form 990 $5,064,866 $3,480,818 $6,751,320 $1,344,969 N $5,018,596 $52,870 $14,727 $261,949
    2020 Jun Form 990 $4,773,943 $3,386,668 $5,387,997 $1,628,842 N $4,721,323 $44,821 $13,543 $240,146 PDF
    2019 Jun Form 990 $3,431,128 $2,954,762 $2,454,399 $79,146 N $3,150,047 $47,075 $10,683 $221,715 PDF
    2018 Jun Form 990 $3,635,210 $3,219,173 $2,013,997 $119,142 N $3,158,142 $195,181 $8,728 $129,375 PDF
    2017 Jun Form 990 $5,119,123 $4,778,978 $1,589,997 $108,480 N $4,657,487 $263,555 $4,113 $120,906 PDF
    2016 Jun Form 990 $3,709,437 $3,267,991 $1,222,688 $89,817 N $3,287,422 $240,803 $4,946 $123,123 PDF
    2015 Jun Form 990 $3,211,079 $3,078,899 $726,523 $30,278 N $2,794,339 $211,046 $5,304 $111,912 PDF
    2014 Jun Form 990 $2,976,151 $2,954,361 $701,944 $132,274 N $2,648,373 $150,445 $3,377 $101,099 PDF
    2013 Jun Form 990 $2,970,699 $2,895,448 $671,885 $130,479 N $2,700,935 $160,000 $3,321 $191,522 PDF
    2012 Jun Form 990 $2,726,274 $2,718,567 $662,454 $194,575 N $2,506,475 $136,549 $2,196 $173,082 PDF
    2011 Jun Form 990 $2,503,543 $2,531,804 $646,396 $175,009 N $2,295,014 $120,986 $1,820 $314,956 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    RefugeeOne

    6008 N CALIFORNIA AVE
    Chicago, IL 60659-3916