Chicago, IL – We Are All America is excited to welcome the second cohort of our national Ethnic Community Based Organizations (ECBO) Cohort Program, following the success of the first cohort in this first-of-its-kind program designed to strengthen and uplift the leadership of immigrants and refugees in the United States. In the wake of funding cuts to the sector and a rise in anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies, ECBOs have continued to step up as the first line of support for people arriving in our country with nothing but hope and determination. They offer essential services like language learning, skills development, and civic engagement programs, doing the critical yet often unseen work of ensuring every newcomer finds their voice and place in our communities.
When we launched our inaugural cohort in September 2025, federal funding for refugee resettlement had been largely halted, and ECBOs were left to carry the weight of community need alone. The purpose of this program was to build these organizations’ capacity and sustainability so they could keep serving their communities, while growing their presence, their advocacy, and their power to defend their own narratives. Our ECBO cohort brought together 15 organizations from across 12 states for training and mentorship around governance, fundraising, advocacy, narrative, and coalition building. As their capacity grew, so did their reach: together, these organizations supported more than 100,000 newcomers, and one cohort member even ran for city council and won, bringing immigrant and refugee leadership directly into local government. Read the ECBO Cohort 2025-2026 Impact Report.
We know the magic that happens when we invest in refugee and immigrant leadership: they transform strangers into neighbors, survival into belonging, and individual struggles into collective power. The need for this work has only grown. More than 170 organizations applied to join the 2026-2027 ECBO cohort, and following a competitive selection process, we have chosen 15 organizations spanning 14 states that exemplify the vision and strength of immigrant and refugee-led community work. These organizations represent a powerful cross-section of grassroots advocacy and service delivery. Spanning diverse ethnic communities from Rohingya youth in Oregon, to Ukrainian refugees in Massachusetts, and mixed-status families along the Texas-Mexico border, these organizations provide support ranging from rapid response and immigration legal navigation to trauma-informed healing, ESL, food security, and cultural preservation. Many are navigating the loss of federal funding and rising enforcement in their communities, and all share a commitment to addressing systemic barriers, building bridges within and beyond their communities, and helping the people they serve move from receiving support to leading change.
You can read more about the selected organizations and the work they are doing below:
The African and Black Immigrants Services & Advocacy (ABISA) mobilizes to center and uplift Black immigrant narratives and experiences in Michigan. Rooted in kinship, driven by justice, and powered by community, the Detroit-based organization connects Black immigrants with low-cost legal representation, runs a bail fund co-created with Haitian Bridge Alliance, and advances language justice through interpretation and community training. ABISA also supports Black immigrant youth and young women through scholarships and mentorship, building stronger communities where Black immigrants can thrive.
The African International Collaborative Center (AICC) empowers African immigrants and other communities of color in the Bronx, guided by the belief that strong families build strong communities and that equity begins with listening. Its culturally responsive programs respond to what the community says matters most: closing the digital divide, promoting health and mental well-being, preventing violence, advancing environmental justice, and growing civic engagement and leadership. AICC also publishes African Whistle Magazine, which celebrates African heritage and bridges information gaps in the African community.
Arise Initiative for Migration, Education & Development (AIMED) advances research, education, and community-driven development for immigrant, refugee, and displaced communities in Northern Virginia, with a particular focus on Afghan families. Its work connects research with community action through educational and leadership programs, community dialogue, and evidence-based policy recommendations, with a focus on women, youth, and emerging leaders. At the heart of AIMED’s work is the belief that displaced communities should not simply receive services, but have the knowledge and opportunity to shape the decisions that affect their lives.
The Burmese Rohingya Student Union (BRSU) empowers Rohingya youth through education, leadership development, and community advocacy. Rooted in lived experience, BRSU works across Portland, Oregon, and with Rohingya communities in Myanmar and the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, supporting young leaders, preserving Rohingya culture and heritage, and offering programs that address trauma and healing. From women’s leadership workshops to cultural events and advocacy for justice and human rights, BRSU brings the community together to build a future beyond genocide and displacement.
The DEBBO Leadership Trust empowers African immigrant professionals, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders through culturally rooted leadership development, coaching, and peer learning. Its work draws on the Ethiopian tradition of “Debbo,” a practice of collective action in which community members pool their knowledge, skills, and resources to help one another achieve what would be difficult alone. Through workshops, mastermind circles, and collaborative problem-solving, DEBBO is building a network of African immigrant leaders who strengthen one another and the communities they serve.
The Erzule Paul Foundation provides humanitarian aid, housing support, health outreach, and essential supplies to Haitian and Haitian American families in South Florida. Through its Mutual Aid Mental Health Initiative, the foundation translates 12-step recovery literature into Haitian Creole and shares wellness resources through churches and community networks, helping break the stigma around mental health and recovery. The foundation places a special focus on children and young people, supporting their education and guiding them toward self-sufficiency as they grow into adulthood.
The Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance (IUYA) is an organization led by and for undocumented youth in Indiana. Founded in 2012 by undocumented young people to help their peers pursue higher education, IUYA has grown alongside its community and now serves undocumented individuals and mixed-status families across generations through rapid response and family support, a statewide scholarship program, culturally responsive wellness programming, Know Your Rights education, and community organizing.
The International Center of Greater Cincinnati is a volunteer-powered organization that has empowered immigrants, refugees, asylees, and internationals since 2003. ICGC helps newcomers build stable lives in the region through housing assistance, employment support, ESL and GED classes, college navigation, healthcare access, legal referrals, and interpretation and translation. Through advocacy and cultural exchange, ICGC works toward a Greater Cincinnati where everyone, regardless of background, can thrive, contribute, and feel valued.
Laredo Immigrant Alliance (LIA) is an immigrant-led organization building community power alongside immigrant and low-income families in Webb County, Texas, a border region with three federal immigration detention facilities. LIA reaches more than 1,500 families each year with Know Your Rights education, family preparedness planning, resource navigation, and legal referrals. The organization also develops community leadership through its neighborhood-based comités and its Pathways to Justice Fellowship.
Latino Memphis has spent more than 20 years as the go-to organization for the Latino community in the greater Memphis area, connecting, collaborating, and advocating for health, education, and justice. Its programs include immigration legal representation before the Memphis Immigration Court, community health and nutrition, digital literacy and job readiness, and a referral center linking families with more than 50 local partners. Through its advocacy and outreach, Latino Memphis raises the voice of Latinos in the region and pushes for a more inclusive Memphis.
The Montana Organization for New Americans (MONA) is an educational initiative built and led by refugees and immigrants, for refugees and immigrants, in Missoula and across Montana. The organization offers ESL classes, youth engagement, women’s programs, and cultural activities designed around what newcomers themselves want to learn and how they prefer to learn it. MONA helps New Americans overcome barriers like language and unfamiliar systems, while creating space for them to share the skills and knowledge they bring to their new home.
Olga’s List helps Ukrainian refugees displaced by Russia’s invasion settle into new lives in Massachusetts. Staffed largely by Ukrainian-speaking volunteers, many of them refugees themselves, the organization supports new arrivals from their earliest days until they are resettled. Its linguistically and culturally responsive services include case management, free ESOL classes, workforce development, mental health support, and food security programs.
Owl and Panther has supported refugee and asylum-seeking families in Tucson since 1995, guided by its mission of healing through community. It serves families from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, and beyond through trauma-informed expressive arts, women’s and youth circles, mentoring and violence prevention, and health education, all delivered in participants’ own languages.
Southeast Asian LGBTQIA+ Together (SALT) is a community space for Southeast Asian LGBTQIA+ immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and diaspora members to tell stories that are too often missing from the mainstream LGBTQIA+ conversation, especially stories about being queer alongside culture, religion, migration, and family. SALT shares community stories, history, and conversations that can be difficult to have at home, and connects LGBTQIA+ people in Southeast Asia with those living in the diaspora.
The Somali Bantu Association of America (SBAOA) is a refugee-led organization founded in San Diego in 2009 to help refugee families build their lives in the United States. Rooted in the Somali Bantu community, it now serves Somali, Congolese, Burundian, Ugandan, Sudanese, Afghan, and other newcomer families of every generation with immigration legal assistance, ESL classes, a food pantry, youth mentoring, and employment and health navigation. Because it was created by refugees, SBAOA offers culturally and linguistically responsive support that helps families meet immediate needs while building the skills and confidence to have a stronger voice in their communities.
We Are All America is supported by the generosity of those who believe that we are stronger together, and that we can build a greater America for all. Consider making a donation of any amount to our coalition today, which will support and resource immigrant and refugee leaders and advocates across the U.S., and thank you!
