Chicago, IL –We Are All America (WAAA) is excited to launch the first-ever national Ethnic Community Based Organizations (ECBO) Cohort, an innovative program that arrives at a critical moment in time to uplift and strengthen refugee and immigrant leadership across the United States. Across the country, we’ve witnessed ECBOs stepping 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.
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. Our inaugural ECBO cohort follows WAAA’s long trajectory of supporting and empowering immigrant and refugee community leaders and organizers by working directly with organizations to help them navigate unique challenges related to funding, strategy, and capacity so their work can continue being as sustainable as it is impactful.
Following a competitive selection process, we have chosen 15 organizations spanning across 12 states that exemplify the vision and strength of immigrant and refugee-led community work. These organizations, led by refugees, immigrants, or individuals with deep connections to the communities they serve, represent a powerful cross-section of grassroots advocacy and service delivery. Spanning diverse ethnic communities from Arab American and Bhutanese refugees to Black LGBTQ+ immigrants and Central Asian populations, these organizations provide comprehensive support ranging from housing assistance and mental health services to civic engagement and cultural preservation. What unites them is their commitment to addressing systemic barriers while building bridges within and beyond their communities.
You can read more about the selected organizations and the work they are doing below:
The Arab American Civic Council is a grassroots organization based in the Little Arabia District in Anaheim, California, that advances community power and civic engagement within the Arab American and broader MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) community. Established in 2011, the organization works to build community strength by facilitating civic participation and conducting important policy work that advocates for justice and equity for MENA communities. Their vision centers on creating an empowered Arab American community that can thrive in a just and equitable America for all. Among their notable achievements, the AACC successfully led efforts to establish the first and only government-designated Arab cultural hub in the United States and is currently spearheading the effort to pass AB91, commonly referred to as the California MENA Inclusion Act.
Arab American Family Services (AAFS), founded in 2001 by social work professionals Itedal Shalabi and Nareman Taha, provides comprehensive social services to Arab American communities in the South Suburban Chicagoland area. What began in a small 10×10 office has grown into an organization with over 70 staff serving hundreds of clients annually across more than 30 communities. Through 13 programs—including case management, domestic violence prevention, mental health services, immigration support, youth programming, and elder and disability assistance—AAFS works to break down cultural, religious, and linguistic barriers while building bridges between Arab American and mainstream communities. Guided by a vision of equity and social justice, AAFS strives for a future where immigrants and refugees are welcomed, empowered, and able to lead thriving lives alongside others.
Arab Women for Women is a grassroots initiative in Northwest Arkansas that empowers Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African women–many who are immigrants and refugees–through culturally grounded support and community connection. Through trauma-informed wellness sessions, cultural gatherings, leadership development, and creative arts, Arab Women for Women creates programming and partnerships with local nonprofits to support these women in overcoming the unique challenges they face, including language barriers, social isolation, trauma, and lack of access to mental health care and employment resources.
Austin Asian Impact (AAI) is a grassroots initiative that strengthens the visibility, leadership, and well-being of underserved Asian communities across Central Texas. Created by and for underrepresented Asian immigrant communities–spanning Central, East, and South Asia– in Central Texas’ civic and philanthropic spaces, AAI provides holistic support through women’s leadership events, storytelling circles, intergenerational art activities, the FABRIC sustainability program engaging youth and adults with disabilities, and advocacy for increased funding for Asian-led nonprofits
The Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh is a refugee-led community organization serving the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community in Pittsburgh through comprehensive, culturally informed programming across seven key focus areas, spanning citizenship preparation, computer literacy training, and mental health support. BCAP’s programs connect over 7,000 Bhutanese residents to resources and opportunities, and are designed by community members with first-hand understanding of the barriers in place for navigating life in America. With a focus on advocacy, community-building, and cultural preservation, BCAP creates spaces where every Bhutanese family can access support while preserving their identity and building their future.
The Black Diaspora Liberty Initiative (BDLI) advocates for the rights and well-being of Black LGBTQ+ immigrants, operating comprehensive programs that address the full spectrum of immigrant needs—from detention support and transitional housing to legal aid, healthcare, and mental health services. Emerging from founder Uchechukwu Onwa’s experience being persecuted as a gay man in Nigeria and facing harsh conditions in U.S. immigration detention, BDLI recognized that Black LGBTQ+ immigrants face unique challenges even after reaching safety in the United States. Beyond immediate assistance, the organization focuses on community organizing, political education, leadership development, and civic engagement to empower Black LGBTQ+ immigrants as advocates and leaders while working to dismantle systemic oppression through research and policy advocacy.
Centro Multicultural La Familia provides culturally-affirming, trauma-informed support services to immigrant and underserved communities in Oakland and Macomb Counties, MI through comprehensive programs including crime victim support, domestic violence services, citizenship preparation, ESL classes, youth employment programs, higher education guidance, health services, mental health counseling, and a culturally appropriate food pantry. Originally founded in 1985 by Oakland County Community Health to serve the Hispanic population, the organization became independent in 2007 and now operates with more than 20 bilingual staff members creating pathways to stability and inclusion through culturally rooted practices.
Immigrants Act Now, cofounded Deema Abdo and Farrah AlKhorfan, is a specialized advocacy organization that advances policy reform and legal advocacy specifically for Arab immigrants in the United States through direct engagement with lawmakers, policy briefings, community mobilization, and empowerment initiatives including collaboration with Arab-American lawyers for legal guidance. The organization emerged to fill a critical gap in Arab immigration advocacy, recognizing that while many organizations focus on humanitarian crises in Arab countries abroad, few specifically advocate for Arab immigrants already residing in the U.S., working on targeted initiatives like securing TPS status renewal and advocating for pathways to citizenship for Syrian TPS holders while addressing the unique challenges Arab immigrants face within the broader immigration system.
The Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County (IWNJC) is an immigrant-and-refugee-led organization that provides comprehensive support to prevent homelessness and advance housing, social, and economic justice for newly arrived families in Johnson County, Iowa. The organization has evolved into a community network that works to welcome immigrants and refugees while dismantling systemic barriers and fostering cross-cultural understanding. IWNJC offers housing assistance, employment support, empowerment programs including ESL and leadership courses, community resource navigation, advocacy for systemic change, and mentorship programs that pair newcomers with local mentors for their first five years of resettlement.
The Lighthouse Equality Advocacy Project (LEAP) champions the rights of Black LGBTQI+ immigrants through comprehensive support services, including care, legal education, peer counseling, and advocacy for both detained and post-release individuals. The organization was founded in New York City in 2022 by Executive Director Richard Wilson, a Black nonbinary asylum seeker from Jamaica who personally navigated the systemic injustices that LEAP seeks to dismantle. LEAP’s impact extends beyond New York State as it works to dismantle structural barriers, build community connections, and address the unique intersection of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination that specifically harms Black LGBTQI+ immigrants
LOUD For Tomorrow is a grassroots, youth-led organization based in Delano, California, dedicated to building youth power—especially among immigrants and LGBTQ+ youth of color—to transform schools and communities through civic engagement, advocacy, and community healing. Founded in 2018 by Central Valley high school and college students organizing in the Central Valley, LOUD trains youth to lead campaigns rooted in environmental and electoral justice. The organization focuses on voter registration and turnout, campus-based organizing, youth leadership development, grassroots and digital mobilization, and issue advocacy.
MOZAIC is a grassroots organization founded in 2016 that empowers refugees, women, and children in the DMV area through educational programs, vocational training like refugee-led sewing and culinary instruction, case management, and community support services including furniture distribution and food assistance. Operating from the Mozaic Center with classrooms, a sewing studio, and a refugee art gallery, the organization helps refugees achieve self-sufficiency while showcasing their talents through events, market opportunities, and collaborations that highlight entrepreneurship and professional development.
New International Hope For Refugees And Immigrants (NIHRI) is a refugee-led nonprofit based in Connecticut dedicated to empowering refugee and immigrant communities through provision of transport, translation services, counseling and connecting them to resources, dignified housing, job applications and networks, also through leadership forums. Founded by a Kenyan-born refugee and community leader, we serve newly resettled families, asylum seekers, undocumented immigrants, and long-time residents from African, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian backgrounds. Our programs include cultural events, women’s empowerment gatherings, youth mentorship, civic education, and emotional healing circles, alongside advocacy that elevates refugee voices with local institutions. Led entirely by those with lived refugee and immigrant experience, NIHRI builds trust through shared journeys and creates pathways for communities to not only survive but thrive and lead.
The Rohingya Women Development Network (RWDN) is the first women-led Rohingya organization, founded in 2016 in Malaysia by Rohingya activist Sharifah Shakirah. Established in response to the urgent need for Rohingya women’s voices and leadership, RWDN provides safe spaces, education, and empowerment opportunities for women and girls, while advocating for their rights locally and globally.
In Malaysia, RWDN works directly with refugee communities to address daily challenges such as gender-based violence, access to education, and lack of protection. It leads women’s empowerment programs, survivor advocacy initiatives, and solidarity-building across ethnic and faith communities in exile.
In the United States, RWDN extends its mission to the diaspora community, amplifying Rohingya women’s voices in international advocacy, policy engagement, and justice processes. The U.S. chapter connects with allies, human rights organizations, and policymakers to ensure Rohingya women’s perspectives shape the global response to the ongoing genocide and displacement.
Unity for Change Inc is a refugee-led organization based in Georgia committed to building stronger, more peaceful communities. With leadership and staff who are themselves refugees and immigrants, the organization provides services that are both culturally and linguistically responsive to the realities of those it serves. Unity for Chance focuses on supporting refugee women and youth through access to education, healthcare, and basic needs, while also advancing leadership development, economic independence, and social inclusion.
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!
