Refugee Revenue: International Rescue Committee's $430 million in grant awards
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The federal government has outsourced the processing and care of refugees admitted to the United States to a myriad of tax-exempt non-profits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
One of these NGOs is International Rescue Committee (IRC), which has received nearly $430 million in federal grants for refugee processing and aid services since 2021. IRC is headed by David Miliband, a former Member of Parliament in Britain’s far-left Labour Party, who earns a salary of $1.1 million from the organization.
IRC advocates for expanded resettlement of asylum seekers throughout the United States and provides support to them before and after they cross the southern border, including housing, legal assistance, and “transportation coordination”.
According to Form 990s filed with the IRS, the organization’s total annual revenue has nearly doubled from 2018 to 2021:
- 2018 revenue: $785.3 million, including $422.9 million in government grants
- 2019 revenue: $805.3 million, including $461.1 million in government grants
- 2020 revenue: $950.7 million, including $537.2 million in government grants
- 2021 revenue: $1.4 billion, including $728.3 million in government grants
In 2021, IRC reported holding $527 million in assets, including $210 million in cash and $119 in securities. IRC also reported a $108 million endowment fund. IRC’s 2022 and 2023 revenues have yet to be disclosed.
According to USAspending, grants to the organization since 2021 include:
- $167.5 million for refugee placement and reception services, including $55.6 million for resettling refugees from Afghanistan
- $110.7 million for “Preferred Communities Program” assistance (refugee aid program established in the 1990’s by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, includes one year of comprehensive assistance
- $77.9 million for the Voluntary Agencies Matching Program (refugee employment assistance program)
- $32.4 million for processing refugees in foreign countries into the United States
- $16.1 million for various assistance programs for refugees admitted to the United States
- $13.9 million for assistance to Unaccompanied Minors
- $8.8 million to assist asylum seekers in Central/South America, with $5.8 million targeting Venezuelans.
Aid to refugees admitted to the United States includes $4 million for the “New Roots” program, which gives admitted refugees financial and advisory assistance in obtaining and operating farms in various states. IRC also provides admitted refugees with free tax preparation assistance.
According to USASpending, refugee-related grants to IRC since 2021 include the following:
Administration for Children and Families grant (2021)
Amount: $110,721,974
Purpose: FY22 IRC preferred communities program
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Department of State grant (2022)
Amount: $54,375,112
Purpose: Provide initial relocation support services for Afghans paroled into the United States
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $40,616,451
Purpose: To ensure that all refugees approved for admission to the United States are provided with reception and placement services.
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Administration for Children and Families grant (2022)
Amount: $37,329,950
Purpose: 2022 voluntary agencies matching grant program
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Administration for Children and Families grant (2023)
Amount: $29,983,800
Purpose: 2023 voluntary agencies matching grant program
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Department of State grant (2021)
Amount: $22,661,662
Purpose: To provide reception and placement services to eligible recipients under the U.S. refugee admission program (USRAP)
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $18,873,669
Purpose: Ensure that all refugees admitted to the United States are provided reception and placement services.
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Department of State grant (2022)
Amount: $18,849,598
Purpose: To ensure that all refugees approved for admission to the United States are provided with reception and placement services appropriate to their personal circumstances
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $15,300,197
Purpose: Provide regional refugee processing service for all U.S. refugee admissions.
Country: Thailand
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Administration for Children and Families grant (2023)
Amount: $13,005,424
Purpose: Home study and post-release services for unaccompanied children
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Department of State grant (2022)
Amount: $8,341,064
Purpose: Provide regional refugee processing service for all U.S. refugee admissions
Country: Thailand
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Administration for Children and Families grant (2023)
Amount: $7,500,000
Purpose: Refugee technical assistance program (switchboard)
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Department of State grant (2021)
Amount: $7,187,179
Purpose: Resettlement of refugees from Asia through the USRAP
Country: Thailand
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Administration for Children and Families grant (2024)
Amount: $5,513,200
Purpose: 2024 voluntary agencies matching grant
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $5,441,775
Purpose: Ensure that all refugees admitted to the United States are provided reception and placement services.
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Administration for Children and Families grant (2021)
Amount: $4,797,726
Purpose: 2021 voluntary agencies matching grant program
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National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant (2023)
Amount: $3,440,588
Purpose: Immigrants and refugees (collectively, New Americans) have always played a major role in the U.S. farm economy. Many new Americans who aspire to owning and operating farm businesses bring with them a wealth of agrarian expertise and grit to contribute to their food systems, but despite their enormous potential, they face critical barriers to becoming successful. Meanwhile, the US is losing small farmers at a high rate, threatening its food supply and sustainable use of its land and water resources.the International Rescue Committee (IRC) developed the New Roots program in 2006 to enable new American farmers to leverage their existing agricultural skills to become productive agricultural entrepreneurs in the U.S. the gaining ground project will operate in Salt Lake City, UT, Phoenix, AZ, Sacramento, CA and Charlottesville, VA, to assist 300 economically distressed and underserved agricultural producers New American farmers to become independent agricultural entrepreneurs. As part of the project, new American farmers will receive financial training and opportunities to build agriculture credit and capital to help them participate fully in the US economy and avoid catastrophic circumstances such as predatory lending. Farmers will also receive targeted support in agricultural production and marketing to help their businesses become successful. Part of this assistance will include assistance with outreach to local USDA programs and service providers who themselves are also working to overcome barriers between themselves and these populations that are due to limited literacy, English language skills, or differences in cultural competency. Finally, the project will provide technical support with land access, helping new American farmers to identify land resources, improve their ability to negotiate contracts and access loans, and grow their productivity. Through these methods, IRC’s gaining ground project will support a vulnerable but hardworking set of farmers to gainthe skills, resources, and market opportunities to expand their farm businesses. In turn, these farmers contribute to improved community nutrition and health by producing and selling culturally relevant and familiar produce sought by local communities, build a more resilient food supply chain by increasing and diversifying the local farmer population, and protect soil and water resources by using organic and regenerative farming methods.
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $2,987,000
Purpose: Specialized emergency response for Venezuelan immigrants and refugees in Peru
Country: Peru
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Department of State grant (2022)
Amount: $2,851,000
Purpose: Improve protection, health and shelter outcomes for Venezuelan refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and vulnerable host community members through increased access to high quality humanitarian assistance and government services
Country: Peru
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant (2021)
Amount: $1,790,837
Purpose: The Center for Adjustment, Resilience & Recovery (CARRE) will close the gap in knowledge and research, and increase workforce capacity so that refugee, asylum, and other forcibly displaced children, youth, and families in the US receive effective-based, trauma focused, culturally responsive, evidence-based treatments and interventions that prevent the long-term impacts of childhood traumatic stress and promote resilience.
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $1,656,014
Purpose: Provide technical assistance to strengthen the linkages between overseas Cultural Orientation (CO) programs for refugees approved for admission to the United States (U.S.) and reception and placement (R&P) activities conducted upon their arrival.
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Department of State grant (2024)
Amount: $1,525,510
Purpose: Provide regional refugee processing services for all US refugee admissions
Country: Thailand
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $1,500,000
Purpose: Refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and vulnerable host community members receive essential education, legal, and gender based violence (GBV) prevention and response services while all forms of violence and discrimination in their environment are reduced
Country: Guatemala
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Department of State grant (2022)
Amount: $1,499,495
Purpose: To provide technical assistance services to strengthen the linkages between overseas cultural orientation (CO) programs for refugees approved for admission to the United States and reception and placement activities conducted upon their arrival.
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Department of State grant (2021)
Amount: $1,499,310
Purpose: To strengthen linkages between overseas CO programs for refugees approved for admission to the U.S. and reception and placement activities conducted upon their arrival.
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Agency for International Development grant (2021)
Amount: $1,492,000
Purpose: 12-month integrated Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance and Protection program in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador
Country: El Salvador
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $1,219,327
Purpose: To ensure all Afghan refugees and Afghan sivs coming through the OAW/EW pipeline receive reception and placement services
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Administration for Children and Families grant (2021)
Amount: $750,000
Purpose: IRC in northern California refugee career pathways program
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Office Of Advocacy and Outreach grant (2022)
Amount: $749,999
Purpose: IRC Cultivating Connections project
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National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant (2021)
Amount: $749,998
Purpose: Immigrant and refugee beginning farmers face critical barriers to success, including lack of access to land, training, and markets, compounded by language barriers and limited support systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has created training and marketing challenges, but also led to program innovations that support skills acquisition, market access, and social connections leading to faster farm business growth. The New Roots and shoots project will build on these lessons to support 120 socially disadvantaged beginning farmers to gain the skills, resources, and opportunities to enter and improve their farm businesses through intensive, individualized assistance and wraparound support.
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $712,842
Purpose: Develop and manage the specialized infrastructure for a labor mobility pathway pilot program for skilled refugees that operates through the Welcome Corps, the private sponsorship program for refugees admitted through the U.S. refugee admissions program.
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $647,215
Purpose: Technical assistance project designed to support new resettlement agencies successfully implement and operationalize the reception and placement (R&P) program.
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Department of State grant (2023)
Amount: $482,445
Purpose: Augment capacity to accept affidavits of relationship (AORs) and other supporting documentation for applications to the Central American Minors (CAM) program.
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Department of State grant (2022)
Amount: $394,738
Purpose: Augment existing capacity to accept affidavits of relationship (AORs) and other supporting documentation for applications to the Central American minors (CAM) program.
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Administration for Children and Families grant (2023)
Amount: $350,000
Purpose: Alliance for career empowerment (ACE)
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Department of State grant (2024)
Amount: $163,217
Purpose: Resettlement peer support is a technical assistance project designed to support new national resettlement agencies to successfully implement and operationalize the reception and placement program
Link to award
Internal Revenue Service grant (2021)
Amount: $80,000
Purpose: Volunteer income tax assistance for new Americans
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Internal Revenue Service grant (2022)
Amount: $80,000
Purpose: The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant was established as a matching grant program to provide funding for organizations who support community volunteer income tax assistance.
Link to award