refugepoint 2014 annual report 1

a n n u a l r e p o r t2014

collaborating for change

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Our staff identify vulnerable children, conduct protection and needs assessments, make referrals for services, and determine long-term solutions, a process known as “Best Interests Determination” or BID. Our range of services in Nairobi aim to protect children and caretakers.

c h i l d p r ot e c t i o n

s ta b i l i z at i o n a n d s e l f - r e l i a n c eStabilization and self-reliance involve stabilizing refugees in the countries to which they have fled and providing opportunities for them to become more self-sufficient. We accomplish this through our Urban Refugee Protection Program, which provides services such as: food and rent assistance, small business grants, medical care, education stipends, and counseling.

r e s e t t l e m e n t

Resettlement involves permanently relocating refugees to countries where they can rebuild their lives.

Resettlement is often the best option for refugees who cannot return home and are not able to reside safely in the country to which they have fled.

Accomplishing Our Mission

We collaborate with other agencies and governments to create social transformation within the entire refugee environment. This transformation results from changes in policy, from training and technical assistance to expand capacity, and by building and enabling partnerships so that there is better coordination and greater impact related to securing the lives of refugees.

g lo b a l p o l i c y

At the foundation of all of our work is a focus on child protection and global policy.

We improve the lives of refugees through resettlement, stabilization, and self-reliance.

Our MissionRefugePoint finds lasting solutions for the world’s most vulnerable refugees. We identify and protect refugees who have fallen through the cracks of humanitarian assistance and have no other options for survival.

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Message from Our Founder and Board ChairDear Friends,

The plight of refugees has reached a tipping point. Conflict and persecution forced 42,500 people per day from their homes in 2014, leading to a world with nearly 60 million displaced people.

Long-term exile is the new norm for refugees, and many face life-threatening dangers and discrimination as outsiders. Now is the time to re-imagine a world in which refugees have the opportunity to contribute their skills and strengths to the communities in which they live. We, as a global community, must find ways to strengthen and build new pathways to protect refugees and allow them, once again, to live self-directed lives.

With refugees themselves at the core of all we do, RefugePoint reaches those in peril, creates models and methods of operation to influence our field, brings new partners to the table, and serves as a voice for the forgotten. We aren’t alone in our efforts. We stand on the shoulders of great organizations that have come before us and with which we now work. We are always looking for ways to support others to find innovative ways to improve the lives of vulnerable refugees. This collaborative approach has positioned RefugePoint, perhaps uniquely, to help build more robust systems that weave together governments, the United Nations (UN), NGOs, academia, and the private sector, to protect and empower refugees more effectively.

We are motivated to enable innocent people who have faced unspeakable hardship to rebuild their lives with dignity and in safety. Like us, many organizations and individuals share the vision of a future in which refugees are able to move from exclusion to inclusion, and from dependence to self-reliance. Thank you for your support as we move toward that imagined future. Sincerely,

Sasha Chanoff (Founder and Executive Director) and Jessica Houssian (Board Chair)

We envision a future in which refugees are able to move from exclusion to inclusion, and from dependence to self-reliance.

59.5million People displaced worldwide in 2014

Refugees worldwide in 2014

19.5million

Number of years that RefugePoint has been helping the most vulnerable refugees

10

3.7millionRefugees in Africa in 2014

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Collaborating for ChangeThe environment in which we operate includes refugees, local and national governments, humanitarian assistance agencies, and all other agencies that work to improve the lives of refugees. RefugePoint’s work is twofold:

1) We provide direct services to refugees.

For example, we conduct interviews and refer refugees for resettlement, we link refugees to health care, we provide loans to start small businesses, and we identify and protect vulnerable children.

2) We collaborate with other agencies and governments to create social transformation within the entire refugee environment.

This transformation results from changes in policy, from training and technical assistance to expand capacity, and by building and enabling partnerships so that there is better coordination and greater impact related to securing the lives of refugees.

RefugePoint fosters collaboration through sharing tools and insights from our experience and learning lessons from our partners. The niche we have carved provides us the opportunity to lead discussions with partners about creating common ways to measure and improve the effectiveness of resettlement, stabilization, and self-reliance.

Expanded small businesses for refugees through a loan partnership with Kiva.org

2014 collaboration successes:

Gained access to health services for refugees in Nairobi through the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF)

Trained staff at Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) in South Africa to help identify and protect vulnerable refugees

“We stand on the shoulders of great organizations that have come before us and with which we now work.” -Sasha Chanoff

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reaching minors inremote areasDue to the recent large-scale influx of South Sudanese refugees, combined with ongoing arrivals from Eritrea and Somalia, Ethiopia now hosts the largest refugee population in Africa, with a total of nearly 600,000 people.

Departing from the traditional model of placing staff at a fixed location, this year RefugePoint designed a “roving position.” Based in Addis Ababa, staff completed short-term missions to refugee camps throughout Ethiopia to more flexibly respond to emerging needs.

Our team members conducted child protection assessments, trained partner agency staff, and helped to build systems for the delivery of child protection services. This staffing model helped to improve access to resettlement and other essential services. We will look for other opportunities to place roving positions to more nimbly respond to widely dispersed populations.

Protecting ChildrenChildren face extreme risks as refugees and are often subject to exploitation and dangerous living conditions. In addition, those who are unaccompanied or orphaned commonly have little or no access to education and other basic services. Because the protection of children is integral to RefugePoint’s mission, we make children a priority in resettlement, stabilization, and self-reliance efforts.

RefugePoint staff conducts child protection assessments known as Best Interest Assessments and Determinations (BIAs/BIDs) and develops plans to increase safety and well-being for children in dangerous circumstances. With an ever-growing need across the continent, there is limited capacity among the traditional partners for conducting these assessments. As a result, vulnerable children often do not receive the protection and support services they need.

This has serious implications, not just for the children, but for caretakers as well. Resettlement cases cannot proceed without the required child assessment, and refugee families who are awaiting resettlement sometimes consider that it is in the family’s best interest to leave behind a child they are caring for in order to accelerate the resettlement process. RefugePoint continues to build capacity, and to train staff in other agencies to expand the reach of services for refugee children across Africa.

Among Congolese families identified for resettlement, one in every three cares for a child who is not their own.

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Resettlement Resettlement is often the only solution for refugees who cannot return home and are not able to live safely in the country to which they have fled. RefugePoint identifies those in need of resettlement and enables them to relocate to countries where they can begin to rebuild their lives.

Resettlement operations in Africa have historically been concentrated in just a few countries. Driven to reach those refugees in truly life-threatening circumstances, regardless of where they are, RefugePoint is working to open access to resettlement in more locations across Africa. As the global refugee crisis grows, RefugePoint aims to ensure that there is a safety net available everywhere for those who might not survive. This effort entails investing resources in developing infrastructure in under-served areas in Africa and collaborating with the UN Refugee Agency, governments, and NGOs to increase resettlement opportunities for those who would otherwise be overlooked.

ready for a journey Pictured here, a family with whom RefugePoint worked for many years puts their feet together one last time in their home in Nairobi, before embarking on their resettlement journey. The following day this family was resettled, and began a new life together in Canada.

Belvie,* a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, faced many challenges and traumas when she fled to Kenya. When Belvie’s best friend died suddenly and left behind two children, Belvie took them in and cared for them, despite having very few resources.

“The children have brought a lot of purpose and drive to my life. When I first took the children in, I never thought I would be able to care for them. But then, I stayed with them, I grew to love them, and I knew I couldn’t let them go. When I first came to Kenya I was so withdrawn, I didn’t speak, I had no thoughts of the future. I was just living. I was just there. Now I am able to think about the future. I am able to think about what I am going to do tomorrow. Since coming to RefugePoint, that has been the biggest change for me.”

When I first came to Kenya I was so withdrawn, I didn’t speak, I had no thoughts of the future. Now I am able to think about the future. Since coming to RefugePoint, that has been the biggest change for me.

“”- Belvie,* RefugePoint client * Name changed to protect privacy.

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the role of ngos in resettlement Violence against refugees in South Africa first erupted in 2008 and worsened in 2014, resulting in attacks and the loss of many lives. In response, RefugePoint sent staff to work with Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) to help identify and protect vulnerable refugees.

Because organizations like LHR work directly with refugees, they are able to identify the most vulnerable refugees in the region. These organizations, however, are often not equipped to collaborate effectively with UNHCR in terms of resettlement identification and referrals. RefugePoint helped LHR establish procedures for a smooth referral relationship with UNHCR, while helping UNHCR establish mechanisms to receive and process these referrals. Training and supporting organizations in this way is a valuable strategy for expanding access to resettlement. The LHR-UNHCR partnership is a model that holds great promise for replication.

working at unhcr headquartersTo further the goal of expanding access to resettlement, RefugePoint’s Director of International Programs was placed at the United Nations High Commmissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) headquarters in Geneva during the summer of 2014. While there, he engaged in discussions related to improving resettlement policies and practices. Subsequently, UNHCR invited RefugePoint to place another staff member in Geneva to assess opportunities for NGOs globally to engage more robustly in identifying vulnerable refugees for resettlement.

2014 Resettlement This year ranked among our most successful in nearly every aspect of our work. This includes: the number of refugee referrals; the number of child protection assessments; the number of locations in Africa assisted by RefugePoint; and the number of individuals reached through training.

In 2014 we worked in 8 new locations and 5 new countries (Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Rwanda, and Zambia), shown in blue.

We worked in 22 locations across Africa, and our staff referred 4,837 refugees for resettlement, bringing our total resettlement referrals since our founding in 2005 to 26,972.

In 2014, the number of new countries that we worked in (shown in blue)

5

The number of new locations that we worked in across Africa in 2014

8

The number of refugees that we referred for resettlement since ‘05

26,972

The total number of locations that we worked in across Africa in 2014

22

Driven to reach those refugees in truly life-threatening circumstances, regardless of where they are, RefugePoint is working to open access to resettlement in more locations across Africa.

4,837 Refugees referred for resettlement from 22 locations in 15 countries in 2014

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Traditionally, refugees have primarily been housed in camp environments. Urban refugee populations, however, are growing. Today, more than 50% of the world’s refugees live in urban centers. Although often difficult to identify, refugees who have fled to urban areas are often in highly vulnerable situations.

RefugePoint identifies and provides life-stabilizing interventions to the most vulnerable refugees living in Nairobi. We work with them to become more self-reliant and more integrated into the community. We provide an array of services, including emergency food and rent assistance, access to health care, education stipends, counseling, and workforce and small business development assistance.

This year was a time of crisis for refugees in Nairobi. As a result of terrorist attacks, refugees faced increased levels of discrimination. Many were rounded-up and arrested, and some were forced to move to refugee camps far from Nairobi. RefugePoint responded, providing increased protection, reuniting families when separated, and issuing cash transfers to reduce the visibility that comes with services such as food distribution. Even in a harsh and restrictive environment, RefugePoint was able to make significant and even unprecedented strides that helped refugees to stabilize and become more self-reliant.

Urban Refugee Protection Program

Stabilization andSelf-RelianceFor many refugees, ongoing conflict means that they are unable to return home, and the majority do not have an opportunity to resettle. As a result, refugees remain in the countries to which they have fled for an average of 17 years - and sometimes for generations.

During this time, basic rights, including access to education, the ability to work legally, and move freely, are largely out-of-reach. In short, there is no safety net for those who have fled violence, experienced trauma, and now live in unfamiliar environments without their traditional support systems and livelihoods. RefugePoint’s Urban Refugee Protection Program (URPP) in Nairobi, Kenya, aims to expand freedoms for refugees to more effectively integrate, even in the absence of full legal rights.

Average number of years refugees remain in the country to which they fled

17

Refugees supported to enroll in school

392

1,524

471 Refugees attended group counseling

Refugees received food assistance

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refugee access to inpatient hospital insurance We strive to expand the rights and freedoms available to refugees so that they can more easily integrate into the community and become self-reliant. This type of change highlights the need for social responsibility in addition to individual-level responsibility. Influencing local and national policies, for example, can affect an entire population of refugees. In 2014, RefugePoint secured access to inpatient hospital insurance for refugees.

After two years of advocacy, RefugePoint brokered an agreement with Kenya’s National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), allowing refugees to access the same inpatient hospital insurance benefits as Kenyans. Over 50,000 refugees in Nairobi now have access to free inpatient health services. While RefugePoint enrolled many thousands of clients, UNHCR and other organizations also devoted resources to covering the premiums for many more thousands of refugees. This initiative is an example of the type of social change that we are influencing - where refugees have access to the same basic services as residents of the countries in which they live.

10,378 Refugees visited by community health workers

Refugees received health services

2,133

Child protection assessments conducted across Africa

1,117

The number of refugees in Nairobi who now have access to free inpatient health services as a result of RefugePoint’s advocacy

50,000

50%More than 50% of the world’s refugees live in urban centers

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annalie’s small business loanTo her neighbors in Nairobi, Annalie, a mother of three, is a successful and skilled tailor. However, few know about her struggles as a refugee. During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Annalie and her husband fled to Kenya, where they experienced extreme hardship. “We experienced dire poverty in Kenya - the kind of poverty I never imagined existed before. The kind of poverty where we had no mattress, no blankets; our clothes were tattered, and our family was malnourished to a point where the children fell severely ill,” she explains.

As a trained tailor interested in starting a business but lacking the means, Annalie was one of RefugePoint’s first business development clients. With a grant from RefugePoint, she was able to buy a sewing machine in 2011. As she began saving, RefugePoint referred her for an interest-free loan through KivaZip, which enabled her to expand her business even further. Annalie now provides for her family and is saving for the future. She has a stronger feeling of security than at any time in her more than two decades in Kenya. “Business has really helped me. It rescued my family from poverty,” she says.

Livelihoods RefugePoint helps urban refugees achieve greater self-sufficiency and a better quality of life. To that end, we provide business and life-skills trainings, help clients to develop small business plans, and issue micro-grants to start and expand small businesses.

RefugePoint staff monitors and advises entrepreneurs throughout all phases of small business planning, start-up, and expansion. For those who demonstrate an ability to generate and save funds, RefugePoint provides access to interest-free loans through the KivaZip program (a program of Kiva.org). RefugePoint pioneered the KivaZip program for urban refugees, and others are now replicating it. UNHCR and the US Department of State have highlighted the partnership as a model that can potentially benefit other refugees in Kenya and in other countries.

To date, RefugePoint has helped to launch 98 refugee businesses, including hair salons, second-hand clothing shops, food stalls, and carpentry and tailoring businesses. Refugees reported earning a profit within just two to four weeks of launching their businesses. This enables them to purchase food for their families, pay rent, enroll their children in school, and really become members of the communities in which they live.

523Refugees trained in workforce and small business development

Refugee businesses launched in 2014

98

0%Interest on KivaZip loans for refugees to launch businesses

Kiva loan repayment rate

88.4%

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Noteworthy Events 2014

In October, Warner Bros. released The Good Lie, featuring the story of the Lost Boys of Sudan and starring Reese Witherspoon. Through the film, RefugePoint highlighted the importance of refugee resettlement as a solution for vulnerable refugees. In September, RefugePoint Executive Director Sasha Chanoff spoke at a special screening of the film to members of Congress in Washington, DC. In December, Sasha joined Ger Duany, an actor in The Good Lie, on NPR’s program Here and Now. During the program, Ger and Sasha highlighted the new “lost boys and girls” who have been displaced since the most recent conflict in South Sudan began in December 2013.

In April 2014, RefugePoint ambassador Yar Ayuel met President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama before attending the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner with Executive Director Sasha Chanoff. The day before this once-in-a-lifetime meeting, Yar joined RefugePoint Chief Operating Officer Amy Slaughter in speaking at a UN Foundation forum moderated by Ambassador Melanne Verveer, entitled "Courage to Change the Narrative: Women's Voices in Fragile States and Why They Matter." Yar was featured in 2014 on the National Public Radio (NPR)program, Here and Now (see photo right) as well as in The Boston Globe.

In September, United States Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power invited former RefugePoint client Sandra Uwiringiyimana to speak at a special session of the UN Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict. Sandra was only 10 years old at the time of the 2004 Gatumba massacre in Burundi, where at least 166 Congolese refugees were killed and another 106 were injured. Sandra lost her sister in the attack. Following the massacre, RefugePoint created a plan, collaborating with the U.S. Department of State and UNHCR, to ensure that the survivors were resettled to the US. Speaking at the Security Council, Sandra, a college sophomore, described how resettlement transformed her life and how it can provide a path to security for refugee children.

former refugee meets with president obama

premiere of the movie the good lie

former client speaks at un security council

Use your phone to scan the QR codes to learn more about each story.

“The great moral challenge of our time is the oppression of girls and women. Refugee girls are often the most at risk.” -Sasha Chanoff and Yar Ayuel on NPR’s Here and Now

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Financial StatementCondensed Audited Statement of Activities for the years ended Dec. 31, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2013 (in thousands) 2014 2013

Operating Revenues

Contributions & grants 1,832 2,293

Contributed Goods & Services 18 47

Cooperative Agreements & Contracts 1,160 1,074

Interest Income & Other 5 11

Total Operating Revenues 3,015 3,425

Operating Expenses

Program Services

Africa-Wide Refugee Protection Programs 1,661 1,529

Nairobi Urban Refugee Program 946 768

Total Program Services 2,627 2,297

Supporting Services

General and Administrative 237 166

Fundraising 200 192

Total Supporting Services 437 358

Excess (Deficiency) of Operating Revenues Over Operating Expenses

Excess (Deficiency) Related to Unrestricted Funds 72 457

Excess (Deficiency) Related to Temporarily Restricted Funds* 122 307

Non-Operating Activities (Net) 20 25

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets 29 748

Net Assets at Beginning of Year 2,605 1,857

NET ASSETS AT END OF YEAR 2,576 2,605

*Complete financial statements, audited by Alexander, Aronson, Finning & Co., P.C., available upon request.

The LifelineWe rely on the generous support of multiple partners. We owe tremendous gratitude to the supporters listed here who gave in 2014, and to the countless others who we do not have the space to include here.

FoundationsAshokaThe Charitable FoundationFlora Family FoundationHorace W. Goldsmith FoundationImagi Dei FundThe Isabel Allende FoundationJasmine Social InvestmentsThe Leir Charitable FoundationsThe Moriah Fund Inc.The Morrison & Foerster FoundationThe Mulago FoundationNewman’s Own FoundationUNHCR

Cindy and Kevin AbelAid for AfricaAJG FoundationAlchemy FoundationThe MCJ Amelior FoundationAnonymous (3)Ansara Family Fund Antelope Foundation The Apatow-Mann Family FoundationArlene FoundationJonathan and Monique BamelRonald and Kathleen Trombacco BangsKen and Auli BattsClaire and Bruce Bean

Norman S. BenzaquenDavid BeversluisEd and Amy Brakeman Gift FundWendy Brandes and Joel KassanRoss Bresler and Anja Rauh BreslerBill and Barbara Burgess FundJonathan BushCarl and Suzie ByersCarMax FoundationG. Thomas CatorBonnie and Clive ChajeMatt Chanoff and Lisa Kleiner ChanoffSasha ChanoffCLAWS FoundationDiane Currier and Bill MayerJamini Vincent DaviesAnnette DavisLauren DiasMelissa and Tom DiTostoDodson Charitable Gift FundDan and Colleen DraperRoss and Jeanne EdmundsonElmo FoundationThe Ettinger Foundation, Inc.Edward J. FalkRichard and Toni FeinbloomMichele and Andrew FelnerJohn and Stacey FiskFloor Family Charitable FundThe Matthew and Sarah Forti Charitable FundBonnie GosselsElaine and Werner GosselsGreaterGoodJill GrennanThe Greenbaum FoundationMichelle and Paul GrobmanRichard and Debra HagarApril HartfordHaslett Family Charitable FundJoyce HeenSheila HeenMike and Sara HenryAmy Herskovitz

Daniel HoganThe Houssian Family FoundationCarol JacobsAdam and Jules JanovicWilliam Sloane Jelin Charitable FoundationJewish Community Foundation Los AngelesClaire JohnsonRobert and Joyce KleinerMartha Kurz Consulting LLCEvan KushnerLandry Family Charitable FoundationAshley LanferJohn and Randi LapidusThe Lehner FundStacy LennonNoah and Barbara LernerArmand and Jean Lindenbaum B&M Lindenbaum FundLinowitz Family FundLynne LipconSusan LowenbergJoyce Newstat LowenbergMatthew MartelliEvan McDanielDaniel Mintz and Meredith BerkmanDavid and Katherine Moore Family FoundationRobert and Emily MorrisonDambisa MoyoCraig MurphyRalph and Jadviga Da Costa NunesKenneth O’Connor and Dorothy RoweSuzanne PeckCivie and Earl Pertnoy Family FoundationMatthew and Annie PetersThe Plymouth Rock FoundationTzedakah Fund (Bernard and Sue Pucker)Marcia Riklis Family FoundationEdward and Denise RocheRachael and Michael RoufaMaurice and Luly SamuelsSanagail Fund - FJCThe Susan Sarandon Charitable FoundationJonathan and Carolyn Schindel

Seed the Dream FoundationDoug and Andi ShawBen and Karen SherwoodStephanie and Fred Shuman Family FoundationChristopher SiegeSNL Charitable FundElizabeth and Oliver Stanton FoundationKathryn SteinbergEdward Stern and Stephanie ReinLiz and Emanuel SternJames M. and Cathleen Douglas StoneTambor Family FoundationTim TerryYvette Alberdingk ThijmChristopher TrostWalker Family FoundationJill Tufts and Patrick RuthPatti and Rick WayneWayne FoundationEmanuel WeintraubWeitzner Family FundMary and Edward Wendell, Jr.Desiree YoungeSandy Zabar

Individuals and Family Foundations

In-Kind DonorsGoodwin Procter LLP

Programs (85.7%)

G & A (6.5%)

EXPENSE RATIOS

Fundraising (7%)

REVENUE SOURCES

Individual Contribuitions & Grants (61%)

Contributed Goods & Services, Investment & Other Income (1%)

Cooperative Agreements & Contracts (38%)

*

*This figure includes several multi-year committments that were recorded in full in 2013.

689 Massachusetts Avenue | Cambridge, MA 02139 | Email: info@RefugePoint.org | Tel: 617-864-7800 | Fax: 617-864-7802

www.RefugePoint.org

Photos: Nancy Farese on behalf of RefugePoint (cover, back cover, pages: 2-10, 15-21, 25. Alexis Felder (page 13). Hellen Githakwa (page 23).

Design by Alexis Brooke Felder