About Us
HIAS has experienced significant financial growth in recent years – It was a $30 million entity working in 10 countries in 2017, and now it’s a $200 million entity in 23 countries — and we expect that growth to continue in the coming years. HIAS is positioned globally to expand its programming and impact with enduring partnerships, and expertise in emergency response.
In 2021, the HIAS Board decided to invest in the establishment of a separate charity to manage its reserves through the creation of a permanent endowment. The organization deserved a permanent endowment that it hasn’t had in the past. The HIAS Foundation was officially formed in the State of New York on October 27, 2021, as a 501(c)(3) public charity with the purpose to provide support to HIAS, Inc. in carrying out its mission to provide vital services to refugees and asylum seekers around the world and advocate for their fundamental rights so they can rebuild their lives.
The HIAS Foundation will focus on attracting bequests and planned gifts thereby building capacity in several program areas and strengthening HIAS’s ability to respond to humanitarian emergencies in perpetuity.
The HIAS Foundation’s goals are to:
- Steward, conserve and grow a permanent endowment via sound investment for the purpose of supporting HIAS.
- Leverage the power of gift planning to promote tax efficient vehicles for donors to support the HIAS Foundation, and thus the future of HIAS through gifts of assets via various creative charitable mechanisms.
- Engage individuals, both donors and prospects to consider supporting the HIAS Foundation endowment to have long-lasting permanent impact on HIAS’ annual operations.
By building an endowment through planned gifts, the HIAS Foundation furthers HIAS’s mission. Every year, income from HIAS Foundation’s endowments will be made available to HIAS to help migrants and asylum seekers around the world realize their rights and rebuild their lives in safety and freedom.
While donations to HIAS are put to immediate use, gifts made to the HIAS Foundation are invested for the future.