irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $68KRESPONSE PROJECTS - Response Projects are teams of 1-4 IWR volunteers assigned to each family or individual with whom IWR works. Each Response Team works with new arrivals towards self-expressed resettlement goals for a period ranging most commonly from 6 months to 2 years and represents the bulk of IWRs work. In 2024, Response Team volunteers supported 95 people. While volunteers are unpaid, through this program IWR provides newcomers with welcome cash assistance when they first arrive 9,000 in 2024, housing aid 29,524.21 in 2024, and miscellaneous financial support, most commonly used for driving lessons 7,144.20 in 2024.
- #2 $8KIWR established a crisis fund in 2023 to respond to the loss of a father of a family of 6 who had arrived in the US mere weeks earlier. The father was meant to be the familys sole income earner. All four children were still in grade school in 2024. We continued to use the fund to cover some of the familys basic living expenses utilities, medical expenses, costs of paying for a pro bono lawyers fees related to court documents in the suit against the driver involved in the fathers accident in 2024 and the fund is available to help others in our service population during times of crisis.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Crisis Fund
Provides emergency financial assistance for basic living expenses, medical costs, and legal fees during unexpected hardships, such as the death of a family’s primary income earner.
Driver Pool
Background-checked volunteers provide transportation for new arrivals to medical and immigration appointments when public transit is not viable.
Global Roots Play School
Volunteer-supported play-based early childcare program for refugee and immigrant children aged 18 months to five years.
Response Projects
Teams of 2-4 volunteers provide long-term, customized support to refugee families and individuals, including help with appointments, job searches, school enrollment, and navigating systems like health insurance and taxes.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Refugee and Immigrant Resettlement Services 2 activities
- Provision of housing and household setupOperates the Welcome Home program to assist refugees with securing housing, providing financial housing aid, collecting donated furniture and household goods, purchasing linens and groceries, and offering move-in support. Coordinates ongoing donation drives for essential items like diapers and winter clothing.
- Resettlement support through volunteer response teamsProvides holistic, long-term resettlement services to refugees and immigrants in Tompkins County, NY, through volunteer teams offering housing assistance, financial support, transportation, interpretation, job search help, school enrollment, and appointment accompaniment. Support is tailored to individual and family needs and includes trauma-informed care.
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Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 1 activity
- Advocacy for newcomersAdvocates on behalf of refugees and immigrants at the regional and national level to promote policies and practices that support integration and equity.
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Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
- Community integration and cultural projectsOrganizes community-building events and cultural projects such as an annual community picnic and a public mural celebrating refugees and immigrants in Tompkins County, fostering inclusion and visibility.
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Direct Financial Assistance to Individuals 1 activity
- Emergency crisis fund for refugee familiesOperates a crisis fund to provide emergency financial assistance for living expenses, medical costs, and legal fees to refugee families facing unexpected hardships, such as the loss of a primary income earner, with documented support continuing into subsequent years.
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Food and financial assistance programsSupports refugee and immigrant families experiencing food insecurity by distributing donated gift cards to local grocery stores and providing store credit from donated items. Also enables access to fresh, nutritious food through surplus redistribution.
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Community Event Fundraising 1 activity
- Fundraising events and community campaignsOrganizes and supports local fundraising initiatives including one-day sales, sponsored challenges, watch parties, and special events, raising vital financial support—such as $5,321 from 79 watch party fundraisers in 2025.
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Early Childhood Education & Development Programs 1 activity
- Global Roots Play School for refugee and immigrant childrenOperates a play-based preschool for children aged 18 months to 5 years, enabling refugee and immigrant parents to attend English classes while their children receive trauma-informed childcare. Provided scholarships to all enrolled children in 2024, with 92% being recent arrivals.
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Diaper and Baby Supply Distribution 1 activity
- Targeted family support and in-kind drivesOrganizes specific in-kind drives such as baby registries to prepare for the arrival of refugee families with particular needs, such as an expected baby in September 2026.
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Non-Emergency Medical & Essential Transportation 1 activity
- Transportation assistance for refugeesProvides transportation to medical appointments, classes, and immigration-related trips through a volunteer driver pool, and offers free and low-cost bicycles and repairs to support refugee families’ mobility needs.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$349K
Contributions & grants$331K95%
Program service revenue$7K2%
Investment income$3K1%
Other revenue$8K
expenses
Total expenses$258K
Program expenses70%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising14%
Salaries & benefits$165K
Grants paid out$66K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$287K
Cash$267K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$287K
Liquid reserves12.4 mo
4 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue +29.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CASEY VERDEROSA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 30 | $47K |
| BRONWYN LOSEY | DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL ROOTS PLAY SCHOOL | 15 | $19K |
board members · 9
- BRIDGETTE NUGENT — BOARD SECRETARY
- CHRISTINE LEMONDA — BOARD MEMBER
- DOUG STAYMAN — BOARD CHAIR, TREASURER
- FLORIANNA BLANTON — BOARD MEMBER
- KAREN SCHACHERE — BOARD MEMBER
- MARY HUTCHENS — BOARD MEMBER
- NATE FOSTER — BOARD MEMBER
- PEDRO MOLINA — BOARD MEMBER
- SAW THU KA EE — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 20
Who they work with
- Bike Bar Ithaca Partner — Hosted a World Cup watch party and fundraiser for IWR.
- Bike Walk Tompkins Partner — Provides free and low-cost bicycles and repairs to refugee families.
- Bookies Sports Bar & Lounge Partner — Hosted a World Cup watch party and fundraiser for IWR.
- Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga Partner — Partnered to provide cultural orientation, financial assistance, and apartment setup for refugees.
- Cornell University Partner — Collaborates on events such as the PAO Bhangra Exhibition and supports refugee integration through shared initiatives.
- Cornell University Partner — Collaborates with Cornell’s PAO Bhangra Exhibition team, which supports IWR through cultural events.
- Cornell University Partner — Refugee supported by IWR enrolled in and graduated from Cornell University.
- Finger Lakes ReUse Partner — Provides store vouchers to IWR refugee partners for basic home supplies and clothing.
- Freeway Art Partner — Partnered with Ithaca Welcomes Refugees to organize a music fundraiser at Lansing Performance Hall.
- Friendship Donation Network Partner — Enables IWR refugee partners to access fresh, nutritious food through surplus redistribution.
- GO Ithaca Partner — Provides heavily discounted bus passes to IWR refugee partners.
- Global Roots Play School Partner — Collaborates to provide early childcare for refugee and immigrant children through volunteer support at a play-based school.
- Mama Goose & Jillian’s Drawers Partner — Collaborates with IWR to convert donated baby and children's clothing into store credit, which IWR then distributes as gift cards to refugee families.
- Mama Goose & Jillian’s Drawers Partner — Provides store credit from donated items to be distributed to refugee and immigrant families.
- Open Doors English Partner — Coordinates Global Roots Play School hours with English language classes at Open Doors English to support parent enrollment.
- Open Doors English Partner — Provides English language classes to newcomers; IWR coordinates Global Roots Play School hours with ODE class times.
- Personal Best Brewing Partner — Hosted a World Cup watch party and fundraiser for IWR.
- State Eatery Partner — Hosted a World Cup watch party and fundraiser for IWR.
- Tompkins Learning Partners Partner — Provides English language tutoring and supports goal-based learning for refugees.
- Wide Awake Bakery Partner — Raises funds and awareness in support of IWR programs.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Client-Choice Model through Community Partnershipsmethodology: client-choiceBy providing refugee families with gift cards to a local consignment store instead of direct donations, the organization enables self-directed selection of children's items, promoting dignity and reducing waste because choice empowers agency and matches needs more effectively.
- Financial Bridge Support for Early Resettlement Stabilitymethodology: financial_bridgeBy providing temporary financial assistance and maintaining a crisis fund, the organization helps refugee families overcome sudden hardships and bridge the gap to self-sufficiency because financial instability is a primary barrier to long-term integration.
- Integrated Family Support through Coordinated Programmingmethodology: two_generation_approachBy aligning childcare programming with adult English language instruction, the organization enables parental participation in education because coordinated scheduling removes structural barriers and supports the whole family’s integration simultaneously.
- Participant-Led Resettlement with Volunteer Accompanimentmethodology: accompanimentBy empowering refugee families to set their own goals and pairing them with dedicated volunteer teams who walk alongside them, Ithaca Welcomes Refugees fosters self-sufficiency, reduces isolation, and supports long-term integration because autonomy and relational support are central to sustainable resettlement.