named programs · 8 · from sources
What they call their work
COVID-19 Prevention & Care
Provided multilingual test instructions and Medicaid guidance for SIV families during the pandemic
Dental Care Access
Shared translated dental care resources and partnered with local providers to improve access for SIV families
Driver's Education Support
Provided translated NYS Driver's Manuals in Dari and Pashto to support SIV recipients in obtaining driver's licenses
Emergency Preparedness Program
Collaborative event with RG&E and URMC Family Medicine to educate families on home safety, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide, and flu prevention
Lead Poisoning Prevention Education
Distributed translated materials and provided guidance on lead safety, blood testing, and home inspections for children in Rochester
Muslim-Based Family Wellness & Mental Health Workshop
Workshop conducted in partnership with Rahama to support mental health and family wellness among Muslim SIV recipients
Wellness Helpline for Afghans
Free telehealth counseling service in Dari, Pashto, and English for Afghan refugees, parolees, and SIV holders experiencing emotional distress
Women's Trauma and Healing Workshop
Intimate workshop for women to process trauma and heal through writing personal narratives, led by Dr. Nadia Hashimi
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 1 activity
- Advocacy and Emergency Intervention for SIV ApplicantsConducts direct advocacy and emergency interventions to secure U.S. entry for SIV recipients facing denial, including coordination with military contacts and members of Congress to ensure safe arrival.
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Trauma-Informed Community Resilience Initiatives 1 activity
- Community Enrichment and Mental Wellness ProgramsOffers culturally responsive community events and wellness initiatives including horseback and skateboarding camps for children, writing workshops for trauma healing, Muslim-based family wellness and mental health workshops, emergency preparedness training, and educational sessions on lead poisoning prevention and health rights. Hosted events in 2023 and 2024 with specialized partners and distributed translated health materials.
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Refugee and Immigrant Resettlement Services 1 activity
- Comprehensive SIV Resettlement ProgramProvides end-to-end resettlement support to Afghan and Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients and their families in Monroe County, NY, including case management, housing assistance, rent and utility payments, food baskets for the first 6–12 months, furniture, household essentials, clothing, hygiene supplies, bedding, and personal devices. The program has resettled over 522 SIV families (more than 1,800 individuals), including 94 Afghan families (345 individuals) in the Greater Rochester area.
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Cultural Exchange and Mutual Understanding Programs 1 activity
- Educational Outreach and Cultural Awareness PresentationsDelivers tailored educational presentations about Afghan, Iraqi, and Kurdish wartime allies to schools, organizations, congregations, and clubs to promote awareness and community integration.
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International Emergency Medical Relief 1 activity
- Emergency Travel and Medical Evacuation SupportArranges emergency travel and medical evacuations for SIV applicants and families at risk in third countries, including funding urgent airline tickets and coordinating emergency medical transportation in partnership with organizations like Miles4Migrants. In 2025, facilitated emergency travel for SIV families in Pakistan facing arrest and deportation; paid $39,463 for life-saving flights and enabled urgent medical care in Rochester.
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Direct Financial Assistance to Individuals 1 activity
- Financial and Homeownership Support ServicesProvides direct financial assistance for first month’s rent, security deposits, initial food, home essentials, and modest vehicles; supports long-term stability through referrals to homeownership programs and has helped 61 SIV families become homeowners since 2018. Paid $386,533 in rent and security deposits and $57,074 for essential household items.
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Furniture and Household Essentials Provision 1 activity
- In-Kind Donation and Volunteer CoordinationManages a volunteer-driven system for collecting, sorting, and distributing in-kind donations including furniture, household goods, toys, books, and hygiene items. Accepts drop-offs on Wednesdays, uses Amazon wishlists and donated gift cards (Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc.) to procure supplies, and engages volunteers in apartment setups, transportation, and furniture building. Logged 1,908 volunteer hours valued at over $66,000.
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Transportation Access Support 1 activity
- Mobility and Transportation AssistanceSupports integration and employment through mobility programs including awarding car grants, providing up to $500 toward car insurance and registration, offering access to car loans via the New American Lending Program (contingent on volunteer service), providing driving lessons, translating driver’s manuals into Dari and Pashto, and distributing free bicycles to each SIV family member. The Wheels for Work Program spent $16,888 on car-related support.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$811K
Contributions & grants$810K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$5870%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$779K
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$261K
Grants paid out$427K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$808K
Cash$673K
Investments$0
Liabilities$110K
Net assets$698K
Liquid reserves10.4 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +9.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELLEN SMITH | Executive Dir. | 40 | $70K |
board members · 8
- ABDULLAH DINDOST — Director
- JAWAID SAMADEY — Director
- MICAHEL DURFEE — Director
- MIRWAIS NAZURI — Director
- NICHOLAS STEFANOVIC — Director
- SEAN KELLAS — Director
- THOMAS RUSLING — Director
- ZAINAB HUSSAINI — Director
relationships · 32
Who they work with
- A Horse's Friend Partner — Offers a discounted horseback riding program for children of SIV families.
- AmFund Partner — Partnered with AmFund on an exclusive travel auction during the 2025 Road to Resilience gala.
- Asbury First United Methodist Church Partner — Partners with Asbury First United Methodist Church's Storehouse to fulfill clothing needs for families, as KOP does not accept clothing donations.
- Asbury First United Methodist Church Partner — Provides monthly food baskets, clothing, and sponsors children's summer camp and horseback riding programs.
- Baywinde Partner — Abdullah Dindost has been working at Baywinde for 8 years as a Manager, following his resettlement with KOP's support.
- Budding Readers Partner — Supplies books for distribution to arriving families to support early literacy.
- Dr Nadia Hashimi Partner — Collaborated with KOP on a women's trauma healing workshop
- Ellen Smith Partner — Executive Director providing speaking engagements and presentations on behalf of the organization
- First Presbyterian Church of Honeoye Falls Partner — Supplies bedding items including blankets, sheets, pillows, and towels to newly arrived families.
- First Unitarian Church Funder — Co-funded the translation of the NYS Driver's Manual into Dari and Pashto
- Fred & Floy Willmott Foundation Funder — Provided a grant to support translation of the NYS Driver's Manual into Dari and Pashto
- Halal N Out Partner — Provides discounted catering services for KOP's "Food for Thought" fundraising events.
- Memorial Art Gallery Partner — Hosted the Road to Resilience fundraiser gala at Memorial Art Gallery in 2023.
- Messiah Lutheran Evangelical Church Partner — Provides cleaning and personal hygiene supplies and hosts fundraising dinners for rent and security deposits.
- Miles4Migrants Partner — Partnered to provide emergency air transportation for an SIV family needing urgent medical care.
- New American Loan Program Partner — Collaborates to provide car loan access for SIV recipients who complete volunteer service with KOP.
- R-Community Bikes Partner — Provides a free bicycle to every wartime ally and family member to support local transportation needs.
- RG&E Partner — Co-hosted an emergency preparedness event with KOP in December 2023
- Rahama Partner — Partnered with KOP on a workshop about Muslim-Based Family Wellness & Mental Health
- Rochester Greenovation Partner — Provides affordable office space, donated utilities, and internet service to Keeping Our Promise, while KOP volunteers and SIV families contribute volunteer hours to Greenovation.
- Rochester Greenovation Partner — Provides office and storage space to KOP in exchange for volunteer labor on Saturdays.
- Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services Partner — Provides affordable housing to newly arrived SIV families.
- Shift2 Partner — Provides quality used business computers to support community connectivity and digital access.
- Skateistan Partner — Zainab Hussaini served as Afghanistan Country Director for Skateistan, a nonprofit that empowers children through skateboarding and education.
- Temple B'rith Kodesh Partner — Collaborates on inter-faith community building and cultural exchange events with arriving families.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Funder — Provides grants for furniture, food staples, and hygiene items for newly arrived families.
- The Pirate Toy Fund Partner — Provides regular toy donations to support children’s emotional well-being and healing through play.
- Tru Earth Partner — Partner organization providing laundry detergent strips for SIV families through a donation program.
- URMC Family Medicine Partner — Co-hosted an emergency preparedness event with KOP in December 2023
- United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes Partner — Partner organization through which donors can designate contributions to Keeping Our Promise.
+ 2 more
strategies · 5
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.
- Applicant-Led Reconnection Processmethodology: applicant-led reconnectionBy requiring SIV applicants to initiate contact with former supervisors, the process reinforces applicant agency and validates service through self-advocacy, strengthening both application integrity and personal empowerment.
- Community Sponsorship Network Modelmethodology: community_sponsorship_modelBy enabling geographically dispersed faith-based and community organizations to collectively sponsor families remotely, resettlement capacity is scaled through distributed responsibility and localized volunteer engagement because it leverages existing community infrastructure and relational networks.
- Culturally Grounded Integration Approachmethodology: culturally_informed_mental_health_supportBy delivering services that are linguistically accessible and informed by cultural and religious context, the organization improves engagement and mental health outcomes because such alignment reduces stigma and builds trust in care systems.
- Healing-Centered Programming for Trauma Recoverymethodology: healing_through_narrativeBy using narrative writing and play-based activities as therapeutic tools, emotional healing is supported among women and children affected by trauma because these methods enable non-clinical, culturally resonant expression and processing of traumatic experiences.
- Peer-Supported Resettlement Modelmethodology: peer_support_networkBy engaging formerly resettled SIVs as consultants and volunteers, ongoing resettlement efforts gain cultural continuity and lived-experience guidance, which increases trust and program effectiveness because peer relationships reduce isolation and model successful integration.