Refugee and Immigrants Self Empowerment

What Refugee and Immigrants Self Empowerment does

Refugee and Immigrant Self-Empowerment (RISE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Syracuse, New York, with an additional service location in Buffalo. RISE serves refugee and immigrant community members in Onondaga and Erie Counties through an integrated portfolio of programs: resettlement services (approximately 150 individuals resettled annually), the Syracuse Refugee Agricultural Program (SyRAP), self-sufficiency programming, adult and child education initiatives, and care management and employment services. The organization reports serving roughly 500 community members per year, delivering 5,000 instructional hours, and harvesting 10,000 units of produce through SyRAP. Its stated mission is to promote self-sufficiency through employment, education, social support, and economic independence, and it measures success on the scale and effectiveness of its efforts rather than monetary size.

RISE's business model is a traditional community-nonprofit model. All services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, and the organization is funded entirely through donations, grants, and fundraising events. Revenue channels include individual and corporate giving (accepted via PayPal and Square), the AmazonSmile passive donation program (0.5% of eligible purchases), and the signature annual Night of Nations fundraiser, now in its 7th year (April 10, 2025 at SKY Armory, Syracuse). A $450,000 grant from the KeyBank Foundation in December 2023 is a material disclosed funding event. The organization employs 11–50 staff across three physical office locations and conducts outreach through its website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, email newsletter, and community events.

From a technology and operating posture, RISE is a service-delivery nonprofit without proprietary software, AI/ML, or API capabilities. Its core competency is community-embedded service: culturally and linguistically aligned staff delivering resettlement case management, agricultural training, education, and care coordination. Strategic positioning is rooted in 20+ years of local presence in Upstate New York, multi-county (Syracuse and Buffalo) coverage, and a diversified but small-scale fundraising stack anchored by an annual gala and institutional grants.

Name

Refugee and Immigrants Self Empowerment

Legal name

Refugee & Immigrant Self-Empowerment, Inc.

Website

https://refugeeandimmigrant.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RISE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that delivers resettlement, agricultural, educational, and care management services to refugees and immigrants across Onondaga and Erie Counties, New York, serving approximately 500 community members annually through three office locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Immigrant Social Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG), Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• Immigrant social services
• Community integration programs
• Refugee employment support
• Nonprofit resettlement agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: RISE operates as a 501c-3 nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Donations are accepted through PayPal, Square, and Amazon Smile (0.5% of eligible purchases).
2. Annual Fundraising Events: The organization hosts annual fundraising events including the Night of Nations fundraiser, which is described as the single most important event for raising critical funding to sustain programs including resettlement services, case management, education programming, career services, and care management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RISE is a 501c-3 nonprofit that provides integrated social service programs to refugees and immigrants in Erie and Onondaga County, NY, including refugee resettlement, case management and care management, employment services, adult and child education, self-sufficiency programming, and the Syracuse Refugee Agricultural Program (SyRAP). All services are delivered free of charge and are funded through donations, grants, and annual fundraising events.

Product overview

Refugee and Immigrant Self-Empowerment (RISE) is a nonprofit organization offering an integrated portfolio of social service programs for refugees and immigrants in Erie and Onondaga County, NY. The core offerings include the Syracuse Refugee Agricultural Program (SyRAP) for sustainable food production, Self-Sufficiency programming for economic independence, Education Initiatives for adults and children, Care Management and Employment Services for service navigation, and Resettlement support for newly arrived refugees. Additionally, RISE operates Night of Nations as its signature annual fundraiser. The organization serves approximately 500 community members annually, resettles 150 individuals per year, provides 5,000 instructional hours, and harvests 10,000 pounds of produce through its agricultural program. All services are focused on achieving self-sufficiency through employment, education, social support, and economic independence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Syracuse Refugee Agricultural Program (SyRAP): Agricultural program operated by RISE supporting refugees and immigrants through sustainable farming initiatives

Products and services

• Syracuse Refugee Agricultural Program (SyRAP) An agricultural program that provides refugees and immigrants with opportunities to grow produce, yielding approximately 10,000 units harvested annually, supporting food security and economic self-sufficiency.
• Self-Sufficiency Program Services designed to help refugees and immigrants achieve economic independence through employment, social support, and economic empowerment initiatives.
• Education Initiatives Educational programming for adults and children, providing approximately 5,000 instructional hours annually to support integration and skill development.
• Care Management and Employment Services Case management and employment support services that help clients navigate resources, access services, and achieve self-sufficiency goals.
• Resettlement Program Refugee resettlement services helping approximately 150 individuals yearly to establish new lives in Erie and Onondaga County, NY.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 individuals served annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Amazon SmileminorOthersRISE participates in the AmazonSmile program where the retailer's Foundation contributes 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the organization. Customers can shop at AmazonSmile and designate RISE as their charity of choice.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society): HIAS is a direct peer operating nationwide refugee resettlement and integration services with similar program streams (resettlement, employment, legal, education) matching RISE's integrated refugee services model.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): IRC resettles refugees and provides employment, education, and case management across U.S. cities, directly competing for the same federal/state funding pools and serving the same RISE client population.
• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): USCRI is a national refugee resettlement and self-sufficiency agency with parallel programs (resettlement, employment, education, case management) virtually identical to RISE's portfolio.
• World Relief: World Relief is a faith-based refugee resettlement agency running resettlement, employment, and English-language programs targeting the same New American demographic as RISE.
• Church World Service (CWS): CWS operates refugee resettlement and integration services nationally, with overlapping programs in self-sufficiency, education, and case management comparable to RISE.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Catholic Charities is a broad incumbent operator of refugee resettlement (through affiliated diocesan agencies), social services, and immigration legal aid, competing for the same federal/state funding contracts as RISE but at national scale.

Regional players

• Catholic Charities of Onondaga County: Catholic Charities of Onondaga County operates refugee resettlement and immigrant services in the same Syracuse market as RISE, directly competing for local clients, county contracts, and donor dollars.
• InterFaith Works of Central New York: InterFaith Works serves the Syracuse refugee and immigrant population with resettlement, education, and inter-cultural programs — a direct regional peer across RISE's primary service county.
• Jewish Family Service of Buffalo & Erie County: JFS Buffalo runs refugee resettlement, case management, and immigration services in Erie County — overlapping directly with RISE's Buffalo (412 Niagara Street) office footprint.

Emerging players

• Asylee Refugee Outreach: Asylee Refugee Outreach is a smaller, emerging refugee-services nonprofit in New York State providing case management and self-sufficiency programming, comparable as a niche peer to RISE's program mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/syracuserise
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrHVo9dwMy4camr864YhAFg
• Facebookfacebook.com/syracuserise
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refugee-and-immigrant-self-empowerment-rise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Refugee and Immigrants Self Empowerment