WelcomeNST
WelcomeNST is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that forms Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs) connecting 5,000+ volunteers in 38 U.S. states with refugee and immigrant families to provide friendship, practical assistance, and sustained support toward self-reliance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersMarlborough, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WelcomeNST does
WelcomeNST, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in August 2021 by Elizabeth Davis-Edwards in Marlborough, Massachusetts, in response to the Afghan evacuation. The organization forms Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs)—small groups of three or more volunteer neighbors—who provide friendship, appointment accompaniment, food assistance, financial literacy support, and 90+ days of sustained practical help to refugee and immigrant families legally in the United States but at risk. As of the most recent disclosures, WelcomeNST has engaged 5,000+ volunteers across 38 states, formed 350+ NSTs, and welcomed 1,000+ new arrivals from 19 countries of origin.
The core technology product is the AWE (Ambassadors of Welcome) platform, launched as a mobile app on iOS and Google Play in September 2025. AWE provides a secure digital space for NSTs to access resources, complete trainings, attend workshops, and communicate with WelcomeNST specialists. Complementary products include the Preparedness Playbook (a step-by-step immigration-readiness tool launched in 2026) and The Beacon, a quarterly newsletter that launched in mid-2025 to support donor and volunteer engagement. The underlying technology stack is best characterized as a content-and-coordination platform rather than a commercial SaaS product.
The business model is donation- and grant-driven. WelcomeNST is 100% privately funded through individual and family donations, foundation grants, and humanitarian grants. The most significant institutional funder is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which provided a $30,000 grant and a $170,000 humanitarian services grant in 2025. Donations are accepted via an online portal (QGIV), direct mail, and Donor Advised Funds. The organization maintains a five-VP leadership structure covering Development, Finance, Outreach and Partnerships, Programs, and Operations, sits under Charity Navigator oversight, and publishes independently audited financial statements for 2023 and 2024. All services to refugee and immigrant families are provided free of charge.
WelcomeNST firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WelcomeNST
- Legal name
- WelcomeNST, Inc.
- Website
- https://welcomenst.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WelcomeNST is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that forms Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs) connecting 5,000+ volunteers in 38 U.S. states with refugee and immigrant families to provide friendship, practical assistance, and sustained support toward self-reliance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WelcomeNST industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Refugee Resettlement Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)
Keywords
Where WelcomeNST is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marlborough
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WelcomeNST business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual and Family Donations: 100% privately funded through donations from individuals, families, and foundations. Every dollar has direct impact on refugee resettlement activities.
- Humanitarian Grants: Received grants from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including $30,000 and $170,000 humanitarian grants to support NSTs and refugee families.
- Church Partnership Grants: Partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints providing grants to NSTs for housing, legal support, clothing, transportation and other supports.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
WelcomeNST product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WelcomeNST is a community-powered nonprofit that forms Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs) — small groups of 3+ volunteer neighbors — to provide 90+ days of friendship and practical assistance to refugee and immigrant families in the U.S. Support is coordinated through the AWE (Ambassadors of Welcome) secure digital platform and mobile app, and includes accompanying families to appointments, food assistance, Know-Your-Rights sessions, financial literacy training, and the Preparedness Playbook tool for immigration-related contingencies. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiary families.
Product overview
WelcomeNST is a community-powered nonprofit that operates primarily through its Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs) program, where volunteer teams of 3+ neighbors provide practical support and friendship to refugee and immigrant families. The organization has developed a digital platform called AWE (Ambassadors of Welcome), available as a mobile app on iOS and Android, which serves as the secure coordination hub for NSTs to access resources, trainings, and connect with specialists. Complementary offerings include The Beacon quarterly newsletter for community engagement and the Preparedness Playbook tool to help families prepare for immigration-related contingencies. The overall model is volunteer coordination and community support, not a commercial technology product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AWE (Ambassadors of Welcome): A national network of local advocates—a pathway of welcome—uniting communities. Available as a mobile app on Google Play and the App Store, providing a secure, private digital space for NSTs to access resources, trainings, workshops, and connect with WelcomeNST Specialists.
- The Beacon
- Preparedness Playbook
Products and services
- Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs) A community-led volunteer program where small teams of 3+ neighbors provide 90+ days of friendship, practical assistance, and solidarity to refugee and immigrant families in the U.S., including accompanying them to appointments, helping with food needs, financial literacy training, Know Your Rights sessions, and supporting self-reliance.
- AWE (Ambassadors of Welcome) Platform A secure, private digital platform and mobile app (iOS and Android) that enables Neighborhood Support Teams to access resources, trainings, and workshops, and to connect directly with WelcomeNST Specialists for coordination and support. Extended access also provided to national partners such as CSH and HIAS.
- Preparedness Playbook A step-by-step tool provided to NSTs to help immigrant and refugee families proactively and lawfully prepare for the possibility of immigration enforcement contact, supporting preparedness and legal-rights awareness.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,000 refugees welcomed from 19 countries through 5,000+ volunteers in 38 states
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WelcomeNST
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
WelcomeNST technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
WelcomeNST partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintscoreChurch partnership providing humanitarian grants to NSTs across the U.S. Grants support housing, legal support, clothing, transportation and other crucial needs for refugee families on their path to self-reliance. Received $30,000 initial grant and $170,000 humanitarian services grant.
- UniteBostoncoreNetwork of over 300 churches in Massachusetts partnering on the LYN (Love Your Neighbor) Project to form NSTs with faith communities and neighbors matched with Churches Seeking Support (CSS).
- International Rescue Committee (IRC)corePartnership in Salt Lake City alongside Utah Refugee Connection and Lifting Hands International to support refugee families who have lost caseworkers due to federal funding cuts. NSTs provide community support while IRC helps secure benefits, ESL classes, and housing.
- Utah Refugee ConnectioncoreLocal partner in Salt Lake City working with WelcomeNST and IRC to support refugee families through NSTs.
- Lifting Hands InternationalcoreLocal partner in Salt Lake City collaborating on refugee support programs.
- NOVA RAFTcorePartnership in Northern Virginia area to form NSTs for vulnerable Afghan families.
- REACTDCcorePartnership in Washington DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia area to support refugee families.
- Immigrant Connection at Awaken CitycoreLegal services partner in Boston providing free Know-Your-Rights trainings, free individual consults, and 'low-bono' legal services for all families served by NSTs. A grant covers 80% of subsequent legal fees for first five NSTs.
- Jewish Family ServicescoreDeveloping pilot program in Seattle similar to Salt Lake City model to support refugee families.
- Immigrant Family Services Institute (IFSI)corePartner in Boston identifying Haitian asylum seeker families for NST matching during shelter closures.
- CSHminorNational partner extended access to AWE (Ambassadors of Welcome) platform.
- HIASminorNational partner extended access to AWE (Ambassadors of Welcome) platform.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
WelcomeNST competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- International Rescue Committee: One of the largest U.S. refugee resettlement agencies with national footprint and federal contracts. WelcomeNST already partners with IRC in Salt Lake City, and both serve the same refugee family population with complementary case-management and community-support roles.
- Catholic Charities USA: National network of Catholic Charities agencies providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and social support. Operates one of the largest federally contracted refugee resettlement footprints and competes for the same donor and volunteer pools.
- Church World Service: Faith-based refugee resettlement and humanitarian organization with national U.S. operations. Provides resettlement case management and welcomes the same populations WelcomeNST targets through its NSTs, with comparable faith-network distribution.
- U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): National refugee resettlement and advocacy organization delivering reception, placement, and integration services. Directly comparable mission to WelcomeNST with a longer operating history and federal contracting relationships.
Direct peers
- HIAS: Global Jewish refugee resettlement agency with U.S. program operations. HIAS is already an AWE platform partner and a national resettlement peer providing legal, case management, and welcome services to the same refugee/immigrant population WelcomeNST serves.
- Samaritas: Michigan-based nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, foster care, and family services. Operates a comparable refugee welcome program across multiple U.S. states and could be a regional counterpart to WelcomeNST's volunteer-led model.
- RefugeeOne: Chicago-based refugee resettlement agency providing housing, case management, employment, and community integration. Similar mid-sized nonprofit operating model focused on community-based refugee welcome comparable to WelcomeNST's NST approach.
Regional players
- Ascentria Care Alliance: New England-based social services nonprofit with one of the largest refugee resettlement programs in the region. Geographically overlapping with WelcomeNST's Massachusetts headquarters and serving similar refugee populations through case management and community support.
Others
- Refugee Council USA: Coalition of U.S. refugee resettlement agencies and advocacy organizations. Not a direct service peer but the convening body representing WelcomeNST's peer agencies and shaping federal refugee policy that directly affects WelcomeNST's operating environment.
- Tent Foundation: Corporate coalition mobilizing business support for refugee employment and integration. Functions as a funder and ecosystem connector in the same refugee-support space WelcomeNST operates in, with potential as a future institutional funding or corporate volunteer source.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WelcomeNST social profiles
Digital presenceWelcomeNST compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
WelcomeNST financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WelcomeNST leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
WelcomeNST funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WelcomeNST M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WelcomeNST
What does WelcomeNST do?
WelcomeNST is a community-powered nonprofit that forms Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs) — small groups of 3+ volunteer neighbors — to provide 90+ days of friendship and practical assistance to refugee and immigrant families in the U.S. Support is coordinated through the AWE (Ambassadors of Welcome) secure digital platform and mobile app, and includes accompanying families to appointments, food assistance, Know-Your-Rights sessions, financial literacy training, and the Preparedness Playbook tool for immigration-related contingencies. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiary families.
Is WelcomeNST a public or private company?
WelcomeNST is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WelcomeNST founded?
WelcomeNST was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WelcomeNST based?
WelcomeNST is headquartered in Marlborough, United States, in the North America region.
How does WelcomeNST make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual and Family Donations are the primary driver. The others are humanitarian Grants and church Partnership Grants.
Who are WelcomeNST's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are International Rescue Committee, Catholic Charities USA, Church World Service and U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). Direct peers are HIAS, Samaritas and RefugeeOne. Ascentria Care Alliance is listed as a regional player. Others are Refugee Council USA and Tent Foundation.
Does WelcomeNST have an API?
No public API is recorded for WelcomeNST.
What industry is WelcomeNST in?
WelcomeNST's product category is Refugee Resettlement Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAI, Refugee & Immigrant Support Services, with a secondary code of EDAAADAI, Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support). Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.