International Institute of Akron

What International Institute of Akron does

The International Institute of Akron (IIA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1916 in Akron, Ohio, delivering comprehensive wraparound services to refugees and immigrants in Northeast Ohio. With approximately 30 staff, the organization operates seven interconnected service lines: refugee resettlement, immigration legal services (BIA-accredited), education services (ESL, citizenship preparation, driver's education), employment services (job readiness, career coaching, job placement), social services (housing, case management, food assistance), and a fee-based Cross-Cultural Communications interpreting and translation department serving courts, hospitals, and government agencies across 20+ languages including rare languages such as Karen, Mon, Burmese, and Rohingya.

IIA's business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding structure: federal grants historically underwrote refugee resettlement contracts (per-capita Reception & Placement funding), individual and corporate donations support general operations, foundation grants (GAR Foundation, Akron Community Foundation) fund specific programs, and fee-based interpreting services to institutional clients generate earned revenue. Core services are delivered free to qualifying refugees and immigrants based on status and need. Distribution is anchored at a single downtown Akron headquarters at 530 South Main Street, Suite 1762, with regional reach for interpreting services across Northeast Ohio. Technology is limited to standard nonprofit stack (Squarespace website, CharityProud donations, video remote interpreting platforms); no proprietary AI/ML systems are in evidence. The organization is navigating a severe demand-side shock from federal policy changes, with refugee resettlement volumes collapsing from 489 individuals in 2024 to 28 in 2025, and has responded by expanding legal services, launching emergency food assistance, and intensifying foundation fundraising.

Name

International Institute of Akron

Legal name

International Institute of Akron

Website

https://iiakron.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Institute of Akron is a 1916-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, education, employment, social services, and interpreting to immigrants and refugees across Northeast Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration and Refugee Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food Services (624210), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK), Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Refugee resettlement services
• Language interpretation services
• ESL adult education
• Immigrant social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit relying primarily on donations from individuals, community members, and organizations to fund programs and services.
2. Government Grants and Contracts: Federal funding for refugee resettlement programs, though facing cuts and disruptions. Government grants support operational costs and specific program delivery.
3. Fee-Based Interpreting and Translation Services: Cross-Cultural Communications Department provides fee-based language services including on-site interpreting, over-the-phone interpreting, video remote interpreting, and document translation to governmental entities, courts, hospitals, and businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The International Institute of Akron provides wraparound social services to refugees and immigrants in Northeast Ohio, including education (ESL, citizenship prep), employment assistance, BIA-accredited immigration legal representation, refugee resettlement coordination, social services and housing support, and a fee-based interpreting and translation department serving institutional clients in 20+ languages.

Product overview

The International Institute of Akron (IIA) is a nonprofit social services organization founded in 1916 that provides a comprehensive suite of programs supporting refugees and immigrants. The organization operates multiple interconnected service lines: Education Services (ESL classes, citizenship preparation, driver's education), Employment Services (job readiness training, career coaching, job placement), Immigration Legal Services (legal representation, BIA accredited representation), Interpreting & Translation Services (multilingual support across 20+ languages), Social Services (case management, housing assistance), and Refugee Resettlement. These programs work together to help clients achieve self-sufficiency, with legal services enabling work authorization, employment services providing economic stability, education services building language and cultural skills, and social services ensuring holistic family support. IIA also operates an emergency food assistance program responding to federal benefit changes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Services Adult English language learning classes (ESL), citizenship preparation courses, and a driver's education program primarily serving Afghan women and other immigrant communities in Akron.
• Employment Services Job readiness training, career coaching, employment case management, job placement, and Match Grant employment counseling to help immigrants secure employment.
• Immigration Legal Services BIA-accredited legal representation for asylum applications, TPS changes, family-based immigration, deportation defense, and other immigration cases for immigrants and refugees in Northeast Ohio.
• Interpreting & Translation Services Cross-Cultural Communications department providing trained interpreters and translators for governmental entities, courts, law enforcement, hospitals, healthcare, and social service providers in Northeast Ohio, supporting 20+ languages (Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Karen, Nepali, French, Russian, Gujarati, Hindi, Spanish, Vietnamese, and more) via on-site, over-the-phone, and video remote interpreting.
• Social Services Culturally and linguistically appropriate case management including housing assistance, medical care navigation, mental health support referrals, and emergency assistance for refugees and immigrants in Akron.
• Refugee Resettlement Comprehensive refugee resettlement coordination including initial reception, housing placement, cultural orientation, and ongoing support services for refugees arriving from countries including Bhutan, Burma, Nepal, Myanmar, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Vietnam, Syria, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Donation Room & Food Assistance Emergency food pantry and donation room providing hygiene products, household items, and grocery store gift cards to families facing food insecurity due to loss of SNAP benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 850+ legal cases representing 1,000+ individuals served in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and support.

• Acme (grocery store)minorOthersProvided celebratory cake for naturalization ceremony honoring new U.S. citizens.
• San TomassominorOthersHost venue for IIA's weekly driver's education class serving primarily Afghan women.
• ArtsNow and Arts & Culture Inclusion CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with IIA to host Professor Ira Sukrungruang for storytelling events during Welcoming Week, including public talk and writing workshop.
• Open Arms Hispanic MinistriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner where Dora Gordon Scholarship recipient Rose Etungano volunteers.
• Summit County Job and Family ServicessupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for benefits coordination including Medicaid enrollment and SNAP applications.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland: A Cleveland-based social services and refugee resettlement agency serving Northeast Ohio. Strongly comparable in geography, service mix (refugee resettlement, case management, immigration services), and target population, representing the closest direct in-region competitor.

Direct peers

• Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC): A nonprofit operating the African Community Center network for refugee resettlement and integration in multiple U.S. cities. Comparable as a federal resettlement contractor focused on culturally responsive refugee services similar to IIA's model.
• International Institute of New England: A Boston-area nonprofit offering refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, education, and employment services to immigrants and refugees. Closely comparable as a similarly-sized IIA-affiliated affiliate with parallel service lines and federal resettlement contracts.
• US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): A national refugee resettlement and advocacy organization operating affiliate offices across multiple states. Directly comparable in that both are federally contracted resettlement agencies providing the same core suite of refugee reception, legal, and integration services.
• HIAS: Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society provides refugee resettlement, legal services, and integration support through affiliate offices across the U.S. Highly comparable as a fellow national resettlement agency with affiliate-based service delivery and a similar legal-plus-social-services model.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS): A faith-based national resettlement agency providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal aid, and integration services. Directly comparable in mission, federal contracting status, and the integrated wraparound services offered by IIA.
• World Relief: A Christian humanitarian organization running refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and economic empowerment programs across multiple U.S. cities. Closely comparable as a multi-site federal resettlement contractor with parallel ESL, employment, and case-management offerings.
• Church World Service (CWS): A faith-based resettlement agency operating affiliate offices across the U.S. providing refugee reception, immigration services, and integration support. Directly comparable as a fellow national federal contractor with parallel program architecture.

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): A major international humanitarian organization with U.S. refugee resettlement programs in dozens of cities. Comparable in service lines (resettlement, employment, education, legal aid) but significantly larger, globally funded, and operationally broader than IIA.
• Catholic Charities USA: A national network of diocesan agencies providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and social services. Comparable in core refugee/immigrant service offerings but operates across a much broader social services portfolio at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalInstituteofAkron
• Instagraminstagram.com/iiiofakron/?hl=en
• Xx.com/iiakron
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-institute-of-akron

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Institute of Akron