International Institute of Buffalo

What International Institute of Buffalo does

The International Institute of Buffalo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1918 and headquartered in a historic Georgian revival mansion at 864 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York. The organization's mission is to make Western New York a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees, and it operates as the regional affiliate of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) through its partnership with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). Its core service portfolio spans refugee resettlement (housing, healthcare coordination, school enrollment), employment services and workforce placement (serving 300+ regional employers), in-person and remote interpreting in over 100 languages, written translation in over 60 languages, in-house immigration legal services, and educational/cultural programs including a 21-year-old Model UN General Assembly that reached 883 students from 47 area high schools in 2026. International exchange programs (IVLP and Open World) bring foreign leaders and delegations to Western New York.

The business model blends three funding streams: individual and corporate donations (including a Good Neighbor Society annual fund, with the organization claiming 85% of every donated dollar goes to programming), federal, state, and local government grants and contracts (USRAP via USCRI, U.S. Department of Justice anti-trafficking grants, NYS Office of New Americans, U.S. Department of State exchange funding), and fee-based services such as employer-funded on-site English as a New Language training and external translation work for healthcare, legal, and business clients. The technology layer is intentionally light — an online interpreter scheduling/management portal (interpretmanager.com) supports language services, while service delivery itself is human-driven through a network of professional linguists and case workers. Geographic focus is Western New York (Buffalo and Erie County), with global inbound-outbound flows generated by international exchange programming. The organization reports no software product, no API, and no AI/ML capabilities; competitive positioning rests on a 100+ year community ecosystem, deep institutional partnerships, and the largest local certified linguist network in the region.

Name

International Institute of Buffalo

Legal name

International Institute of Buffalo

Website

https://iibuffalo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Institute of Buffalo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1918 that provides refugee resettlement, employment placement, legal services, and educational programming to immigrants and refugees across Western New York, supported by professional interpreting and translation services in over 100 languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigrant and Refugee Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• Immigrant integration programs
• Language interpretation services
• Immigration legal services
• Workforce development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations through various mechanisms including one-time gifts, annual fund (Good Neighbor Society), corporate matching, gifts of stock, IRA charitable rollover, and bequests. The organization reports that 85% of every dollar spent goes to programming.
2. Fee-based Services: Some programs generate revenue through fees, including employer-funded on-site English as a New Language (ENL) training and fee-based translation services for businesses and organizations
3. Government Grants and Contracts: Federal, state, and local government funding through programs such as U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), grants from U.S. Department of Justice, and other government sources supporting refugee resettlement and related services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The International Institute of Buffalo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers resettlement, employment, language, legal, and educational services to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Western New York. Core fee-generating offerings include professional interpreting and translation in 60+ languages, employer-funded on-site English as a New Language (ENL) training, and immigration legal representation. Mission-driven programs include refugee resettlement case management, job placement, Model UN educational programming, and international visitor exchanges funded by government grants and donations.

Product overview

The International Institute of Buffalo is a nonprofit social services organization (not a technology company) offering a portfolio of human-delivered programs and services. Core service offerings include Interpreting Services (providing oral interpretation in over 100 languages through a network of certified local linguists) and Translation Services (written translation and localization in over 60 languages with native speakers). Supporting services include Refugee Resettlement (housing, healthcare, school enrollment coordination), Employment Services and Professional Pathways (job training, placement, and career development), and Legal Services (immigration legal representation). Educational programs include the Model United Nations General Assembly competition, Global Kids cultural education, and World Trivia competitions. International Exchange programs include the IVLP and Open World programs bringing international leaders to Western New York. The organization does not offer a software product, platform, or API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interpreting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of every dollar spent goes to programming
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP); clients come to IIB through USCRI's overseas processing
• U.S. Department of StatecoreOthersFederal oversight agency for refugee resettlement and international exchange programs including IVLP
• U.S. Department of JusticemajorOthersGrant funding for human trafficking prevention and combating exploitation
• U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)majorOthersPartners for naturalization ceremonies and immigration legal services
• Welcoming AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational membership organization for immigrant Welcoming movement; IIB collaborates with local stakeholders as a Welcoming America member
• NYS Office of New Americans (ONA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected as one of eight statewide partners for ONA Pro Bono Immigration Attorney Program to recruit and train attorneys for immigration law
• Buffalo Public Schools Adult Education DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on health literacy sessions and educational programming for New Americans
• Catholic HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for health literacy and interpreter services for limited English proficiency patients
• Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for cancer screening awareness and early detection education in immigrant communities
• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association for immigration attorneys; IIB associated partner
• Global Ties UScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational membership in World Affairs Councils of America and National Council for International Visitors through WorldConnect program
• University at BuffalomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Model UN events at SUNY Buffalo North Campus; partnerships with UB School of Pharmacy and UB History Department
• Ethnic Community OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentoring ethnic community leaders and organizations including Iraqi American Society, Bhutanese Nepali Community, Afghan Community of Buffalo, and Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation
• NYS Office of New AmericanscoreOthersState agency partner providing funding and support for immigrant services

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): National refugee resettlement organization and IIB's named national partner for USRAP case processing. Comparable as a direct upstream/downstream collaborator in the same resettlement ecosystem; operates offices nationwide.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): One of the nine national agencies resettling refugees under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Comparable as a fellow USRAP resettlement contractor; differs in operating at national scale with offices in 40+ U.S. cities rather than a single WNY hub.
• Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS): National Jewish refugee resettlement agency and one of the nine core USRAP contractors. Comparable as a peer agency under the same federal resettlement contract framework serving clients from similar refugee populations.
• World Relief: National evangelical refugee resettlement nonprofit and USRAP affiliate operating in more than a dozen U.S. locations. Comparable as a peer recipient of the same federal refugee admissions pipeline funding.
• Catholic Charities USA: National umbrella for the Catholic Charities network, including many local refugee resettlement affiliates. Comparable as the parent network competing with IIB's local nonprofit peers (e.g., Catholic Charities of Buffalo) for federal sub-grants and donor funding.
• Church World Service (CWS): Faith-based national refugee resettlement contractor operating in multiple U.S. cities. Comparable as another USRAP affiliate managing similar resettlement, employment, and integration service lines.
• Lutheran Services of America / LIRS: Faith-based national refugee resettlement organization affiliated with the USRAP network. Comparable as a fellow faith-rooted refugee agency providing resettlement, employment, and immigration legal services.

Others

• Welcoming America: National nonprofit membership network IIB belongs to that supports local immigrant-welcoming initiatives nationwide. Comparable as an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor; influences IIB's policy positioning and access to a national donor base.

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities of Buffalo: Largest WNY social services nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, employment, immigration legal, and interpreting services. Directly comparable as the primary local competitor for federal resettlement sub-grants, donor dollars, and employer partnerships across Buffalo and Erie County.
• Journey's End Refugee Services: Buffalo-based refugee resettlement and immigration legal services agency operating as a USCRI affiliate. Directly comparable as another local recipient of USRAP referrals and as a competitor for the same WNY donor and volunteer pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IIBuff
• Facebookfacebook.com/iibuff
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-institute-of-buffalo
• Instagraminstagram.com/iibuff

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Buffalo