HIAS
HIAS is a 501(c)(3) Jewish humanitarian nonprofit founded in 1880 that delivers free refugee protection, legal aid, mental health, and economic empowerment services through 70+ field offices across 11+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1880
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What HIAS does
HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), founded in 1880 and headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a 501(c)(3) Jewish humanitarian nonprofit and the world's oldest refugee organization. Originally established to assist Jewish immigrants arriving in the United States, HIAS expanded its mission in the 1970s to serve displaced people of all faiths and nationalities and now operates 70+ field offices across 11+ countries spanning North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Its service portfolio includes legal aid and asylum representation in New York and Washington D.C., mental health and psychosocial support (including Self-Help Plus and violence prevention workshops), economic empowerment and entrepreneurship programs, U.S. refugee resettlement through a network of local partner agencies, and Jewish community engagement through Welcome Circles and congregational partnerships. HIAS+JCORE extends the model into the United Kingdom.
The organization operates as a nonpartisan charity funded through a combination of individual donations, foundation grants, corporate partnerships, and government contracts tied to its role as one of 10 designated agencies in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). All services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, with no commercial pricing model. Programmatic expense allocation is reported at 84% to program services, 13% to management, and 3% to fundraising. HIAS is governed by an independent board and has no parent company or external ownership. Following the January 2025 suspension of USRAP and subsequent termination of humanitarian aid funding under the Trump administration, HIAS closed seven country offices, scaled back operations in additional countries, and has pursued an active legal strategy including the Pacito v. Trump class action, multiple amicus briefs at the Ninth Circuit and Supreme Court, and a Supreme Court-level case challenging the aid funding halt.
HIAS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HIAS
- Legal name
- HIAS, Inc.
- Website
- https://hias.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1880
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- HIAS is a 501(c)(3) Jewish humanitarian nonprofit founded in 1880 that delivers free refugee protection, legal aid, mental health, and economic empowerment services through 70+ field offices across 11+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HIAS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Humanitarian Refugee Services
- NAICS
- Community Housing Services (62422), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- 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), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Refugee/Migrant Health & Resettlement Health Units (HLAJAAAJ)
Keywords
Where HIAS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
HIAS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: HIAS operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. The organization conducts direct mail fundraising campaigns through partners like Faircom New York and accepts online donations through its website.
- Government Grants and Contracts: HIAS partners with the federal government as one of 10 resettlement agencies (6 faith-based) participating in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The organization receives government funding for refugee resettlement services and previously operated the Resettlement Support Center (RSC) Austria for the Lautenberg program.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
HIAS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides direct humanitarian services to refugees and asylum seekers worldwide, including legal aid for asylum applications, U.S. refugee resettlement coordination, mental health and psychosocial support, economic empowerment programming, and advocacy for refugee rights. The organization operates more than 70 field offices across 11+ countries and partners with the U.S. federal government as one of ten refugee resettlement agencies.
Product overview
HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) is a global Jewish nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian services to refugees and displaced people. The organization operates as a collection of interconnected service programs rather than a commercial product platform. Its core offerings include refugee protection services (legal aid, asylum support, resettlement), mental health and psychosocial support, economic empowerment programs, and Jewish community engagement. These programs are delivered through field offices across multiple regions (United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa & Middle East) and are funded through donations, grants, and partnerships. HIAS does not offer commercial software products or technology platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HIAS Foundation: A separate nonprofit foundation affiliated with HIAS for charitable activities.
- HIAS Economic Advancement Fund
Products and services
- HIAS Refugee Protection Services
Quantifiable outcome
- HIAS helped Fon, an asylee from Cameroon, reunite with his family after he crossed 13 countries to reach safety in the U.S.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use HIAS
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
HIAS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
HIAS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Faircom New YorkcoreFaircom New York was selected as HIAS' direct mail fundraising partner. They will lead strategy, creative development, production, and performance analysis to enhance donor engagement and retention.
- Church World ServicecoreHIAS and Church World Service are co-plaintiffs in legal challenges to Trump administration refugee policies, including the Pacito v. Trump lawsuit challenging the refugee ban suspension.
- International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)coreHIAS and IRAP are co-plaintiffs in legal challenges and filed joint amicus briefs defending refugee rights, including cases at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
- Lutheran Services NorthwestcoreHIAS and Lutheran Services Northwest are co-plaintiffs in the Pacito v. Trump class action lawsuit challenging the refugee ban, holding press conferences together after court hearings.
- Columbia UniversityminorHIAS is carrying out a research project with Columbia University and El Colegio de la Frontera Norte to understand the psychosocial impact of forced migration and violence on refugee and migrant populations.
- El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF)minorPartnership with COLEF and Columbia University to conduct research on psychosocial impact of forced migration, generating evidence to strengthen mental health support programs.
- Inclusive Communication ServicesminorHIAS partners with Inclusive Communication Services to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation services for program participants in the United States.
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)coreHIAS collaborates with UNHCR to advocate for and provide services to refugees abroad, helping ensure refugees receive consistent and coordinated support across different regions.
- UNHCRcoreHIAS Ecuador received UNHCR support for initiatives including the INTIVA women's agribusiness collective and DAFI scholarship program for displaced students.
- HIAS+JCOREcoreHIAS+JCORE is a joint program operating in the United Kingdom that engages Jewish communities in refugee support work, including the Student Refugee Ambassador Program (SRAP) and Refugee Shabbat initiatives.
- Power of a Woman (Ukraine)minorHIAS partners with Power of a Woman in Ukraine to deliver violence prevention workshops funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).
- CASMED (Moldova)minorHIAS' local partner in Moldova, CASMED, provides mental health care to displaced Ukrainian women with support from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HIAS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Church World Service (CWS): Faith-based USRAP resettlement agency and HIAS' co-plaintiff in Pacito v. Trump. Operates nearly identical refugee resettlement, advocacy, and direct service programs to HIAS in the U.S. and abroad.
- World Relief: One of the 10 USRAP agencies, faith-based, providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and economic empowerment in the U.S. Closely comparable in operating model and beneficiary focus.
- US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): Another of the 10 USRAP resettlement agencies, providing refugee reception, placement, and integration services across the U.S. Direct overlap in service portfolio, beneficiary population, and federal funding model.
- International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP): Legal aid organization that has been a co-plaintiff with HIAS in Pacito v. Trump and a joint amicus filer in multiple federal appellate cases. Operates in the same refugee legal services niche, though narrower in geographic and programmatic scope.
- Refugees International: Advocacy-focused nonprofit advancing refugee rights and policy reform; shares HIAS' mission orientation, though operates without direct service delivery, making it a peer in advocacy and policy influence.
- Lutheran Services Northwest / LCSNW: Faith-based USRAP resettlement agency and HIAS' co-plaintiff in Pacito v. Trump. Directly comparable in resettlement services, beneficiary focus, and federal contracting model.
- HIAS+JCORE: Joint HIAS affiliate operating in the UK running refugee community engagement programs including Student Refugee Ambassador Program (SRAP). Adjacent operating subsidiary, included to acknowledge HIAS' own UK footprint.
- International Rescue Committee (IRC): One of the 10 official U.S. Refugee Admissions Program agencies and a global humanitarian organization providing resettlement, legal aid, and economic support to refugees. Highly comparable in mission, service mix, and beneficiary profile, though IRC operates at materially larger scale globally.
- Catholic Charities USA: Faith-based USRAP resettlement agency operating across a national network of diocesan offices providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and social support — directly competing for the same federal contracts and donor pool.
Broad incumbents
- UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): The UN's global refugee agency and a core funder/partner of HIAS in Ecuador and other countries. Operates as a multilateral with vastly greater scale, mandate, and budget; comparable in target beneficiary population but not a direct competitor for U.S. resettlement contracts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HIAS social profiles
Digital presenceHIAS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HIAS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
HIAS subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
HIAS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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HIAS 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 HIAS
What does HIAS do?
HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides direct humanitarian services to refugees and asylum seekers worldwide, including legal aid for asylum applications, U.S. refugee resettlement coordination, mental health and psychosocial support, economic empowerment programming, and advocacy for refugee rights. The organization operates more than 70 field offices across 11+ countries and partners with the U.S. federal government as one of ten refugee resettlement agencies.
Is HIAS a public or private company?
HIAS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was HIAS founded?
HIAS was founded in 1880. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is HIAS based?
HIAS is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does HIAS make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are government Grants and Contracts.
Who are HIAS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Church World Service (CWS), World Relief, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Refugees International, Lutheran Services Northwest / LCSNW, HIAS+JCORE, International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Catholic Charities USA. UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does HIAS have an API?
No public API is recorded for HIAS.
What industry is HIAS in?
HIAS's product category is Humanitarian Refugee Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAI, Refugee & Immigrant Support Services, with a secondary code of BPADAHAI, Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment). Its NAICS code is 62422 and its SIC code is 8300.