The Refugee Center

What The Refugee Center does

The Refugee Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign, Illinois, that provides resettlement and integration services to refugees and immigrants across East Central Illinois. Founded in 1980 by Vietnamese refugees, the organization delivers case management, social support referrals, mediation for government benefits (SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, All Kids Health Insurance), and in-person accompaniment to medical, legal, school, and government appointments. Its language assistance program provides in-house interpretation and document translation across eight languages (Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Pashto, Dari, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi), with additional languages arranged on request, and supports immigration paperwork for permanent residency, citizenship, and family reunification. Complementary programs include the Know Your Rights civic education initiative, an Immigration Book Club with The Literary bookshop, and an Amazon Wishlist donation program for newly arrived refugees.

Since 2023 the organization has operated as an Affiliate Refugee Resettlement Agency under the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, authorizing it to receive federally referred refugees without pre-existing local ties; it has set a fiscal-year target of welcoming 85 such refugees and has resettled over 100 refugees and humanitarian parolees in the prior two years. It employs a specialized caseworker for the 6,000+ Congolese immigrant population in Champaign County and serves a documented 11% year-over-year increase in individuals and families across its Family Support, Immigrant Family Resource, and WIC programs.

The organization is funded through a diversified mix of individual donations (online via PayPal and by mail), foundation and government grants (United Way of Champaign County, Champaign County Mental Health Board, Illinois Department of Human Services, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Community Foundation of East Central Illinois, and other private trusts and faith-based funders), annual fundraising banquets, retail partnership programs (Common Ground Food Co-op Round Up for Good, Ten Thousand Villages shopping nights), and in-kind donations. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by John Muirhead and led by Executive Director Lisa Wilson; revenue is not publicly disclosed and the organization holds no patents, trademarks, technology integrations, or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

The Refugee Center

Legal name

The Refugee Center

Website

https://therefugeecenter-cu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Refugee Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 in Champaign, Illinois, providing case management, multilingual interpretation in eight languages, accompaniment services, and refugee resettlement support to refugees and immigrants across East Central Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Resettlement and Immigrant Support Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Community Housing Services (62422)

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), Refugee Reception & Registration (BPADAHAA), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• Immigrant support services
• Language interpretation services
• Case management services
• Community integration programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The Refugee Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations from community members. Donations can be made online via PayPal or by sending checks through the mail.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Support from various foundations and government agencies including Champaign County United Way Workplace Giving Campaign, Champaign County Mental Health Board, Illinois Department of Human Services, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, and other private grants.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraiser banquets and special fundraising events where tickets are sold and donations are collected. Ticket pricing for events such as the Annual Fundraiser Banquet.
4. In-Kind Donations: Acceptance of specific in-kind donations including items from Amazon Wishlist for newly arrived refugees. Donors can contribute home supplies, furniture, and other essential items for refugee resettlement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Refugee Center provides free case management, referrals, government benefits assistance (SNAP, WIC, All Kids Health Insurance, Medicaid), immigration paperwork help, and in-person accompaniment to appointments for refugees and immigrants in East Central Illinois. It also delivers multilingual interpretation in eight in-house languages and operates a Know Your Rights education program. As an Affiliate Refugee Resettlement Agency under the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, it resettles newly arrived refugees with housing, public benefits, employment, and cultural orientation support.

Product overview

The Refugee Center operates as a single-service nonprofit organization providing refugee resettlement and immigrant support services in East Central Illinois. The core service portfolio consists of three integrated service lines: Case Management and Social Support Services (including referrals to healthcare and legal services), Mediation Services (government benefits assistance including SNAP, WIC, Medicaid), and Language Assistance (interpretation and translation in 8+ languages plus immigration paperwork support). Additional programs include the Know Your Rights educational initiative, an Immigration Book Club community engagement program, and an Amazon Wishlist donation fulfillment program. All services are delivered through the organization's Champaign, Illinois office with staff providing in-person accompaniment to appointments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Case Management and Social Support Services Comprehensive case management including referrals to healthcare, legal services, and other social services in the Champaign-Urbana area, along with public benefits and health education workshops for refugees and immigrants.
• Mediation Services
• Language Assistance Services
• Know Your Rights Program
• Affiliate Refugee Resettlement Program Resettlement program under US Conference of Catholic Bishops affiliation that provides safe and secure housing, public benefits application support, employment search assistance, and cultural orientation for newly arrived refugees without existing ties in the Champaign-Urbana community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11% year-over-year increase in individuals and families served across Family Support, Immigrant Family Resource, and WIC Programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• City of UrbanaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2021Municipal government partner in the 'Let it Be' international collaboration with City of Thionville, France, supporting refugee and immigrant community music and cultural exchange.
• City of Thionville, FranceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2021International city partnership through 'Let it Be' collaboration with City of Urbana and James Barham, creating a music video benefiting The Refugee Center.
• US Conference of Catholic BishopscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Catholic organization under which TRC became an Affiliate Refugee Resettlement Agency, receiving newly arrived refugees and providing resettlement services including housing, public benefits, employment assistance, and cultural orientation.
• US Committee for Refugees and ImmigrantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational refugee resettlement organization providing support and partnership for refugee services.
• Common Ground Food Co-opminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal food co-op runs Round Up for Good program where customers can round up purchases to benefit The Refugee Center. Funding supports immigrant families from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Venezuela.
• The Literary (bookstore)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bookstore partnership for TRC x Lit Immigration Book Club series, providing community education about immigrant and refugee experiences.
• Ten Thousand VillagesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal fair trade retailer hosting shopping nights where a portion of purchases benefit The Refugee Center.
• Congolese Community of Champaign CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization representing the largest African immigrant population in Champaign County. TRC employs a specialized caseworker to support this community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major global humanitarian organization providing refugee resettlement, case management, and integration services in multiple US cities; comparable service model at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• HIAS: Jewish-founded refugee resettlement agency serving refugees and asylum seekers in the US with case management, legal services, and integration support — comparable mission and service lines to TRC.
• US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): National nonprofit operating refugee resettlement programs and providing direct services; an active TRC partner, making it both a funder and a peer in the resettlement space.
• World Relief: National refugee resettlement and immigration services organization with affiliate offices across the US; overlaps with TRC's resettlement, case management, and integration services as part of a broader national portfolio.
• Catholic Charities USA: National network of Catholic Charities agencies providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and social services — TRC operates under the USCCB affiliate framework that Catholic Charities agencies also use.

Regional players

• Heartland Alliance: Chicago-based anti-poverty and humanitarian assistance organization providing refugee and immigrant services including case management, legal aid, and housing — comparable Midwest focus and refugee-specific service offerings.
• Casa Central: Chicago-based Hispanic-focused social services agency offering case management, interpretation, education, and senior services — comparable multi-service nonprofit model targeted at immigrant communities.

Direct peers

• RefugeeOne: Chicago-based refugee resettlement and immigration legal services agency providing case management, interpretation, and resettlement support — directly comparable service mix to TRC but at much larger scale in a major metro.

Others

• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR): Statewide policy and advocacy coalition for immigrant and refugee rights — not a direct service peer but a key ecosystem partner and a conduit for Illinois DHS funding flowing to TRC.

Emerging players

• Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago (ECAC): Culturally-specific immigrant services organization providing case management, interpretation, and integration support for African diaspora communities — comparable community-based, culturally-tailored model to TRC's Congolese community work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheRefugeeCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_refugee_center
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-refugee-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Refugee Center