Community Refugee & Immigration Services

What Community Refugee & Immigration Services does

Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) is a Columbus, Ohio-based nonprofit organization founded in 1995 to provide wraparound social services to refugees and immigrants in Central Ohio. Operating from its headquarters at 4645 Executive Drive, the organization delivers services directly to its beneficiary population — refugees, asylees, and immigrants — through more than a dozen distinct programmatic lines. Core service areas include immigration legal assistance (visas, green cards, asylum, family reunification), employment preparation and job placement combined with English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, citizenship preparation classes, refugee health and wellness services including an on-site CRIS Wellness Clinic, an Older Refugee and Immigrant Program, Ohio's Early Intervention Program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays, Victims of Crime Assistance (VOCA), parenting education for families with limited English proficiency, a Youth Mentorship program called Community Connectors, and a hotline for families affected by immigration detention. An Advocacy program engages in policy work on refugee and immigrant rights.

The organization employs 152 staff and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; it does not sell products to its beneficiaries — services are provided free of charge to eligible individuals and funded through grants and donations rather than customer payments. The revenue model is grant-dependent, relying on federal refugee resettlement cooperative agreements, state program funding (e.g., VOCA, early intervention), private foundation grants, and individual donations processed through Neon CRM. The go-to-market is community-based: CRIS acquires beneficiaries primarily through word-of-mouth within Central Ohio's immigrant communities, ethnic and faith-based intermediaries (originally co-located with the Lao Temple on Columbus' east side), and partnerships with other social-service organizations. Outreach channels include the crisohio.org website, email newsletter, social media handles (@crisohio), community events, and donation drives such as the Pantry Staple Kit program.

CRIS has no disclosed technology platform, software product, or proprietary technology stack. The organization runs a standard Squarespace website and Neon CRM for donor management. It does not offer an app, API, or integrated technology product to beneficiaries; service delivery is conducted in person and via direct staff contact. There is no evidence of AI/ML tooling, data products, or technology partnerships in the source material. Over its 30-year history, CRIS has served tens of thousands of refugees and immigrants in Central Ohio, growing from a single-garage operation into a multi-program social-services agency that today offers the broadest documented refugee-services portfolio in its regional market.

Name

Community Refugee & Immigration Services

Legal name

Community Refugee & Immigration Services

Website

https://crisohio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) is a Columbus, Ohio nonprofit founded in 1995 that provides immigration legal aid, employment and ESL services, health programs, citizenship classes, and family support to refugees and immigrants in Central Ohio, funded by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Immigration Social Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Child and Youth Services (624110), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Educational Support Services (611710), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

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), Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH), Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG), Refugee/Migrant Health & Resettlement Health Units (HLAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• Immigration legal assistance
• English language instruction
• Employment support services
• Community integration programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) is a nonprofit social services agency that provides refugees, asylees, and immigrants in Central Ohio with a wraparound portfolio of free programs, including immigration legal assistance, employment preparation and job placement, English as a Second Language and citizenship classes, case management, refugee health and wellness services, youth mentorship, parenting education for limited-English-proficient families, support for older refugees, early intervention for children with developmental delays, victim-of-crime advocacy, and immigration detention family support.

Product overview

Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) is a nonprofit organization established in 1995 offering a comprehensive portfolio of social services for refugees and immigrants in Central Ohio. The organization operates as a multi-service agency providing immigration legal assistance, employment preparation, English language instruction, health and wellness services, youth mentorship, and family support programs. Services are delivered through distinct programmatic areas including Employment and ESL, Legal Services, Citizenship Classes, Health and Wellness, Youth Mentorship, and specialized support for vulnerable populations including crime victims and immigration detention families. CRIS does not operate as a technology product company but rather as a direct service provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employment and ESL Services Employment preparation, job placement assistance, and English as a Second Language instruction designed to help refugees and immigrants enter the U.S. workforce.
• English & Citizenship Classes English language instruction and U.S. citizenship preparation classes for immigrants seeking to build language proficiency or pursue naturalization.
• Legal Services Immigration legal assistance covering visas, green cards, asylum, family reunification, and other immigration matters for refugees and immigrants.
• Ohio's Early Intervention Program Developmental services for infants and toddlers with delays or disabilities, supporting healthy growth and family capacity-building for refugee and immigrant families.
• Older Refugee and Immigrant Program Support services tailored to elderly refugees and immigrants, including social engagement opportunities and access to community resources.
• Parenting for LEP (Limited English Proficiency) Parenting education and support for families with limited English proficiency to strengthen family stability and child development outcomes.
• Refugee Health and Wellness Health access services including medical referrals, health education, and wellness support designed for refugees and immigrants.
• Victims of Crime Assistance (VOCA) Counseling, advocacy, and system-navigation assistance for refugees and immigrants who are victims of crime.
• CRIS Wellness Clinic On-site health and wellness clinic providing direct medical services to refugees and immigrants at the CRIS facility.
• Youth Mentorship: Community Connectors Mentorship program pairing refugee and immigrant youth with community mentors for guidance, support, and social integration.
• CRIS Immigration Detention Family Support Hotline and support services for families affected by immigration detention.
• CRIS Store Online store offering merchandise and donation items that generate proceeds supporting CRIS programs.
• Advocacy Policy advocacy program supporting refugee and immigrant rights and access to services at the community and governmental level.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• US Together: Ohio-based refugee resettlement and immigration services nonprofit headquartered near Columbus, providing nearly identical services (legal, employment, ESL, health navigation, case management) to the same refugee and immigrant populations — making it CRIS's closest direct competitor in the Central Ohio region.
• Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services: Refugee and immigrant services nonprofit with Ohio presence providing case management, employment, ESL, and health navigation — overlapping CRIS's core wraparound model and serving similar East African refugee populations in Ohio.
• Catholic Social Services (Diocese of Columbus): Faith-based social services agency serving the Columbus Diocese that operates an immigration legal services program and refugee resettlement assistance — directly overlapping CRIS on legal aid, case management, and refugee integration services in the same Central Ohio geography.
• Jewish Family Services of Columbus: Columbus-based nonprofit providing social services to refugees and immigrants including resettlement, case management, ESL, and immigration assistance — comparable scope and target population to CRIS within the same metropolitan area.
• Multicultural Community Family Services: Ohio-based nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, employment, ESL, citizenship preparation, and case management — directly overlapping CRIS's service portfolio and operating in nearby Ohio geographies serving similar populations.
• RefugeeOne: Chicago-based refugee resettlement nonprofit offering legal, employment, ESL, case management, and youth services — a comparable regional wraparound refugee services organization in the Midwest with similar scale and mission.

Broad incumbents

• HIAS: International Jewish humanitarian organization providing refugee resettlement, legal aid, and integration services across multiple U.S. cities; competes with CRIS for federal Refugee Admissions Program contracts and operates at a broader national scale.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): One of the largest national refugee resettlement agencies operating across the U.S. with similar wraparound services (legal, employment, health, education); competes with CRIS for federal refugee contracts and foundation funding at a national scale.
• Church World Service (CWS): National refugee resettlement agency providing legal, employment, case management, and integration services; operates in multiple U.S. cities and competes with CRIS for the same federal refugee resettlement funding streams.
• Lutheran Services in America: Network of Lutheran social service agencies providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and case management nationally; comparable programmatic mix to CRIS and a frequent co-bidder on federal/state refugee contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crisohio
• Facebookfacebook.com/crisohio
• Instagraminstagram.com/crisohio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-refugee-and-immigration-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Refugee & Immigration Services