Center For Refugee Services

What Center For Refugee Services does

Center for Refugee Services (CRS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in San Antonio, Texas in 2010 (with roots in a 2008 Communities In Schools initiative) that provides free, integrated social services to legally resettled refugees living in the San Antonio area. The organization is the only independent nonprofit in San Antonio exclusively focused on the long-term community integration of legally resettled refugees, having served more than 18,000 individuals from over 20 countries of origin since receiving its tax-exempt status, including a surge of 6,000+ Afghan arrivals registered since fall 2021.

CRS operates a one-stop service model organized around five interconnected program areas: Education Services (ESL classes from pre-literate to intermediate levels, plus women-only classes and a higher-education scholarship program that has distributed 200+ scholarships since 2011); Health & Wellness Services (health insurance enrollment, SNAP and Medicaid applications, medical referrals, emergency food, and pregnancy and baby assistance, delivered as a Tier-3 partner with Texas Health and Human Services); Employment Services (resume writing, job search, online applications, and job referrals for legally work-authorized refugees); Classes (ESL, citizenship preparation, computer literacy, and the Baby Bed SIDS-prevention video delivered in Dari/Farsi and Pashto); and Community Support Services (coordinated drives for baby bags, hygiene kits, coats, toys, school supplies, furniture, and household goods). The service portfolio is supported by a free Wednesday health clinic staffed by UT Health San Antonio medical, nursing, and dental students at St. Francis Episcopal Church, ESL classes hosted at Resurgent Church, and direct service at the CRS headquarters office at 8600 Wurzbach Road, Suite 802, which doubled in size in January 2024.

The organization's revenue model is entirely donation-funded, with no government contracts and no fees charged to clients. Income is sourced from individual donations (via PayPal, Zelle, and check), grants from approximately nine named private foundations (including Alice Kleberg Reynolds, Lifshutz, Najim Charitable, Richard D. Huff, San Antonio Junior Forum, St. Luke's Lutheran Health Ministries, Southwest Community Foundation, Starbucks Foundation, and San Antonio Area Foundation), in-kind contributions of goods, and planned giving/bequests. Operations are supported by a small paid staff of approximately 14 employees supplemented by dozens of active volunteers; the staff includes former refugees and multilingual personnel fluent in Pashto, Dari, Urdu, and Spanish. CRS uses CharityTracker case management software (migrated from MS Access in fall 2023) and reports GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency status. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Board President Sheetal Patel, with Executive Director of Programs Naqibullah Ehasas (a former Afghan diplomatic corps member) and Senior Program Manager Jill Rips leading day-to-day operations.

Name

Center For Refugee Services

Legal name

Center for Refugee Services

Website

https://sarefugees.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Center for Refugee Services is a San Antonio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free ESL, employment, health and wellness, and community-integration services to legally resettled refugees, having served over 18,000 clients from 20+ countries since 2010.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Resettlement & Community Integration Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), 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 & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH), Resident Support Services (RA Training Support, On-Call Coordination, Crisis Response Liaison) (EDAEAFAM), Refugee/Migrant Health & Resettlement Health Units (HLAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• ESL adult education
• Employment assistance programs
• Community integration support
• Refugee health wellness

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: CRS receives donations from individuals via PayPal, Zelle, and check. These are tax-deductible contributions supporting the organization's mission.
2. Foundation Grants: CRS receives grants from private foundations including The Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation, Lifshutz Foundation, Najim Charitable Foundation, Richard D. Huff Foundation, San Antonio Junior Forum, St. Luke's Lutheran Health Ministries, Southwest Community Foundation, Starbucks Foundation, and San Antonio Area Foundation.
3. In-Kind Donations: CRS accepts in-kind donations of household goods, educational materials, school supplies, hygiene items, baby supplies, and other items that directly support refugee clients.
4. Bequests and Planned Giving: CRS encourages donors to leave legacy gifts through bequests in wills or beneficiary designations in retirement accounts and life insurance policies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Center for Refugee Services provides free, integrated support services to legally resettled refugees in San Antonio, Texas, including multi-level ESL classes, employment assistance, health and wellness navigation, citizenship preparation, community support distributions, and higher-education scholarships. All services are offered at no cost to clients through a one-stop center staffed by multilingual former refugees and volunteers.

Product overview

Center for Refugee Services is a nonprofit organization offering a unified set of integrated social services to assist legally resettled refugees in San Antonio. The core offering consists of five interconnected service areas: Education Services (ESL classes and scholarships), Health & Wellness Services (insurance enrollment, medical referrals, maternity assistance), Employment Services (resume writing, job placement, career guidance), Classes (language instruction, citizenship prep, Baby Bed safe-sleep education), and Community Support Services (donations distribution, events, household items). The CRS Refugee Handbook serves as a supplementary resource. Together these services provide a one-stop center model where refugees can access comprehensive support for their integration needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Services Provides multiple levels of ESL classes from pre-literate to intermediate, including women-only classes, and administers higher-education scholarships for refugee students pursuing college degrees. Distributed more than 200 scholarships since 2011.
• Health & Wellness Services Assists clients with health insurance enrollment, SNAP applications, Medicaid applications and renewals, medical appointments and referrals, emergency food, pregnancy and baby assistance, and related wellness support. CRS is a Tier-3 partner with Texas Health and Human Services.
• Employment Services Helps legally resettled refugees create resumes, find jobs, apply online, and make job referrals. Includes employment counseling, job search assistance, foreign degree equivalency certification, career guidance, and mentorship for college students and professionals.
• Classes Offers multiple levels of ESL classes from pre-literate to intermediate, including women-only classes, citizenship preparation classes, computer classes, and a Baby Bed instruction video on infant safe sleep and SIDS prevention. ESL class students pay a $10 supply fee per term.
• Community Support Services Coordinates events to collect and distribute items that improve clients' lives, including baby bags, hygiene kits, coat drives, toy drives, school supply donations, furniture and household goods, and scholarship funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000+ individuals assisted since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Catholic CharitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting refugees in San Antonio.
• Christ Lutheran ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner supporting CRS mission and refugees.
• City of San AntoniominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner supporting refugee services in San Antonio.
• Texas Health and Human Services CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRS is a Tier-3 partner assisting clients with SNAP food programs and Medicaid applications and renewals.
• UT Health San Antonio (Medical School, Dental School, Nursing School)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical students, nursing students, and dental students staff the free health clinic at St. Francis Episcopal Church for uninsured refugees every Wednesday.
• University Health System / San Antonio Refugee Health Clinic (SARHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides medical interpretation, patient navigation, and care coordination for refugee clients. CRS assists with referrals to the Refugee Clinic for health screenings.
• RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal services partner providing immigration services, children's programs, family detention and reunification services.
• Texas Diaper BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides diapers for distribution to refugee families with newborns.
• St. Francis Episcopal ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the free health clinic for uninsured refugees every Wednesday evening, staffed by UT Health SA students and professors.
• Resurgent ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site for ESL classes on Monday mornings at 8134 Fredericksburg Road.
• Planned ParenthoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing reproductive health services referrals.
• St. Mary's University School of LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting refugee legal services.
• Tripolis RestaurantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestaurant partner, with CEO Dr. Howaida Werfelli serving as Board President of CRS.
• Worldwide LanguagesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanguage services partner supporting translation and interpretation needs.
• Vet StrongminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeteran support organization partner.
• NCJW (National Council of Jewish Women)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner supporting refugee families with donations and volunteer services.
• Soldiers AngelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner providing volunteer support and services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• HIAS: International Jewish refugee agency providing resettlement, legal, and integration services in the U.S. and globally. A broader incumbent with overlapping refugee integration mission but much larger geographic scope.
• Catholic Charities USA: National umbrella organization for Catholic Charities agencies, including the San Antonio affiliate. Operates a national fundraising and advocacy network that can pull funding away from small independent players like CRS.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Large national and global refugee resettlement and humanitarian organization. Operates across multiple U.S. cities including San Antonio, with a broader service portfolio and significantly larger fundraising capacity.
• US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): National nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, employment, and integration services across multiple U.S. sites. Overlaps with CRS on resettlement case management and employment services mission.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS): National faith-based refugee resettlement and child migrant services organization. Listed indirectly through St. Luke's Lutheran Health Ministries as a CRS funder partner; competes for federal and foundation funding.

Others

• San Antonio Area Foundation: Regional community foundation that funds CRS through the Lazarus-Gershenhorn Family Fund. Not a direct service peer but a key funding intermediary and grantmaking peer for San Antonio nonprofits.

Regional players

• University Health System / San Antonio Refugee Health Clinic (SARHC): Regional healthcare provider that operates the San Antonio Refugee Health Clinic. CRS is a referral partner; SARHC is a parallel regional actor in refugee health navigation rather than a direct service competitor.

Direct peers

• RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services): Texas-based nonprofit providing refugee and immigrant legal services, family reunification, and education programs. Listed as a CRS partner and competes for similar donor and grant funding across Texas.
• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio: Local refugee resettlement and social services arm operating in the same San Antonio market. Listed as a CRS partner, it is the most direct local competitor for refugee clients, ESL classes, and resettlement funding.
• Refugee Services of Texas: Texas-wide refugee resettlement agency providing case management, employment, and ESL services. Operates in overlapping geographies with CRS and competes for the same refugee client base and grant funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUNz7Lia9ko8p32nMrDjS2Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/centerefugeeservices
• Instagraminstagram.com/crs_satx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-refugee-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Center For Refugee Services