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Refugees International

EIN 52-1224516 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood71 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL ADVOCATES FOR LIFESAVING ASSISTANCE, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND PROTECTION FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE AND PROMOTES SOLUTIONS TO DISPLACEMENT CRISIS.

Income
$4.2 million
Spending
$3.4 million
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
5.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 88%
Employees
30
Volunteers
19

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 42% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 5.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 24% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 18% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 24% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 13 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (2)
  1. $2.2 million spent. MAIN OUTCOMES:BETWEEN JANUARY AND JUNE 2025, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL ADVANCED A SUSTAINED ADVOCACY AGENDA FOCUSED ON PROTECTION PATHWAYS, CRISIS RESPONSE, AND PRINCIPLED HUMANITARIAN POLICY ACROSS 8 COUNTRIES IN MULTIPLE REGIONS. CORE AREAS OF ENGAGEMENT INCLUDED THE ESCALATING HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE SUDAN, KENYA, OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES AND MYANMAR, ALONGSIDE CONTINUED ATTENTION TO U.S. BORDER AND DEPORTATION POLICY. THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL ISSUED STATEMENTS, SITUATION UPDATES, AND EVENT BRIEFINGS THAT HIGHLIGHTED DETERIORATING CONDITIONS IN CONFLICT SETTINGS AND EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT, RESTORED AID FLOWS, AND STRONGER CIVILIAN PROTECTION.REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL ALSO INTENSIFIED ITS ENGAGEMENT ON U.S. IMMIGRATION AND PROTECTION POLICY DURING THIS PERIOD. THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED EXPERT TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS, CHALLENGED THE ROLLBACK OF HUMANITARIAN PAROLE PATHWAYS, AND HIGHLIGHTED THE RISKS POSED BY THE TERMINATION OF PROGRAMS SERVING CUBANS, HAITIANS, NICARAGUANS, AND VENEZUELANS. THROUGH REGULAR UPDATES, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTED THE GROWING DANGERS FACING PEOPLE AFFECTED BY MASS DEPORTATIONS, LOSS OF WORK AUTHORIZATION, AND ABRUPT SHIFTS IN ASYLUM PROCESSING. THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR REFORMS THAT SAFEGUARD DUE PROCESS, EXPAND PROTECTION MECHANISMS, AND UPHOLD THE RIGHTS OF THOSE SEEKING SAFETY AT THE U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER.IN EARLY 2025, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL STRENGTHENED ITS COMMITMENT TO REFUGEE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY-LED RESPONSES. THE ORGANIZATION WELCOMED A NEW COHORT OF REFUGEE FELLOWS, EXPANDED ITS WORK WITH REFUGEE-LED ORGANIZATIONS IN EAST AFRICA, AND CONVENED PUBLIC EVENTS INCLUDING A WORLD REFUGEE DAY TOWN HALL TO ELEVATE DISPLACED LEADERS SHAPING HUMANITARIAN POLICY. ACROSS ITS PROGRAMS, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL EMPHASIZED LOCALIZATION AND EQUITABLE PARTNERSHIPS, ARGUING THAT IN AN ERA OF CONSTRAINED AID, EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES AND REFUGEE-LED INITIATIVES IS ESSENTIAL TO SUSTAINING EFFECTIVE AND PRINCIPLED HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE.IN 2025 REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL CONTINUED TO TRAVEL INTO THE FIELD. REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL'S ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLVING SITUATION IN SYRIA HIGHLIGHTED THE URGENT NEED FOR SUSTAINED HUMANITARIAN ENGAGEMENT AND RIGHTS-BASED SUPPORT FOR DISPLACED SYRIANS AMID WIDESPREAD RETURN MOVEMENTS AND RECONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES FOLLOWING THE FALL OF THE ASSAD REGIME, WELCOMING MEASURES SUCH AS THE U.S. TREASURY'S GENERAL LICENSE NO. 25 AS A STEP TOWARD ENABLING AID AND STABILIZATION WHILE URGING CONTINUED PROTECTIONS FOR VOLUNTARY AND SAFE RETURNS.ADDITIONALLY, IN BANGLADESH, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTED AND WARNED AGAINST THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS OF DEEPENING AID CUTS ON ROHINGYA REFUGEES IN COX'S BAZAR, EMPHASIZING THAT WHILE LAST-MINUTE DONOR SUPPORT HELPED AVERT DRASTIC RATION REDUCTIONS, ONGOING SHORTFALLS CONTINUE TO THREATEN FOOD SECURITY, SERVICES, AND PROSPECTS FOR DURABLE SOLUTIONS FOR OVER A MILLION REFUGEES.REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL HOSTED A WORLD REFUGEE DAY 2025 TOWN HALL IN JUNE THAT CONVENED EXPERTS AND 2025 FELLOWS TO DISCUSS EMERGING RESEARCH, SHARE FIRSTHAND TESTIMONY ON DISPLACEMENT DRIVERS AND POLICY IMPACTS, AND MOBILIZE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR PROTECTION MEASURES.ACROSS THIS PERIOD, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS THOUGHT LEADERSHIP OUTPUT AND MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, ISSUING STATEMENTS AND ANALYSES ON ISSUES RANGING FROM U.S. ASYLUM ENFORCEMENT TO GLOBAL POLICY OBLIGATIONS IN CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT.
  2. $597,043 spent. STRATEGIC OUTREACH FY25 (SHORT YEAR) PROGRAM ACTIVITIESREFUGEES INTERNATIONAL ENGAGED IN A WIDE RANGE OF STRATEGIC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT FROM JANUARY 1 TO JUNE 30, 2025 TO HELP ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION TO CREATE A MORE WELCOMING WORLD FOR PEOPLE SEEKING REFUGE AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHED AND PROMOTED HUNDREDS OF RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY PRODUCTS ACROSS A VARIETY OF PLATFORMS IN THE SHORT FY25 PERIOD AND EARNED CONSIDERABLE MEDIA COVERAGE, GARNERING MORE THAN 200 MEDIA CITATIONS AND INTERVIEWS ACROSS THE YEAR TO AMPLIFY OUR ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION MESSAGES TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES. REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL APPEARED IN NEWS STORIES AND OPINION PIECES CARRIED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, WALL STREET JOURNAL, LA TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, FOREIGN POLICY, THE GUARDIAN, USA TODAY, TIME, NEWSWEEK, NPR, REUTERS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, BLOOMBERG, BBC, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, AND NUMEROUS OTHER PRINT, ONLINE, AND BROADCAST NEWS OUTLETS. OUR WEBSITE SAW MORE THAN 435,400 VISITORS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE SHORT FISCAL YEAR, AND WE HAD MORE THAN 375,000 SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS ACROSS ACCOUNTS.REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL'S STRATEGIC OUTREACH TEAM ALSO HOUSES THE REFUGEE ADVOCACY LAB INITIATIVE. THE REFUGEE ADVOCACY LAB IS AN INITIATIVE HOUSED AT REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL AND CO-LED WITH REFUGEE CONGRESS AND IRAP. THE LAB WORKS TO ADVANCE THE MOVEMENT FOR U.S. LEADERSHIP ON REFUGEE PROTECTION AND INCLUSION BY DEVELOPING STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES; CHAMPIONING INCLUSIVE STATE POLICIES; AND BUILDING THE FIELD THROUGH NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND REFUGEE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. IN FY25, THE LAB EXPANDED ITS NETWORK OF PARTNERS; ADVANCED INCLUSIVE LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL POLICY; ELEVATED THE PERSPECTIVES OF REFUGEES AND OTHER DISPLACED PEOPLE IN PUBLIC DISCOURSE; AND LAUNCHED RESOURCES AND TOOLS FOR THE FIELD ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since October 1981.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.