Center for Integration and Migrant Support
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 45% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
CIMS was founded to address the urgent and unmet needs of Sub-Saharan African migrant and refugee families in greater Philadelphia, particularly Congolese households facing food insecurity, trauma, language barriers, and economic hardship. CIMS was created in direct response to what community members themselves identified as the most immediate barriers to successful resettlement: insufficient pathways to education and stability, lack of culturally appropriate food, and limited access to behavioral health support. CIMS's long-term vision is to build a community-centered model of care where food access serves as an entry point to whole-family stabilization: connecting nutrition with behavioral health, education pathways, and economic self-sufficiency. Our goal is not simply to reduce hunger, but to help refugee families rebuild their lives with dignity, resilience, and opportunity.
- Income
- $179,541
- Spending
- $128,066
- Spent on programs
- 45%
- Reserves
- 2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 3
- Highest pay
- $16,800, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (human services, under $250k).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 29% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 114% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1545% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 91% of charities in its peer group (human services, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 (3)
- $19,010 spent. In 2025, CIMS partnered with workforce organizations to help families secure employment while also launching community-based economic initiatives in tailoring and hairdressing, building on skills already present within the community. These efforts restored income during periods of hardship and created pathways toward self-sufficiency. By recognizing informal experience as valuable expertise, CIMS supports dignified work opportunities rooted in cultural strengths. Our workforce approach goes beyond job placement. We provide ongoing navigation, encouragement, and connection to resources that help families sustain employment and move toward financial independence. Housing instability remains one of the most urgent challenges facing newly arrived migrant and refugee families. In 2025, CIMS provided eviction prevention, rental assistance, and housing navigation to families at risk of displacement, stabilizing multiple households and supporting 39 individuals. Our team worked directly with landlords, service providers, and community partners to prevent evictions, secure emergency assistance, and identify safer housing options. Beyond housing, CIMS responded to crises affecting entire families-including medical emergencies, income loss, and caregiver stress-offering hands-on case management and culturally responsive advocacy. By addressing immediate needs while connecting families to longer-term resources, CIMS helped restore stability during moments of vulnerability and uncertainty. What distinguishes CIMS is our whole-family approach. We recognize that housing, health, employment, and emotional wellbeing are deeply interconnected.
- $27,808 spent. In 2025, CIMS distributed approximately 600 food boxes weekly, reaching an average of 72 individuals each week. This support met immediate nutritional needs while also serving as a vital point of entry into broader services. For many families, food distribution is their first connection to CIMS. From there, they access housing support, healthcare navigation, education services, and workforce assistance. CIMS intentionally uses food access as a gateway, not just to address hunger, but to build trust and connect families to integrated care. This model transforms short-term relief into long-term opportunity.
- $10,660 spent. CIMS bridges critical gaps between immigrant families and healthcare systems that often feel inaccessible due to language barriers, cultural unfamiliarity, stigma, and complex administrative processes. In 2025, our staff and volunteers accompanied clients to medical and wellness visits, coordinated care for individuals with complex health needs, and provided home care support for medically vulnerable community members. Behavioral health services addressed trauma, isolation, and stress related to displacement and resettlement through counseling referrals and ongoing navigation, helping adults stabilize both emotionally and practically. In total, 16 healthcare visits were facilitated. Through this work, CIMS identified significant limitations in the current care landscape. Many providers lack cultural fluency, interpretation support is inconsistent, and stigma surrounding mental health continues to prevent families from fully engaging in services. As a result, care is often fragmented, episodic, and disconnected from the daily realities of housing insecurity, food access, and family stress. In response, CIMS is preparing to launch an in-house Behavioral & Mental Health Initiative (BMHI) in 2026. This initiative will adopt a whole-family approach, integrate Community Health Workers (CHWs), and leverage existing Education Pathways and food programs to create coordinated, culturally grounded care. By embedding behavioral health within trusted community services, CIMS aims to move beyond referrals toward continuity by supporting healing, resilience, and long-term wellbeing. Our proposed model integrates clinical care with community healing, recognizing that recovery is shaped not only by therapy, but by stability, dignity, and trusted relationships. By centering dignity, language access, and cultural relevance, BMHI strengthens continuity of care and transforms fragmented services into integrated, community-based support.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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.
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 November 6, 2026.
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.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 November 4, 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.