If you want to be in the know about what’s going on at our organization, you’ve come to the right place.
Be sure to check back regularly to get our latest news updates.
Kasra Movahedi, who has led IRC-CEO as Executive Director since its inception, will transition to the Board of Directors in January 2025, where he will continue to contribute to the organization’s mission and long-term growth.
Meet one of our borrowers, Mwana, and learn more about her business Moyo Kitchen, and the support she received from our partners at the IRC Seattle Small Business Program
CEO is excited to release this report, an analysis of credit scores for clients participating in CEO’s integrated financial capability program + loan model.
Interview with two of CEO's leaders, highlighting CEO during National Immigrant Heritage Month
La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison publishes report about IRC's Financial Capbabilities programs and includes information about their connection to CEO's financial products.
IRC’s Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) Fresh Start Fund (FSF) was included in this year’s Transformative 25 List from the Collective Action for Just Finance!
IRC-CEO received $383,223 from the CDFI Fund's Small Dollar Loan Program. Read more about the reward and the program at the CDFI Fund's website.
For Black History Month, we are highlighting three of our incredible borrowers and the impact they have on their communities.
CEO's impact would not be possible without the hard work of financial coaches like Mousa at our partner IRC Denver.
IRC-CEO named to Immigrant Serving Lenders cohort program.
One of our partners, the San Diego Housing Commission, received a $604,000 grant from the Prebys Foundation to create a healthcare training program for youth in San Diego. One facet of this new program is access to financial education and coaching from SDHC, including Credit Building Loans (0% APR) offered by IRC-CEO. This innovation from the SDHC shows how IRC-CEO's loan offerings can strengthen workforce programs in local communities by empowering clients to build or establish their credit history while gaining new skills.
Our partner, the International Rescue Committee, is celebrating their continued partnership with Wells Fargo, which has supported both IRC and CEO with more than a million dollars since 2019.
San Diego Housing Commission, a community partner of CEO, was recognized with an award from a national trade organization for their Credit Building Loan Program, which uses CEO Credit Building Ladder loans as a tool to build credit with their clients!
Two years ago, the Taliban took control of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The ensuing evacuation of more than 78,000 Afghan evacuees to the United States through Operation Allies Welcome.
This new report demonstrates the economic contributions, potential, and progress of Afghans who arrived in 2021.
The report includes stories of two Afghans who received auto loans from CEO through the SAFE Program, and have now found success in the U.S.
A senior leader at IRC points to CEO's Rent Pre-Pay Loan product as a too for new arrivals who cannot find housing due to lack of credit history and work authorization.
SBA official visits IRC Atlanta on World Refugee Day to highlight the Community Navigator Pilot Project
CEO's Executive Director, Kasra Movahedi, provides commentary about the impact affordable loans can have on a community.
PayPal shares the impact made possible by IRC-CEO, the SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program, and IRC's Economic Empowerment team
Executive Director Kasra Movahedi joined a panel at the event, where a video was shown highlighting CEO's work in the Baltimore area.
CEO is highlighted as a successful program receiving impact investing dollars from the Baltimore Community Foundation.
Baltimore Community Foundation featured CEO at their 2023 Impact Investment Briefing. Our Executive Director sat down with CBS Baltimore to layout the power of impact investments for CDFIs.
The IRC's Community Navigator Pilot Program works closely with CEO to help clients like Nimota
CEO partner IRC Richmond has made their financial capabilities program permanent!
CEO has launched the $10 million Fresh Start Fund
Important updates on how to learn more and contact CEO.
In the first 75 days (March 2, 2022 - May 16, 2022) of the SAFE Program, IRC-CEO has approved and disbursed 66 loans for a total of $616,126. That means $8,215 a day in SAFE 0% APR loans in the financial accounts of resettled Afghan parolees. Read more...
In this report, you will read the stories and impact of CEO's efforts in 2021 as the economy attempted to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes information around the $1.86 million in lending to our clients to help with everything from starting a business to improving their credit.
Credit Builder's Alliance recently published a report highlighting the real-life impacts of credit on people living in America. One of the profiles features a client of the IRC who received a credit-building loan from CEO.
The Economic Mobility Corps (EMC) is an effort developed jointly by AmeriCorps and the Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). The EMC members will be located in 13 different International Rescue Committee offices around the country.
The EMC members will provide a range of financial counseling services to CEO’s current and future clients. They will address critical issues such as financial and debt management, including saving for homeownership, while also helping to connect low-income families to affordable financial products.
The Grove Foundation joins the Refugee Investment Network Social Impact Fund (RIN SIF) as an investor.
Read about the U.S. Small Business Administration's Community Navigator Pilot Program and IRC's plan for the $5 million award.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy mentioned IRC'S Center for Economic Opportunity in their article about the Welcome Fund from Welcome.US
CEO is honored to be one of the 28 recipients trusted with a grant from the Welcome Fund, an initiative of Welcome.US, to help solve the housing crisis facing the arriving Afghan parolee and refugee population.
Below is the press release from Welcome.US in its entirety.
CEO selected to Financial Solutions Lab’s 2021 Exchange program to innovate financial health for those navigating the U.S. justice system.
We appreciate MUFG for highlighting our work in their 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility report: Resiliency and Progress. MUFG engagement with the IRC-CEO began in 2019, when MUFG donated $110,000 to amplify the center’s impact in promoting upward economic mobility for low-income refugee and immigrant families. Working together, we can promote financial…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury today awarded $1.25 billion in COVID-19 relief funds to 863 community development financial institutions (CDFIs). IRC’s Center for Economic Opportunity received $1.7 million to be used in our lending programs across the country. The awards were announced today by Vice President Kamala Harris at the White…
April was Financial Capability Month, and we at CEO can only do the work we do because of the support of financial coaches working within the 20+ offices we partner with. So, we want to share this blog written by IRC Deputy Director for Economic Empowerment, Jon Vosper In recognition of the end of Financial…
In this report, you will read the stories and impact of CEO's efforts in 2020 amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic. This includes information around the $1.8 million in lending to our clients to help with everything from starting a business to improving their credit.
Highlights from our Credit Outcomes Report with IRC, highlighting the success of our integrated financial capability program...
The Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation and World Education Services Mariam Assefa Fund collaborated on a report where IRC-CEO’s model is highlighted as an innovative tool to help immigrants and refugees advance. Read the full report here...
Jon Vosper interviews Director Kasra Movahedi and Operations Coordinator Zachary Bezold to learn more about CEO’s effectiveness at helping clients meet their financial goals, and how CEO reacted to put clients first when the COVID-19 pandemic hit...
One of our investors, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, shared some of their insights on the why IRC-CEO is so effective. “CEO’s loans fill gaps in financial inclusion while also providing new Americans with financial coaching and other opportunities to develop money management skills.”...
A longitudinal analysis of credit scores for clients participating in IRC and CEO’s integrated financial capability program model. While more research is needed, the analysis presented offers an encouraging assessment of the potential in IRC and CEO’s blended model of financial capability programming. Further, it lays the groundwork for other stakeholders to deepen …
“…The second investment, of $250,000, supports the RIN-CEO Social Impact Fund. Operated by Refugee Investment Network (RIN) and the International Rescue Committee’s Center for Economic Opportunity (IRC-CEO), the Social Impact Fund provides loans to immigrants, refugees, and others who lack access to traditional forms of financing. The WES Mariam Assefa Fund invested alongside five other impact-oriented …
The SIF was launched as a partnership between the International Rescue Committee’s Center for Economic Opportunity (IRC-CEO) and the Refugee Investment Network (RIN) to offer impact investors a unique opportunity to secure a concessional rate of return while directly supporting financial inclusion for hundreds of refugees across the United States. Working as an intermediary and expert …
The $1.5 million SIF will improve the quality of life of hundreds of new Americans in the coming years. In the United States, a person’s credit score is one of the strongest predictors of financial stability. This key to a strong future can also act as a roadblock to a secure …
Story pulled from IRC Baltimore – read it here. By Trieuvan Nguyen, financial coach and job readiness training specialist In January 2020, the IRC in Baltimore reached out to several clients who might benefit from participation in a newly launched financial capabilities program. Ajwara Didumo, a former refugee who worked as a child development officer …
How CEO helps IRC financial capability programming.
Opportunity Finance Network featured one of CEO's business loan recipients in a story highlighting the impact of CDFIs.
In June 2019, the first financial education certificate program will be piloted at the IRC in New York. Financial education is a critical part of CEO's lending model.
