Request for Proposals: 2025-2026 Refugee School Impact Community-Based Organization Grant

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Timeline

  • July 23, 2025, 10:00 AM-11:00 AM: Optional Virtual Information Session. Click here to register. Session will be recorded for anyone unable to attend.
  • August 8, 2025 by 5:00 PM PST: Proposals are due.
  • September 12, 2025: Anticipated date of award notification from School’s Out Washington
  • October 1, 2025–September 30, 2026: Anticipated funding period for projects.

Refugee School Impact (RSI) Program Goals

For the Refugee School Impact Program Community-Based Organization grant opportunity, the goals are to ensure that ORR-eligible children are prepared to succeed in formal schooling, strengthen academic performance, and aid the social adjustment of newly arriving refugee youth and their families.

Grantees may provide services to all ORR-eligible individuals from 5 to age 18.

RSI program services prioritize new arrivals within their first year of arrival, yet can serve those who have been in the U.S. five years or less and continue to face integration and academic challenges. Both youth and their families may receive services from the RSI program.

Services Provided

Funding may be used to provide:

  • Specialized services and support for eligible children and youth
  • Holistic support to families learning to navigate the U.S. education system
  • Capacity development for school staff and systems
  • Other activities designed to support the successful integration of school-aged children and their families, including resources to serve new populations

Schools are important for the integration of refugee youth and their parents. Local RSI programs help refugee youth and their families connect to the school and larger community, cultivate cultural awareness for both the refugees and the communities in which they resettle, promote civic engagement, and enhance language skills.

Sub-grant Focus Areas

  1. Provide specialized services and support for eligible children and youth, such as English as a Second Language classes, tutoring, newcomer or transitional programs, after school and summer programs, mentoring, behavioral health supports, and programming that supports integration.
  2. Support families learning to navigate the U.S. education system, such as school-specific orientation for both families and students, navigators or cultural brokers, and language access.
  3. Develop capacity for school staff and systems, through activities and resource such as specialized trainings for school staff around the unique and varied needs of ORR-eligible populations, ensuring language access by translating critical documents, interpretation, and specialized staff dedicated to working with ORR-eligible children, youth, and families.

Eligible Beneficiaries

Participants eligible for this program include Washington State residents who:

  • Have legally resided in the U.S. less than 60 months and are not yet a U.S. citizen; and
  • Are currently a school-age child (Kindergarten – 12th grade), enrolled in an equivalent GED program, or will start kindergarten in the fall (hence is served the summer directly preceding the fall of kindergarten enrollment) or the parent of a school-age child; and
  • Provide acceptable documentation of any of the following immigration statuses:
    • Refugee
    • Asylee (meaning asylum was approved and is not pending immigration proceedings)
    • Cuban/Haitian Entrant
    • Amerasian
    • Certified Victims of Trafficking
    • Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Holder (and their eligible family members)
    • Afghan Humanitarian Parolee*
    • Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolee**
    • Other populations made eligible by ORR

*Afghan Humanitarian Parolee must have a valid/current parole to enroll in new programming and were paroled into the US during these dates:

  • Afghans who were paroled into the U.S. between July 31, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2023.
  • Afghans who were paroled into the U.S. after Sept. 30, 2023 ONLY IF they are:
    • A spouse or child of an Afghan Humanitarian Parolee who was paroled into the U.S. between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023, OR
    • A parent or legal guardian of an Afghan Humanitarian Parolee who is an unaccompanied child and was paroled into the U.S. between July 31, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2023.

**Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolee must have a valid/current parole to enroll in new programming*(See Ukrainian Re-Parole Note below) and were paroled into the U.S. during these dates:

  • Ukrainians or non-Ukrainians who last habitually resided in Ukraine and who were paroled into the U.S. between Feb. 24, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2024.
  • Ukrainians who were paroled into the U.S. after Sept. 30, 2024, ONLY IF they are:
    • A spouse or child of an Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolee who was paroled into the U.S. between Feb. 24, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2024, OR
    • A parent or legal guardian or primary caregiver of an Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolee who is an unaccompanied child and was paroled into the U.S. between Feb. 24, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2024.

*Note Regarding Ukrainian Re-Parole

A UHP must have a current/valid Humanitarian Parole to enroll in new programming. If the grantee intends to continue services after the parole expires the grantee is required to:

  1. Ensure the client has filed their re-parole application at least 1 day prior to the expiration. Documentation of this must be kept on file. If the client has not applied for re-parole, they can no longer participate in programming.
  2. The grantee must reverify that the client is approved for re-parole. This verification should take place no later than 3 months after expiration of the client’s initial parole period. Documentation must be kept on file.
    • If the client’s re-parole is still pending after 3 months, reach out to SOWA with the case details so the case can be elevated to ORIA.
    • If re-parole was denied, the client does not have another eligible status (such as asylum) the client must be exited from programming.

Sub-grant Applications

Applicants must be a nonprofit community-based organization working in Washington State and will be required to submit their Employer Identification Number (EIN) and business license to verify their status. Schools, school districts, and educational districts may not apply. Religious organizations may apply.  Funds to religious organizations may not support religious programming or materials.

Funding Requirements

Funded grantees will be required to implement at least one activity for children and youth, measure and report results on at least one child/youth outcome, provide narrative reports, submit individualized student (and parent, if applicable) demographic data and copies of Department of Homeland Security immigration documentation verifying that participants are eligible, maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance or Business Liability Insurance (including coverage for bodily injury, property damage, and contractual liability), and comply with federal regulations (see below).

Federal Regulations

This award is subject to the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) General Terms and Conditions – Mandatory, Formula, Block and Entitlement Grant Programs.These requirements may be found at Mandatory GENERAL TERMS and CONDITIONS – 2021 Update.pdf (hhs.gov)

  1. Grantees must agree to comply with the Administrative Requirements of the General Terms and Conditions.
  2. In order to receive funding, the grantee must not presently be debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded by any Federal department or agency from participating in transactions (debarred). 
  3. Funded grantees must:
    • Maintain records that identify, in its accounts all federal awards received and expended and the federal programs under which they were received;
    • Maintain internal controls that provide reasonable assurance that federal awards are managed in compliance with laws, regulations, and provisions of contracts or grant agreements that could have a material effect on each of its federal programs;
    • Prepare appropriate financial statements, including a schedule of expenditures of federal awards;
    • Procure and pay for a single audit or a program-specific audit for that fiscal year if $1,000,000 or more in federal awards from any and/or all sources are expended in any fiscal year.

Funding Restrictions

  • Administrative costs are limited to 15% or your organization’s federally approved indirect rate. 
  • Funding cannot be used for:
    • teaching a language other than English;
    • participant stipends;
    • college application fees;
    • driver’s license or permit fees;
    • parents’ English classes or job search activities;
    • case management and resource/referral services related to families’ basic needs;
    • construction/renovation; and
    • lobbying. 
  • Activities funded by the Refugee School Impact Program Community-Based Organization (RSIP CBO) grant may not duplicate services already funded through the Refugee School Impact Program (RSIP) district-community partnerships.  These RSIP CBO services must either be different from the general RSIP services or serve individuals not already participating in general RSIP services.

Funding Availability

Washington State’s Department of Social and Health Services’ Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA) anticipates the availability of approximately $2M. Grants will typically range between $10,000 and $130,000.  Grant funding from School’s Out Washington (SOWA) is contingent upon SOWA receiving Refugee School Impact funding from ORIA.

Helpful Resources

If you have questions, please contact Sheona Sauna at ssauna@schoolsoutwashington.org.

Apply here