Become a Community Sponsor

Community sponsors play a critical role in helping a new American family feel welcome, make connections, and navigate their new neighborhoods, culture, language, schools, and more. If you and your group are interested in making a real difference, and are ready to commit to serving a new American family, then we invite you to create a Circle of Welcome as a community sponsor.

Community Sponsorship Requirements

Across the Global Refuge network specific requirements for co-sponsor programs vary by local resettlement site, but in general community sponsors are expected to do the following:

Form a Team and Select a Team Leader

Community sponsor teams can vary in size and there is no universal requirement for team sizes. In our network teams tend to range from 6-10 core members who work directly with clients.

Commit to a Specific Time Frame of Service

Program lengths can vary from 3-12 months across the Global Refuge network.

Raise and Donate Financial Support

Community sponsors are expected to raise a specific amount of money to which will be used to supplement essential needs of the family such as rent, healthcare, transportation, or groceries. Global Refuge local resettlement sites have set their own financial requirement for sponsor teams based on the cost of living in their area and needs of their clients.

Sign a Commitment Form with Your Local Resettlement Agency

Commitment forms are non-legally binding agreements between a co-sponsor team and a local resettlement agency. The commitment form outlines expectations of community sponsors and duties they agree to perform.

Devote Time Each Week to Assist the Family

The local resettlement agency will give sponsorship teams guidance on how much time they should expect to spend with the family. Community sponsors can expect to be spending more time with the family in their first month after arrival as they learn to navigate their new community than later months.

Receive a Background Check

It is a standard best practice across the refugee resettlement field that all volunteers who work directly with refugees receive a background check. This is a way of safeguarding the clients we serve. Before anyone can volunteer to sponsor a resettled family, the agency will require a background check through their organization.

Complete an Orientation and Training

Community sponsorship teams must attend a community sponsorship training put on by the local resettlement agency where they will learn about the expectations and guidelines of the local agency’s community sponsorship program.

Follow Guidelines from Local Agency Staff

Local resettlement offices will provide community sponsors with information about their program’s expectations, avenues of communication, onboarding process, and guidelines.