International Refugee Assistance Project
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization that integrates legal aid, strategic litigation, policy advocacy, media advocacy, and legal information to uphold and advance the rights of people seeking safety around the world. With offices in the United States, Jordan, Lebanon, and Germany, and an extensive network of pro bono attorneys, student advocates, and partners, IRAP works to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge.
International Refugee Assistance Project at a glance
In short: International Refugee Assistance Project gave $15K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $15,000
- +122.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- +100.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,500
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $54,604,844
- -22.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (50% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
Who International Refugee Assistance Project funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights ($8K). Together the top 2 received $15K.
Grant Size Distribution
5 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 3 grants of 5 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $7K (2024) to $3.3M (2023). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $15K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, CA | Partner to build a centralized collection of climate displacement case studies by interviewing affected clients across the americas. The resulting data will support storytelling, policy advocacy, and legal services, while helping shape future legal protection frameworks for climate-impacted migrants. | $7,500 |
| Operation Restoration New Orleans, LA | Partner to build a centralized collection of climate displacement case studies by interviewing affected clients across the americas. The resulting data will support storytelling, policy advocacy, and legal services, while helping shape future legal protection frameworks for climate-impacted migrants. | $7,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $54,604,844 | $15,230,045 | $31,210,283 | $15,000 | 2 | $1,470,837 |
| 2024 | $70,353,742 | $23,812,978 | $28,154,321 | $6,750 | 1 | $2,040,954 |
| 2023 | $69,197,781 | $21,048,609 | $23,048,038 | $3,292,377 | Total only | $1,650,870 |
| 2022 | $72,263,409 | $66,214,216 | $17,569,471 | $1,401,270 | Total only | $232,791 |
| 2021 | $24,633,223 | $16,133,550 | $12,466,468 | $160,000 | 2 | $2,411 |
| 2020 | $20,301,634 | $15,883,528 | $9,622,066 | $110,000 | 1 | $123,050 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
About International Refugee Assistance Project
Based on IRS filings
International Refugee Assistance Project is a public charity focused on Human Services, based in New York, NY. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $54.6M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 2 grants totaling $15K. Net investment income was $1.5M.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
International Refugee Assistance Project is led by Rebecca Heller, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 14 of 31 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rebecca Heller
Executive Director
President & Executive Director → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$143K (2020) → $314K (2025)
Amy Taylor Deputy
Executive Director of Program
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$204K (2022) → $265K (2025)
Sharif Aly
President
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$163K (2024) → $349K (2025)
Taryn Higashi
Chair
Director → Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sunil Raju Varghese
Policy Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$171K (2022) → $225K (2025)
Katrin J. Jellema
Director of Institutional Giving
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$138K (2024) → $174K (2025)
Ama Francis
Director of Climate
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$156K (2025)
Nisha Agarwal Deputy Exec
Director of Impact
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$242K (2025)
Michael Madnick
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Miriam Buhl
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert J. Abernethy
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Subhi Khudairi
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ahilan Arulanantham
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Cerrell
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mazen Darwish
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Betsy Doyle
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nadia Allaudin
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Neema Singh Guliani
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Juliet Mureriwa
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ingrid Rasmussen
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Hirschhorn
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelly A. Gramp
Chief Development Officer
Director of Development → Chief Development Officer, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$113K (2020) → $262K (2025)
Yelena Bakaleva
Chief Financial Officer
CFO → Chief Financial Officer, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$136K (2023) → $239K (2025)
Kathleen List
Vice President & Global Legal Programs
Legal Services Director → Senior Vice President & Global Legal Programs, 2024
Senior Vice President & Global Legal Programs → Vice President & Global Legal Programs, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$151K (2023) → $181K (2025)
Laurie Ball Cooper
Vice President & Us Legal Services
U.s Legal Services Director → Vice President & Us Legal Services, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$183K (2024) → $180K (2025)
Aishvarya Shukla
Chief Technology Officer
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$223K (2025)
Sarah Morton Former
Chief Operations Officer
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$252K (2025)
Tracy Dennis
Vice President & Human Resources
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$206K (2025)
Carl Reisner
Vice Chair
Vice Chairman → Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Jacobellis
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Zainab Salbi
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (21)
- Former: Mariko Hirose (2020–2024) — Litigation Director
- Former: Sarah Morton (2020–2024) — Chief Operations Officer
- Former: Tali Farhadian Weinstein (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Amy Taylor (2021–2024) — Deputy Executive Director of Program
- Former: Edward Shapiro (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Nisha Agarwal (2021–2024) — Deputy Executive Director of Impact
- Former: Negar Tayyar (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Crystal Nicole Adams (2022–2023) — Chief Human Resources Officer
- Former: Ankita Suri (2023) — Director of Organizational Culture
- Former: Amed Khan (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Betsy Lanette Fisher (2020–2022) — Director of Strategy
- Former: Carmen Maria Rey Caldas (2022) — U.s. Legal Services Director
- Former: Nisha Agarwal Deputy (2022) — Executive Director of Impact
- Former: David Nierenberg (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Denis McDonough (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jon Finer (2020–2021) — Chair
- Former: Samantha Power (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Stephen Poellet (2021) — Director of Legal Strategy
- Former: Justin Bryan Cox (2020) — Senior Supervising Attorney
- Former: Sarah Vaughan Troyer (2020) — Director of Institutional Giving
- Former: Stephanie Dodson Cornell (2020) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $349K, to Sharif Aly (President). 14 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about International Refugee Assistance Project
How much does International Refugee Assistance Project give each year?
International Refugee Assistance Project gave $15K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $7K across 1 grant.
How large is International Refugee Assistance Project?
International Refugee Assistance Project reported $54.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $15.2M.
What is International Refugee Assistance Project?
International Refugee Assistance Project is a public charity focused on Human Services, based in New York, NY. It holds $54.6M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does International Refugee Assistance Project operate?
International Refugee Assistance Project has awarded grants in California, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Texas.
What is International Refugee Assistance Project's EIN?
International Refugee Assistance Project's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-2167556. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 15, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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International Refugee Assistance Project down — hundreds of funders to go?