World Education Services Inc
World Education Services Inc (WES) is a nonprofit social enterprise based in New York City that has operated for 50 years since its founding in 1974 by Peace Corps volunteers. The organization supports the educational, economic, and social inclusion of immigrants, refugees, and international students in the United States and Canada. WES operates a self-sustaining social enterprise model, leveraging commercial revenues generated by products and services to fund social impact initiatives.
Key facts about World Education Services Inc
- EIN
- 23-7396384
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,027,167
- Grants made (2024)
- 40
- Average grant
- $100,679
- Median grant
- $100,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 63% first-time grantees (25 of 40, 2024)
- Total assets
- $259,765,506
- Primary geography
- California (21% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who World Education Services Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for World Education Services Inc's 40 itemized 2024 grants were California (21%), Colorado (13%) and District of Columbia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (5 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants). 53% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Project-Based Support Grant" (8 grants) and "Donation" (7 grants).
Is World Education Services Inc open to new grantees?
63%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 25 of 40 grantees (63%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $90K; repeat grants $119K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $100K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with World Education Services Inc
- How to evaluate World Education Services Inc as a funder
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$259.8M
+11.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.0M
-13.7% YoY
Grant Count
40
-21.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$101K
+10.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Vision: Everyone is able to put their education, experience, and skills to work anywhere in the world.
Mission: We help people learn, work, and thrive in new places. We help society recognize the value of people's education and experience.
Core Values:
- Opportunity: Opening doors so people can build better futures
- Inclusion: Becoming stronger, more creative, and more resilient through embracing diversity
- Equity: Upholding fairness and justice in work and actions
- Enterprising: Being resourceful, inventive, and driven
Primary program areas include credential evaluation production and services supporting economic inclusion of immigrants and refugees.
Grantmaking
WES functions as both a service provider and a grantmaker through its philanthropic initiatives. The organization made grants totaling $6,912,235 in its most recent filing period, with typical award amounts ranging from $7,500 to $1,776,000.
Ready to take the next step with World Education Services Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
WES operates in the United States and Canada, with primary grantmaking activity noted in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 40 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $233,089,458
- Total Revenues: $99,938,416
- Total Expenses: $91,492,697
- Number of Employees: 283
As of most recent filing (2024):
- Total Assets: $259,765,506
- Total Giving: $6,912,235
The organization maintains a strong financial position with a 96% rating reflecting excellent accountability and financial management.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $259,765,506 | $233,089,458 | $205,422,025 |
| Revenue | $139,593,000 | $99,938,416 | $98,705,023 |
| Expenses | $98,706,735 | $91,492,697 | $85,612,582 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $39,798,853 | $2,631,978 | $659,199 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
203 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from World Education Services Inc
Elevating Migrant Leadership: Building Inclusive Futures Funding Opportunity
World Education Services Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Strengthening Immigrant Inclusion Program (SIIP) Request for Proposals
World Education Services Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Techstars Partners 2021 LLC ($536,667), Sorenson Impact Institute ($300,000), La Plaza De Encuentro Gathering Place ($225,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| TECHSTARS PARTNERS 2021 LLC Boulder, CO | PROJECT-BASED SUPPORT GRANT | $536,667 |
| SORENSON IMPACT INSTITUTE Salt Lake City, UT | PROJECT-BASED SUPPORT GRANT | $300,000 |
| LA PLAZA DE ENCUENTRO GATHERING PLACE Albuquerque, NM | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT | $225,000 |
| NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SYSTEM HEADS Washington, DC | PROJECT-BASED SUPPORT GRANT | $200,000 |
| REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INVESTORS ALLIANCE INC San Francisco, CA | PROJECT-BASED SUPPORT GRANT | $200,000 |
| UPWARDLY GLOBAL San Francisco, CA | PROJECT-BASED SUPPORT GRANT | $160,000 |
| RESILIENCE FORCE New Orleans, LA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT | $150,000 |
| WORKERS DEFENSE PROJECT Austin, TX | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT | $150,000 |
| INCLUSIVE ACTION FOR THE CITY Los Angeles, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT | $125,000 |
| NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR NEW AMERICANS INC Chicago, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT | $110,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audrey Hendley | Chair | 2 | — |
| Sidney R Hargo | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| Helen Hayward | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Feridun Hamdullahpur | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Caroline Gayle | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Joanna Harries | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Shakti Jauhar | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Aaron Williams | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Julie Reddy | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Paolo Varias | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Fanta Aw | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Kamal Bhattacharya | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Donna Daniels | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Ajay Patel | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Esther T Benjamin | CEO & Executive Director | 40 | $951,029 |
| Niteese Lenton as of 10724 | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $74,224 |
| John Vermaaten Thru 123124 | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $560,251 |
| Cheryl Toto | Chief Operations Officer | 40 | $492,302 |
| Monica K Munn | Chief Social Impact Officer | 40 | $402,054 |
| Shamira Madhany | Managing Director, Wes Canada | 40 | $328,072 |
| Megan Blackburn | Sir. Director, Strategy & Planning | 40 | $307,107 |
| Abbie J Cowan | Chief People Officer | 40 | $392,590 |
| Biren Shah | Chief Technology Officer | 40 | $425,522 |
| Holly Sanders | Chief Transformation Officer | 40 | $392,323 |
| Paul Feltman | Deputy Executive Director, GTB | 40 | $418,058 |
| Ernest Wurzbach | Sr. Director of Technology | 40 | $325,501 |
| Brian Kostantin | Sr Director of Sales, MKTG & CS | 40 | $305,144 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
WES has actively expanded its grantmaking through the Mariam Assefa Fund with multiple grant announcements supporting immigrant and refugee economic inclusion and leadership development. The fund has made commitments in both the United States and Canada, reflecting the organization's continental focus on supporting vulnerable populations in accessing economic opportunities and advancing equitable systems.
WES Mariam Assefa Fund Announces $2.5M in GrantsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does World Education Services Inc fund?
**Vision:** Everyone is able to put their education, experience, and skills to work anywhere in the world. **Mission:** We help people learn, work, and thrive in new places. We help society recognize the value of people's education and experience. **Core Values:** • **Opportunity:** Opening doors so people can build better futures • **Inclusion:** Becoming stronger, more creative, and more resilient through embracing diversity • **Equity:** Upholding fairness and justice in work and actions • *…
How do I apply for a grant from World Education Services Inc?
WES functions as both a service provider and a grantmaker through its philanthropic initiatives. The organization made grants totaling $6,912,235 in its most recent filing period, with typical award amounts ranging from $7,500 to $1,776,000. Recent grantmaking activity includes: • **Village Capital** received a Project Support Grant of $604,555 in December 2023 WES operates the Mariam Assefa Fund, which has announced multiple grant rounds: • $2.5 million in grants for immigrant economic inclusi…
Where does World Education Services Inc make grants?
WES operates in the United States and Canada, with primary grantmaking activity noted in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.
What size grants does World Education Services Inc award?
In 2024, World Education Services Inc awarded 40 grants totaling $4.0M — an average of about $101K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is World Education Services Inc's EIN?
World Education Services Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7396384. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.