Philanthropy Spotlight: The International Rescue Committee

In 2009, The International Rescue Committee works as hard to aid displaced people as it did when it was founded by Albert Einstein in 1933. The IRC now provides international aid and resettlement assistance to refugees from countries including Iraq, Somalia and the Sudan, as well as to victims of human trafficking.

A recognized leader in humanitarian emergencies, the IRC prides itself on being among the first aid organizations on the ground in a crisis and one of the last ones to leave.

In San Diego County, the organization’s staff and volunteers work to help newly arrived refugees and asylees with their resettlement in America. Food, shelter, clothing and medical attention are the first concerns, followed up very quickly by English language classes, job placement, immigration assistance and community orientation.

The IRC’s “First Things First” program helps to fill the early education needs of refugee preschool children and new parents. Recently, a playdate was arranged for a group of First Things First preschoolers to visit the La Jolla United Methodist Church preschool program.

Staying true to its roots, every year the IRC helps approximately 7,000 refugees and asylees become self-sufficient and make America their home. Ninety percent of the funds raised by the nonprofit are brought to bear on the IRC’s programs and services, receiving an A+ rating by the American Institute of Philanthropy and one of 10 Forbes magazine’s Gold Star charities.

To learn more about The International Rescue Committee, visit