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2023 in Review

Expanding Our Impact

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Introduction

Over the past 20 years, Upwardly Global has focused on providing career resources and tools to immigrants and immigrant-serving organizations and creating an enabling environment that unlocks the potential of immigrant, refugee, and asylee professionals rebuilding their lives in the U.S. We have seen how securing skill-aligned, thriving-wage jobs has transformed the lives of more than 10,000 job seekers — uplifting their families — and their ability to revitalize our communities and contribute to economic growth in the U.S.

In 2023, we witnessed an expansion in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies in recruitment and hiring, but biases continue to leave our communities sidelined. Immigrants today are more educated than at any other time in our country’s history, with almost half possessing at least a bachelor’s degree — yet many newcomers remain locked out of skill-aligned opportunities. Upwardly Global is committed to creating new models of workforce inclusion and shifting the narrative about immigrants, refugees, and asylees to one that celebrates their diversity and humanity and promotes their contributions to our communities and our economy.

Our Impact

All Time Placements

Job Seekers Placed:

10,500+

Job seekers who have completed Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program and were placed in skill-aligned, thriving-wage jobs

Supporting Job Seekers in 2023

6,300+

Total Job Seekers Served
Job seekers served through Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program, partnerships, portals, and other online programs

50%

Women Job Seekers
Percentage of job seekers served through Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program who were women

56%

Refugees Served
Percentage of job seekers served through Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program who were refugees, asylees, SIV holders, or parolees 

129

Nationalities Served
Number of countries that job seekers in Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program came from, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Russia, and Ethiopia  

1,000+

Job Seekers Placed
Job seekers who have completed Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program and have been placed in skill-aligned, thriving-wage jobs

Building Economic Resilience in 2023

$64,000

Average Starting Salary
Average annual starting salary of job seekers who have completed Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program and have been placed in skill-aligned, thriving-wage jobs

$50,600

Average Salary Gain
Average salary gain of job seekers who have completed Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program and have been placed in skill-aligned, thriving-wage jobs

$74 million

Annual Economic Impact
Total dollars contributed annually to the U.S. economy by immigrants and refugees who have completed Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program and have been placed in skill-aligned, thriving-wage jobs

Engaging Our Ecosystem in 2023

31

Partners
Number of immigrant-serving partners — including frontline immigrant-serving organizations, community colleges, and workforce providers — who utilized Upwardly Global’s proven resources, learning tools, and professional development training to build workforce capacity to serve immigrant and refugee professionals

115

Employer Engagement
Number of companies engaged in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practice change and committed to hiring immigrant and refugee professionals

5,800+

Volunteerism
Hours contributed by volunteers in mentoring, mock interviews, networking, resume review, and other engagement opportunities to support job seekers

Advancing Immigrant Workforce Inclusion

In 2023, Upwardly Global expanded our reach, supporting more immigrant, refugee, and asylee professionals by building an ecosystem of partnerships at key institutions, including community colleges, refugee resettlement agencies, workforce organizations, and employers. Drawing upon our nearly 25 years of expertise in guiding newcomers along professional career paths, we helped enable our partners to serve more newcomers as they seek to rebuild their careers in the U.S.

Employer Partner Spotlight

Since 2018, Upwardly Global has partnered with Google.org to provide Google’s Career Certificate program to job seekers in preparation for skill-aligned careers. In 2023, alongside key mentorship from Google staff, over 130 job seekers enrolled in the program, with over 75 successfully obtaining their employer-backed certificates.

“It was a very fruitful experience. The combination of learning through the Google certificate and meeting with volunteers was the best blend of theoretical knowledge and real-life experience. This approach not only enhanced my analytical skills but also provided valuable insights into practical applications in the industry.”

Fatima,
an Upwardly Global job seeker who participated in the Data Analytics Google Certificate program 

“I really think about this as a call to action — to be able to meet the moment for communities like immigrants and refugees, to be able to support their families, to be able to live the American dream, and to be able to meet their potential as new Americans.”

Michael Diamond,
Head of In-Kind Product Giving at Google.org

Workforce Partner Spotlight

Through New York State’s Office of New Americans Professional Pathways Program, Upwardly Global extended its tailored career services to immigrant-serving organizations statewide. In partnership with the International Institute of Buffalo (IIB), a resettlement agency serving Buffalo and Western New York, Upwardly Global enhanced IIB’s career services for immigrants, refugees, and asylees in the region, facilitating their access to skill-aligned jobs that benefit the entire community.
“Our partnership with Upwardly Global enables us to establish a network of support for the refugee community here.”

Lauren Gertner,
Career Pathway Case Manager, International Institute of Buffalo 

Advancing Equity Through AI and Other Technologies

Upwardly Global championed the inclusion of immigrant talent in the design and use of AI and other technological advancements. In 2023, Upwardly Global tested ethical AI programs and produced thought leadership reports, offering guidance and recommendations on designing inclusive AI.  By centering immigrants in the design of AI tools, we unleash their potential to achieve equity in the U.S. workforce. If we do not, we risk excluding them from opportunities and from meaningfully contributing to the U.S. economy at their skill level.

Upwardly Global launched a partnership with HiredScore to apply first-of-its-kind technology to help remove systemic hiring biases impacting immigrants and refugees and proactively connect Upwardly Global’s talent to skill-aligned corporate jobs.

Upwardly Global’s report, “AI for Impact: How To Thoughtfully Leverage Technology To Deliver on Mission,” delved into the role of AI as the most important technological advancement of our era and offered guidance to other providers on how to ensure AI is inclusive and delivers on impact for all communities.

Upwardly Global engaged federal and state agencies like the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, and others to create guidelines for contractors using AI technologies in order to prevent bias and discrimination.

Rapid Response: Welcoming Refugees and Asylees

As ongoing conflicts and disasters displace millions of individuals across the globe, we joined forces with government agencies and local partners to ensure newcomers fleeing crises from areas like South and Central America, Afghanistan, and Ukraine can quickly access the resources they need to rebuild their lives and restart their careers.

Job Seeker Spotlight: Vanessa

After dedicating years to becoming an anesthesiologist in Venezuela, Vanessa fled her home country with her husband and daughter due to political unrest in 2017. In New York, she found construction jobs to make ends meet until she joined Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program in 2023 and was matched with a career coach. With their support, she found job openings that fit her skill set and aced interviews. In 2023, Vanessa landed a role as a Senior Anesthesia Technician at NewYork-Presbyterian, her first step to restarting her healthcare career.

I started to attend the workshop for the health field that Upwardly Global offered. The workshops explained how to research and how to do the residency and apply for those things. I thought, ‘Okay, I have a medical doctor and anesthesiology degree from Venezuela, and this institution offered me the opportunity to get a job in a similar field. It doesn’t matter if my degree is from another country.’

Rapid Response in 2023

568

Job seekers from South and Central America served through Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program

932

Afghan job seekers served through Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program

890

Ukrainian job seekers served through Upwardly Global’s Career Coaching Program in the U.S.

Shaping Policy To Advance Inclusion

Upwardly Global drove ecosystem impact by putting immigrants on the policy map, championing legislation that will dismantle barriers and create legal and accessible pathways for them to secure skill-aligned work.

Advocacy Work in 2023

Upwardly Global submitted recommendations to the White House’s Task Force on New Americans, which highlighted the need for tailored career-navigator programs, funding for job-readiness and career training, and access to affordable English language and childcare programs to help increase economic outcomes for newcomers.
Upwardly Global contributed data to the Department of Labor federal study, commissioned to help understand and remove systemic barriers for immigrants and refugees, that will be published in 2024.

Upwardly Global worked in partnership with legislators, regulators, healthcare providers, and grassroots national organizations to advocate for sustainable pathways to relicensing for internationally trained healthcare professionals at the state and federal levels, resulting in key legislative wins in Illinois.

Job Seeker Spotlight: Sofiia

Sofiia and her daughter fled Ukraine in February 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and resettled in the U.S. through the Uniting for Ukraine sponsorship program. With Upwardly Global’s assistance, Sofiia overcame the challenge of restarting her medical career in a new country that didn’t recognize her international credentials. By December 2023, she secured a position in a neurology lab conducting clinical trials; still, she aims to regain licensure as a neurologist.

Upwardly Global gave me more than a job — I consider this as a miracle in my life. [In the U.S.,] I’m working at a Professor of Neurology’s office, and I’m involved in clinical studies specializing in multiple sclerosis. It’s like I’m doing the same thing I’d done in Ukraine.

Changing the Narrative

Upwardly Global is dedicated to shifting the narrative about immigrants to one that celebrates their diversity and humanity and promotes their contributions to our communities and our economy. Our publications bring an evidence-based focus to key issues impacting immigrant workforce inclusion.

Publications in 2023

Afghan Newcomers Bring Critical Value to U.S. Economy and Society

Unlocking Potential: Enhancing Community College Services for Immigrant and Refugee Students

Illinois’ Trailblazing Solution to Doctor Shortages: Opening Doors for Immigrant, Refugee, and Asylee Healthcare Professionals

Job Seeker Spotlight: Shahpur

Shahpur spent years training to fly, and he served as an Afghan Black Hawk pilot until 2021 when the Taliban took over. Shahpur, along with his wife, young children, parents, and siblings, was forced to flee his home country for the U.S. Upwardly Global’s specialized programs to support Afghan newcomers helped Shahpur secure a job in his field as a Flight Line Technician at an airport, allowing him to support his family as they rebuild their lives.

When I came to [the] U.S., I was searching for a job. A friend of mine, who helped me in the evacuation, he knew about Upwardly Global. He said that ‘lots of pilots connect with Upwardly Global and they help them to find a job.’ I was very happy to hear that … Every person I met at Upwardly Global is very friendly, very helpful, very nice. I really appreciate them.

Financials

Operating Revenue
Type Amount
Corporate & Foundation Contributions $16,864
Government Grants 2,210
Earned Revenue 1,066
Individual Contributions 1,011
Special Events, net 499
Other Revenue 659
In-Kind Contributions 3,863
Total Operating Revenue $26,172
Expenditures
Type Amount
Personnel $9,746
Professional Fees 1,899
General and Administrative Expenses 1,300
Occupancy & Rentals 340
Grants Awarded Expense 292
In-kind Expenses 3,863
Total Expenditures $17,440
Net Assets
Type Amount
Change In Net Assets $8,732
+ Net Assets - Beginning 20,870
Net Assets - Ending $29,602

Sources of Funds

Sources of Funds

Uses of Funds*

Uses of Funds*

*This chart represents allocations based on 2022 Audited Financial Statements. Revised allocations will be available online in June 2024.

Thank You for Your Support

Upwardly Global is grateful for our community of dedicated supporters, like you, who help create an equitable, welcoming country where everyone — including immigrants, refugees, and asylees — can fully contribute and thrive. 

To further support Upwardly Global’s impactful work to dismantle employment barriers for newcomers and build a more inclusive workforce., consider making a one-time gift, joining the Welcome Society with a monthly gift, and browsing volunteer opportunities.
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Upwardly Global is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Our Tax ID is: 94-3346127.