In recent years, the number of displaced people and refugees has risen dramatically due to political unrest, conflicts, and genocide. According to UNHCR, this population is at an historic high of nearly 80 million. Nearly 40% of those displaced are children. Most refugee funding goes towards addressing urgent needs like food, shelter, healthcare, water, and sanitation. Longer term needs, like the opportunity to earn livelihoods and resettle in safe countries, receive little funding. In May 2021, the Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact Award—a grant competition to fund innovative, scalable solutions supporting the wellbeing of refugees—awarded $24.25 million to five finalist organizations, including the award’s primary awardee, the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative (RRLI).
Organizations like RRLI are at the forefront of humanitarian response efforts, operating in environments deemed too dangerous or remote for traditional aid organizations and providing support and essential services for the world’s most vulnerable refugee communities. These organizations are largely ignored by the formal aid system, yet they play an indispensable role in plugging the service delivery gaps that exist across the humanitarian sector. The Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact Award placed power back in the hands of refugees.
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