Donate Money

It’s efficient, effective and always the right size

Financial contributions are the most effective way to support refugee settlement and integration and there are many options for a donor to choose from. By donating money, you give local agencies the flexibility to direct your donation exactly where it is needed most. You also reduce the need for them to devote staff to managing donations in kind, many of which are not needed or appropriate for refugees.

When you give money to a sponsorship group, you're helping to bring a refugee to safety. When you give to settlement organizations, you're helping experienced professionals provide more newcomers with language classes, employment advice, mental health counselling, social support and more. When you donate to Refugee 613, you enable us to continue providing information, connection and inspiration for building a more welcoming community. To learn more about our work, visit About Us.

Refugee 613 was created by a grassroots coalition and our staff and operations are hosted by the settlement agency Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO).

To donate to our work, click the button below, which will take you to the OCISO donation page. Where it says “Apply Your Donation to a Specific Fund,” choose “Refugee 613 project” on the drop-down menu and complete the form.

Donate to Refugee 613

It’s important to know that Refugee 613 does not provide direct settlement services to refugees – rather, we connect people to each other and to the services. The following agencies provide direct frontline service to refugees and would welcome your financial contributions.  

• Jewish Family Services supports private sponsorship groups and also provides newcomers from various cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds with settlement counselling and mental health services. http://www.jfsottawa.com/for-donors/
• Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO) is a secular agency providing sponsorship services as well as community integration, public education, mental health counselling, school-based programs and English language instruction to newcomers. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/ociso-ottawa-community-immigrant-services-organization/

• Catholic Centre for Immigrants is the agency in charge of receiving and orienting government-assisted refugees in Ottawa. This means it provides temporary housing, food, orientation services and more to newly arrived refugees sponsored by the Government of Canada. CCI also provides support to private sponsorship groups, help with immigration documents, and advice on housing, employment and orientation for immigrants of all backgrounds. https://www.canadahelps.org/dn/13672

• Matthew House Ottawa is a Christian organization that provides temporary shelter, food and support services to refugee claimants of all backgrounds in a family environment. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/matthew-house-ottawa/#donate-now-pane

• Carty House is a communal residence in Ottawa that provides transitional housing for female refugee claimants and UN Convention refugees.  https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/carty-house/

• WorldSkills is a recognized leader in responding to the needs of the local labour market while promoting the skills and talents of immigrants, including refugees.
• Immigrant Women's Services of Ottawa is a community-based social service agency providing culturally appropriate services to immigrant women and their children, including crisis intervention, counselling and language interpretation.
• The YMCA/YWCA Newcomer Information Centre is a program run by the YMCA/YWCA of the National Capital Region to provide free information and referral services to newcomers.
• Lebanese and Arab Social Services of Ottawa-Carleton is an agency that facilitates and expedites the settlement and integration of new Canadians in genera, and Arabic-speaking newcomers in particular.
• Le Conseil Économique et Social d’Ottawa Carleton (CÉSOC) is an agency promoting the cultural and linguistic diversity of Ottawa, specifically through meeting the settlement needs of Francophone immigrants.
• The Somali Centre for Family Services has been serving immigrants in the Ottawa area since 1991. It provides assistance to refugees and to immigrants

 Thank you again for your generosity!