Ukraine Refugee Grant Program

Quick Facts

• How to Host a Refugee:
• • The war in Ukraine has displaced over ten million people, including over four million children. Most refugees are now staying in other parts of Europe, but many have sought refuge in the U.S., often through sponsorship by friends or relatives. Many others would like to seek refuge here, so the U.S. government created the United for Ukraine sponsorship program.
    
    
  • Ukrainian refugees (individuals and families) currently are allowed to come to the U.S. on a temporary basis only, called “humanitarian parole.” This approval to enter the U.S. with the help of a sponsor is not a path to U.S. citizenship. Refugee sponsorship is like hosting an international exchange student, except the individual or entire family will have separate housing during their stay.
    
    
  • The underlying assumption of the program is that when the war ends, most refugees will want to return to their homes in Ukraine and help rebuild their country. The U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) oversees the Uniting for Ukraine refugee sponsorship program.
    
    
  • Once refugees arrive in the U.S., they can apply for a two-year work authorization and social security card, which allows them to apply for jobs, set up a bank account, rent an apartment or house, etc. Until the work clearance is received, the sponsor (and sponsor’s organization) are expected to support the refugee(s) with financial and material assistance (food, clothing, housing, furnishings, transportation and referrals to services like English classes, resume writing, health care, school enrollment for children, etc.)
    
    
• For Sponsors:
• • Sponsors and their organizations should be prepared to provide assistance for 3–6 months.
    
    
  • LCMS congregations or RSOs can apply for grant funds to assist with the cost of refugee sponsorship (see grant program details below). 
    
    
  • The congregation or RSO must designate one individual as the “official” sponsor of a specific refugee or family (the “beneficiary”). This individual will complete the USCIS paperwork. If you do not know a specific refugee contact, the Ukraine.welcome.us website can connect you with interested refugees.
    
    
  • Both the Ukrainian beneficiary(s) and the sponsor must pass background checks. The sponsor will need to provide personal financial and employment information to prove they and their organization have the financial means to support the refugee(s) for up to two years if necessary. Depending on the situation when refugees left their homes in Ukraine, they may come with some financial resources, but it is best to plan to provide support until they begin working to generate their own income.
    
    
• For More Information:
• • USCIS will provide authorization for the refugees to travel from an airport in Europe to an international airport in the U.S. The sponsor is expected to cover the airfare and other costs to transport the refugee (beneficiary) to their new home in the U.S.
    
    
  • Appropriate housing will be needed (apartment or rental house). Many refugees have moved from one temporary arrangement to another in their journey out of the country. They will look forward to having their “own space” to settle in, relax and have some privacy.
    
    
  • Details and application forms for Ukrainian refugee sponsorship are available on the Ukraine.welcome.us site for Ukraine:  https://ukraine.welcome.us/ 
    
    
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about sponsorship are available here: https://ukraine.welcome.us/faq  
    
    
  • Sponsorship Resources, including Fact Sheets, Checklists, Budget Templates, etc., are available here: https://ukraine.welcome.us/resources 

Grant applicants

• All member congregations and Recognized Service Organizations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) within the United States are eligible.

Awards

• Congregation Range: $1000 to $10,000
• Recognized Service Organizations: $1,000 to $50,000

Grant agreements

The LCMS grant administration manager will send a grant agreement to every grant recipient. The recipient will accept the award by signing and returning the signature page.

Recipient reporting process

Grant reports will be due six months following the award of the grant. If the project is expected to run longer than six months, an interim six-month report will be due in addition to the final report.

Communication about grant recipients

As part of their grant report, grant recipients must agree to submit photos and impact stories on the project that may be shared publicly via LCMS communication platforms. The names of individuals will not be associated with the photos and stories unless a media release is on file with the LCMS.

Program

LCMS Office of National Mission (ONM) will administer the program through LCMS Human Care and Ministerial Support.