Since I joined Refugee Transitions (RT) in 2001, I have been fortunate to witness thousands of refugees and low-income immigrants progress down the road to self-sufficiency. I am constantly inspired by the indomitable spirit of our students and the dedication of our volunteer tutors, and am proud that we as an organization are able to support such amazing people. Thankfully, despite the recent economic downturn, 2009 was another incredible year for RT. We expanded to new sites, provided tutoring and mentoring for over 550 refugees and low-income immigrants from over 29 countries, attracted new funding sources, augmented programs, expanded partnerships, and added new Board members.

RT has always been successful in providing individualized home-based tutoring and family support to newly arrived refugees; however, in 2009 we recognized the need to expand our core programs and involve refugees in leadership roles. So in addition to the 250 volunteers we train annually, RT now trains a select number of refugees to provide cultural orientation, tutoring, and interpreting to those in their communities. In this report, you'll hear from Til, one of our Refugee Community Navigator Interns, and Samir, one of our Refugee Youth Leaders. Both participate in RT's leadership program and provide much needed support to other newly arrived refugees, while acquiring important life and job skills themselves. RT is proud of the work we are doing and grateful to our supporters for allowing us to expand our programs. We are changing more lives than ever before, and doing all that we can to support, educate, and train high-need refugees and immigrants so that they can be self-sufficient, successful community members. We thank our clients for their resilience, dedication, and drive; our supporters for their investment in RT; and our volunteers for their tireless work.

ANNUAL REPORT 2009

Laura Vaudreuil Executive Director, Refugee Transitions

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Refugee Transitions’ programs are guided by the conviction that the acquisition of English language and literacy skills is fundamental to overcoming the distinct challenges facing our clients. With a small staff and over 250 volunteers, RT provided individualized on-site and home-based assistance to over 550 refugees and immigrants in 2009—from children to seniors. Refugee Transitions’ main programs are the adult ESL Civics Education and Orientation Program and the Bridge-2-Success Youth Development Program. The ESL Civics Education and Orientation Program helps refugee and immigrant adults develop the language, life, and job skills needed to improve their employment options, access vital community resources, and become self-sufficient. This program provides weekly home-based ESL and civics instruction, citizenship preparation, on-site ESL classes, and staff-directed family support services to over 300 adults. We’ve augmented this program to recruit, train and support Refugee Community Navigator interns who provide additional cultural orientation and support for newly arrived refugees.

“It is gratifying to be volunteering and I do expect that I will get as much out of the effort as the students. I am a retired psychologist and did not realize how much I missed the sense of encour-aging others to grow and thrive, until I started with RT.” — Jean Oakley, RT Volunteer

ADULT PROGRAMS

214

338

550

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2007 2008 2009

# OF STUDENTS

0

20

40

60

80

% CHANGE

Number of Students % Change

47%

12%9%

8%

24% Sub-Saharan Africa

Asia/Pacific Islands

Eastern Europe/Russia

Latin America

Middle East

NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED: 2007-2009

Outcomes: In 2009, RT expanded services to a more diverse representation of clients throughout three Bay Area counties. Our adult students consistently achieve learning gains far above state and national averages according to the California Adult Student Assessment System. In 2009, 80% of students tested made learning gains; of those, 70% made significant gains and 20% jumped two levels of instruction. Also last year, staff provided family support and case management to 70 of our neediest families, connecting them to important community resources while preparing them to do so on their own.

“Refugee Transitions has been helping our whole family for five years with tutoring and support, and now we are naturalized citizens. Thanks RT for helping us succeed!” — Charles, RT Student, Liberia

RT STUDENTS: REGION OF ORIGIN

• Increased the number of clients served 63% from 2008, from 338 to 550. • Attracted new funders, including Yahoo! Employee Foundation, Office of Refugee Resettlement (in

partnership with Lao Family Development Center), and ExCEL After School. • Strengthened partnerships and expanded services in the South Bay thanks to support from the

Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church. • Became the fiscal lead for Oakland International High School’s after-school academic and enrichment

programming, which includes RT’s on-site and home-based tutoring, as well as family support. • Hosted our first Americorps VISTA member, who focused on building the capacity of the organization

by developing a new Salesforce database, creating the Team Leader program, and expanding the agency’s technology and communication infrastructure.

• Contracted to run classes at Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, due to our successful model. • Expanded the adult ESL Civics Education and Orientation Program with the new Community

Navigator Program, through which we train and support a cadre of Burmese and Bhutanese refugees to provide language, life, and family support to members of their own communities. In addition to valuable job training and skills, RT also provides a small stipend.

• Expanded the Bridge-2-Success Youth Development Program with the new Refugee Youth Leadership Corps, which trains promising refugee youth to be leaders in their community and at our summer camps; to research, plan, and implement their own community action projects; and to serve as ambassadors to other refugee students at their schools.

• Opened a new on-site, after school tutoring program at San Francisco International High School, reaching over 60% of the student body and posting excellent outcomes.

• Expanded summer enrichment programming to offer weekend camp for refugee youth in the Presidio. • Received the “Neighborhood Advocate” Award from Asian Community Mental Health Services.

• Developed the Team Leader program, through which RT trains veteran volun-teers to support new Literacy Coaches, gather student information, and serve as a conduit between staff and volunteers.

• Positioned agency to increase number of clients served to 660 in 2010.

2009 SUCCESSES

RT Staff, Board Members, Volunteers, and Students: Top Row (L-R): Zar Ni Maung, Dom Walterspiel, Marissa Escalante, Laura Vaudreuil, Grace Lau, Kathy Winship, Julia Otis, Christina Lorimer, Stephen Roberts. Bottom Row (L-R): Melissa Kreisa, Jean Ranck, Rachel Free-man, Florence Wilson, Lauren Markham, Nandi Kyaw Min, Praseela Rai, Elsa Amboy, Tenley Harrison, Diana Aurisch, Aaron Rashba, Toe Lwin.

“When refugees reach their host country, they feel that their lives are at last free from torture, intimidation, or death threats. However, once they arrive in the country of resettle-ment, they are faced with lots of challenges. It is fortunate that there are organizations like Refugee Transitions that really understand the pains and the hardships of newly resettled refugees. For youth, RT has introduced after school leadership building programs which expose growing children towards challenges and make them prepared to face them. My daughter Jyoti is lucky enough to be one of the participants. For those who lack basic English language, RT offers one-to-one home tutors. I am happy to see the growing English vocabulary of my wife through the tutoring. I myself feel lucky for having gotten the opportunity to serve my community at various levels, as a Refugee Transitions Community Navigator

Intern.” — Til, RT Community Navigator Intern, Bhutan

Revenue and Expenses Statement of Activity as of December 31, 2009* REVENUE Individuals $ 147,173 Corporations $ 25,296 Foundations $ 20,000 Government $ 172,046 Other $ 1,173 Total Revenue $ 365,688 EXPENSES Program Services $ 274,125 Administration $ 25,331 Fundraising $ 41,408 Total Expenses $ 340,864

Statement of Financial Position as of December 31, 2009* ASSETS Cash $ 86,884 Accounts Receivable $ 158,625 Other Current Assets Securities Donated $ 1,082 Office Equipment $ 3,225 Rent Deposit $ 1,865 Worker’s Comp Deposit $ 1,258 Total Assets $ 252,939 LIABILITIES Accounts Payable ($ 1,965) Bosnian Genocide Survivors Project $ 3,050 Payroll and Direct Deposit Liabilities $ 6,360 Total Current Liabilities $ 7,445 NET ASSETS Beginning Balance $ 940 Retained Earnings $ 222,068 Net Income $ 22,486 Total Net Assets $ 245,494 Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 252,939

REVENUE 2009

7%

5%

40%

0%48%

Foundation

Corporate

Individuals

Government

Other

12%

7%81%

Administration

Fundraising

Program

Refugee Transitions trained over 250 volunteers in 2009. Each volunteer contributes at least 50 hours during their period of service, and with funding partners estimating volunteer tutor time as worth $10.50 per hour, we are leveraging over $131,000 of in-kind support by utilizing our dedi-cated volunteers.

EXPENSES 2009

*Unaudited numbers

LEVERAGING VOLUNTEER TIME

EXPENSES

“My full-time job is with the Oakland Unified School District, where I oversee programming and support for refugee students and families. I work closely with all newly resettled refugee families and I am always excited and relieved when I learn that a student or family has been matched with a Refugee Transitions tutor.” — Langan Courtney, RT Volunteer & Refugee Student Specialist, OUSD

“My tutor teach me a lot of things and I do a lot of work with her and learn a lot from her. Sometimes she take me places like the Cinema and for my birthday she take me to Disney Ice Skating. I love her too very much. And I like my sister and brother's tutors because when my tutor isn't there to help me, they help me with my homework." — Marwa, RT Student, Iraq

YOUTH PROGRAMS

The Bridge-2-Success Youth Development Program provides over 250 youth in local refugee and immigrant communities with the help and opportunities they need to develop supportive relationships with adults and peers, succeed academically, and develop leadership skills. Trained volunteers provide weekly tutor-ing and mentoring for youth, and staff provide case management to ensure youth graduate from high school and continue their education. RT also provides on-site after school tutoring at Oakland (OIHS) and San Francisco International High Schools (SFIHS). A new addition to Bridge-2-Success is RT’s Refugee Youth Leadership Corps, for which RT recruits, trains, and supports refugee youth leaders.

“Our partnership with Refugee Transitions developed due to the spectacular work they were doing with our Oakland school. The staff are extremely personable and professional, and consistently communicate with the teachers at the school to develop structures that best serve our students. This work… (provides) a powerful intervention and positive support for students who would normally be on the streets after school. We are confident that we will continue to see more impact from this program.” — Sonia Geerdes, Principal, San Francisco International High School

Outcomes: Over 80% of enrolled youth have developed healthy relationships with adult role models, significantly improved reading and math skills, and increased their understanding of the U.S. educational system. At SFIHS in fall 2009, 94% of regularly attending students improved their academic behavior thanks to the tu-toring program; at OIHS, 95% of regularly attending students improved their grades or maintained A averages. Additional youth programming: RT also holds overnight summer camps for both boys and girls on the Sonoma Coast and in the Presidio, and trains peer tutors to work at our school tutoring sites.

I liked camp because we could play, eat different types of food, go to the camp fire. I liked everything there! Sleeping in the sleeping bag in the jungle—it was so cool! Now I am a Youth Leader. I want to help my community and meet new friends from different countries. — Samir, RT Youth Leader, Bhutan

“RT is a top notch program to work with. Their work is timely, of excellent quality, and meets the needs of students and staff.” — Carmelita Reyes, Principal, Oakland International High School

FUNDERS AND INDIVIDUAL DONORS

"As a donor, two things I look for are accountability and efficiency. I see t h e s e po s i t i v e qualities in Refugee Transitions, and apprec iate that desp i te l im i te d resources, they are having a profound impact on the lives of these deserving people. Also, the event I attended in November 2009 was well done; they had inspiring speakers and did a great job explaining RT’s core mission.” —Joe Wolf, RS Investments, RT Donor

3 YEAR GIVING CIRCLE CHAIR $10,000 + Anonymous PROFESSOR $5,000 Michael Haas Stephen Roberts TEACHER $2,000 Becky Conradi MENTOR $750 — $1,999 Gabe Brosbe Catherine & David Kelley Samira Rahmatullah Dominique Walterspiel COUNSELOR $250 — $749 Deborah Brown Ian Casey Sarah Charukesnant Dr. Tuuyen Do Marissa Escalante Chrysty Esperanza Michael & Gretchen Harrison Brian Hicks & Melanie Grace Michael & Martina Knee Leena Krasno Melissa & John Kreisa Renate & Bill Lytle Peter Marchetti Laurie Mazer Aaron Rashba Elizabeth Read Patrick Richard

Victor Smallberg Aron Walker Kathy Winship COACH $100 — $249 Sonya Abrams Jayma Brown Janet Burdick Dr. Judy Chen Lindsay & Patrick Fox Ann Julius Cristen Miller Johnnie Norway & Duke Crestfield Kerry Philp Diana Scearce Dee Seligman Jamie Stramaglio Karyn Taylor Johanna Tondre Deborah Van Atta Reuben Verkamp Miranti Widjaja

MONTHLY DONORS $10 per month Anonymous $25 per month Reichi Lee Irene Pak Greg & Pat Plant

2009 DONORS $10,000 + Joe & Malin Wolf $3000 Jonathan Weiner $2000 Barbara Malina & Scott Wachter $1000 Cameron Ring Vijayakumar C. Venugopal $251 — $500 Garrett Gruener & Amy Slater Family Fund Judith C. Joy Karen Kenney Julia & Fred Shepardson Janelle Smith David Strasburg Sibo Zhao $101 — $250 Anonymous Sue Adams Ray & Sandra Aylsworth Kim Bhesania Allison Bryant Sue & Steve Coates Richard & Kimberly Crocker Suzanne Delbanco & Sachu Constantine Brittany Erickson Tom & Sandy Friedland Adam Jones Leonides Jong Robert Klivans Karen Lavine

Brandee Marckmann Claire Mills & Tom Kenny Kenneth & Tarja Settles Michael Siliski Justin Tansuwan John & Vivian Vaudreuil Elizabeth Wayman $100 Anonymous Virginia Belsheim Josiah Bragdon & Sugey Gama Ron Cantoni Cindy Cerda Karen Chan Katherine Chou Michiko Collins Frances Fassett Julie Forister Tina Renee Green Coleen Higa Gulbraa Kosar Jahani Farinaz Simika Kabir Eric & ’Talie Kattwinkel Melinda Kong John B. Kryder Pamela & Jess Marino Vanessa & Roberto Montejano Christine Nakatani Maryanne Olson Amanda Oudin Elma & Nestor Rivera Nira Singh Matthew Theis Rebecca Tran Racheal Turner Junaid Ziauddin Theresa Zighera Vera Zlidenny

INDIVIDUAL DONORS

Anonymous Bovis Lend Lease, Inc. California Department of Education Enterprise Car Rental Everett Family Fund ExCEL After School Programs Irene S. Scully Family Foundation* Mitchell Kapor Foundation* Oakland Fund for Children and Youth Office of Refugee Resettlement (through partnership with Lao Family Community Development) Presbytery of San Jose San Francisco Foundation San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing, Community Development Division Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church

Van Löben Sels / Rembe Rock Foundation* Walter & Elise Haas Fund* Yahoo! Employee Foundation CORPORATE MATCHING/SPONSORSHIP BP Foundation, Inc. Cornerstone Research CVPartners Electronic Arts Google Matching Gifts Program Microsoft Matching Gifts Program Paragon Real Estate Group PG&E Charitable Contributions Program Putnam Investments Matching Gifts Program Schwab Charitable Fund Seven 7 Salon

KEY FUNDERS

*Received December 2008 for programs 2009

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