Lever for Change and ICONIQ Impact have announced the finalists for the $12 million Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact Award, a competition launched earlier this year transform the lives of refugees around the world.

Photo: Lever for Change

The award is an initiative to find and fund bold solutions that will achieve social change, and it is sponsored by philanthropists Chris Larsen and Lyna Lam, as well as the Sea Grape Foundation.

The five finalists are DREAMS for Refugees, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), Resourcing Refugee Leadership, Southern New Hampshire University’s Global Education Movement, and Talent Beyond Boundaries.

‘Improving the lives and experiences of refugees is a cause close to our hearts, and we are extremely humbled by the opportunity to sponsor this competition,’ said Larsen and Lam.

‘With more displaced refugees in the world than ever before, we are seeking to fund a solution that will help refugees access the tools and resources that will make a difference on their path to success… Refugees are hard-working individuals determined to positively impact society, and we could not think of a better way to support them in these efforts than through the funding of this Award.’

The award is the part of a series of expected grant competitions facilitated by Lever for Change’s partnership with ICONIQ Impact, a platform for collaborative philanthropy.

Speaking about the award programme, Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change said: ‘Traditionally, societies provide protection and sanctuary for refugees, but rarely do we think about their lives beyond short-term relief efforts. These Award finalists inspire us with their bold solutions to tackle the long-term consequences of displacement for refugees.’