Support for sponsors
Our sponsors are part of the Welcome.US community. Sponsors have access to support, resources, and benefits that will empower the sponsorship journey.
Log in to Welcome ConnectWhere are you in your sponsorship journey?
From the milestone moment when you match with a newcomer on Welcome Connect, to the day you welcome them into a home in their new community, Welcome.US is here to guide you through the journey. To support our sponsors in their welcoming journey, Welcome.US is introducing new initiatives that include travel support and fundraising matching. Once registered on Welcome Connect, sponsors also can join live sponsor support sessions to have their questions answered by Welcome.US staff and sponsors who have real experience with the process.
To access these resources, find a family to sponsor on Welcome Connect.
Welcome.US is a proud champion for the millions of Americans like you who have raised their hand to support newcomers in need of safety through private sponsorship. You are never alone on this journey.
Travel support
Travel support through Welcome Connect is designed to help alleviate part of the financial burden that sponsors may take on to assist in the arrival of the newcomer family.
Sponsors who sponsor a beneficiary household of four or more are eligible to receive free flights on behalf of the beneficiary family. You can submit a travel booking request when everyone in the beneficiary group has received government travel authorization and is ready to travel to the U.S.
How to get travel support
Review eligibility for free flight support
Not all sponsors are eligible to request free travel on behalf of the newcomers they are sponsoring.
- A sponsor must have a confirmed sponsorship with the newcomer family through Welcome Connect.
- The newcomer family must meet determined criteria that indicates they have a financial barrier for traveling to the U.S. Currently, this is defined as having a group size of 4 or more.
Eligibility criteria may be redefined as the program evaluates changing beneficiary and sponsor needs. Additionally, a sponsor who has already opted in for the Welcome.US Sponsor Fund Matching Grants program is not eligible to apply for travel assistance as well. See more information in the Welcome.US Sponsor Fund Matching Grants section.
Accessibility: To encourage, support, and make resources available to the greatest number of people possible, the following accessibility considerations apply:
- Sponsors are eligible to receive a matching grant for one beneficiary household (i.e., one “match”).
- Sponsors who connect with a beneficiary on Welcome Connect are eligible to choose to apply for either free flights (for all family members) or fundraising matching grants ($1,000 per person for up to three people). Sponsors who opt to receive free flights for their beneficiaries are excluded from receiving grants.
Start the matching grant application process:
- Be sure to begin your application within 45 days of matching on Welcome Connect.
Request free travel
Right now, if you are sponsoring a family of four or more that you connected with through Welcome Connect, you are eligible for free flights. When everyone in the beneficiary group has received travel authorization from the U.S. government and is ready to travel to the U.S., you can request free travel.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Ensure all the beneficiaries have received their travel authorization.*
Step 2: Gather the required information for each traveler.
Step 3: Complete the booking request form on Welcome Connect Travel.
Step 4: Receive your travel itinerary.
- It may take anywhere from a few days to a few months for all beneficiaries to receive their travel authorization, so you may have to wait to submit a booking request.
Welcome.US Sponsor Fund Matching Grants
Welcome Connect sponsors needing financial support for their beneficiary can apply to receive a fundraising matching grant of up to $3,000 through the Welcome.US Sponsor Fund.
Start fundraising on GoFundMe, and learn how you can receive a matching grant.
How to apply for fundraising matching grant support
Review eligibility for matching grant support
Eligibility requirements to receive a matching grant from the Welcome.US Sponsor Fund include:
Welcome Connect: Sponsors seeking funding must have matched with the newcomer whom they are supporting via Welcome Connect and have submitted an I-134A form on their behalf. They must also begin the grant application within 30 days of matching on Welcome Connect.
GoFundMe: Sponsors seeking a matching grant must have a GoFundMe fundraiser connected to the Welcome.US partner page (the maximum reward is $1,000 per beneficiary for up to three beneficiaries). If you already have a GoFundMe fundraiser that was not set up on the Welcome.US partner page, please email [email protected] so we can recognize it as an eligible fundraiser and migrate your link onto our partner space.
Community Involvement: Sponsorship is best done as a community effort. To encourage community involvement, fundraisers must have received a contribution from at least five people to be eligible to receive grant funds.
Apply for a matching grant
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Confirm your sponsorship on Welcome Connect.
Step 2: Create a fundraiser on GoFundMe using this link.
Step 3: Complete the initial application stage on our Matching Grant Page.
Step 4: Start fundraising.
Step 5: Welcome the newcomers when they arrive.
Step 6: Complete the final application stage on our Matching Grant Page. This should be done within 30 days of the newcomer’s US arrival.
Once you have completed these steps, you will go through a background check to receive your matching funds.
Start the matching grant application process
After reviewing eligibility criteria and launching your fundraiser, you can start the matching grant application process. Fill out the questionnaire and provide the link to your GoFundMe. Note—Begin the application within 45 days of matching on Welcome Connect.
Have questions about the process? Please email us at [email protected], and a Sponsor Coach will be happy to assist you!
Be A Welcomer
Discover how rewarding it can be to welcome newcomers into your community.