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Refugee Leadership Alliance (RLA)

Pooled RLO-to-RLO funding that puts resources directly in the hands of refugee-led organisations — no intermediaries, no delay.

What the RLA is

A fund for refugees, by refugees

The Refugee Leadership Alliance is a fund for refugees by refugees, known formally as the RLO-to-RLO Empowerment Fund — the "Pooled Fund." It is housed within and administered by APNOR and overseen by the RLA Pooled Fund Trustees, who provide core funding directly to refugee-led organisations and initiatives, refugee leaders, or refugee groups — collectively referred to as Activators.

Every grant follows the same principle that shapes all of APNOR's work: refugee-led organisations know their communities best, and resourcing them directly — rather than funnelling money through layers of intermediaries — gets help where it's needed faster, and keeps decision-making power with the people closest to the problem.

A donor and partnership session on refugee-led funding at the Global Refugee Forum
How the fund works

Governance, due diligence & accountability

The RLA is built on APNOR's Policies & Procedures for the RLO-to-RLO Empowerment Fund — the same document that governs how every grant is assessed, approved and paid.

RLA Pooled Fund Trustees

Collectively responsible for administering the fund, monitoring activities, and reviewing the Policies at least annually.

Due diligence, every time

Every potential Activator is assessed for risks — corruption, fraud, money laundering, sanctions, conflicts of interest — before any funding relationship begins, and again before it's renewed.

Written grant agreements

Every grant is set out in a signed agreement covering objectives, roles, responsibilities and reporting — clear from day one.

Mutual respect, not a power imbalance

The Trustees and APNOR commit to honest, transparent communication with Activators — built on respect, not a donor/recipient hierarchy.

Governed by APNOR's Child Protection, Partnership, Financial Management, Anti-Fraud & Conflict of Interest, Counter-Terrorism & Anti-Money Laundering, and Assessment, Approval & Payment policies. Read the full Policies & Procedures (PDF).

RLO-to-RLO funding · Refugee Week 2026

$650,000 USD moved directly to refugee-led organisations

Two funding phases, one goal: put money and decision-making power directly in the hands of refugee-led organisations.

$650K
total raised and granted RLO-to-RLO
41
grants provided directly to RLOs
35
RLOs gained direct access to funding
14
countries reached by RLA grantees
18
women-led initiatives funded
25
projects on women's empowerment

Source: APNOR Refugee Leadership Alliance Impact Report, Refugee Week 2026. Download the full infographic (PDF)

Two funding phases

How the RLA has grown

The RLA didn't launch as a fully-formed fund — it grew in two deliberate phases, each one testing and proving that RLO-to-RLO funding works before scaling it further.

A donor roundtable discussion on RLO-to-RLO funding
Phase 1 · 2021

Proving the model

$250Kraised
21RLOs funded
9countries

Phase 1 launched to test a simple but radical idea: that refugee-led organisations, given direct pooled funding and light-touch due diligence, could deliver as effectively — or more effectively — than funding routed through international intermediaries. Twenty-one RLOs across nine countries received grants, ranging from small community initiatives to more established refugee-led networks, covering everything from emergency response to skills training and advocacy. The results built the evidence base that justified a bigger, longer Phase 2.

A donor roundtable session during RLA Phase 2
Phase 2 · 2024–2026

Scaling what works

$400K+raised
20RLOs funded
13countries

Phase 2 nearly doubled the amount raised and expanded from 9 to 13 countries — reaching new hubs while deepening support for existing grantees. This phase placed more deliberate emphasis on funding women-led initiatives and projects on women's empowerment (18 and 25 respectively across the RLA's full history), and expanded the project areas eligible for funding to include climate resilience, disability rights and mental health alongside the original focus on capacity building and advocacy.

What the funding supports

Full project areas

Capacity Building Advocacy Safety & Wellbeing Environment & Climate Resilience Education Leadership Disability Rights Gender Equity Mental Health
FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Reach out through our contact page. The RLA Pooled Fund Trustees run a due-diligence assessment on every potential Activator before any funding relationship begins.

No — "Activators" include refugee-led organisations and initiatives, individual refugee leaders, and refugee groups, not only formally registered organisations.

Nine areas in total — see "Full project areas" above, from capacity building and advocacy to climate resilience, disability rights and mental health.

Get in touch to discuss partnership giving — larger donors and organisations can talk with us about directed or in-kind support through the RLA's donor network.