Network and Grants – Freedom's Haven

Join Freedom's Haven Network to be eligible for Grants

Freedom’s Haven raises funds to provide grants for specific extraordinary resettlement needs. This is meant to be a “backstop” to local fundraising in support of sponsors and others who are helping to resettle Ukrainian refugees.

Typically, a sponsor and their local community supporting organization (often a church or other non-profit organization), under Uniting for Ukraine, will have saved or raised funds, in-kind donations, or made other arrangements to cover the costs of things like:

Travel to South Dakota
Housing for a minimum of about six months
Transportation/car/insurance
Initial health insurance
Initial general financial support.

The following are needs that would tend to be considered extraordinary (and more likely to receive a Freedom’s Haven grant):

Unexpected car repair
Unexpected extra housing costs
Immigration legal fees
Emergencies
High medical co-pays/deductibles

Freedom’s Haven will only award grants to help refugees/beneficiaries for whom the sponsor has received approval from USCIS.

As a fund under the South Dakota Community Foundation, Freedom’s Haven may only issue grants to non-profit organizations. To be eligible, a non-profit organization simply needs to join the Freedom’s Haven Network. To do so, the organization must submit an email or letter (attached to an email) to Freedom’s Haven (calvin@freedomshaven.com), The letter/email should:

request Freedom’s Haven Network membership,
confirm status as a non-profit or not-for-profit organization,
confirm the organization’s intent to sponsor or directly support sponsors,
affirm the organization’s commitment to support Ukrainian and other legal immigrants and refugees.

The request will be reviewed, clarified if needed, and approved by the Freedom’s Haven Board. Freedom’s Haven will provide a written response affirming network membership and associated privileges.

To request a letter to attach to an I-134A (sponsorship application), Network member organizations may request (via message to us – use link below) a letter from Freedom’s Haven that names a specific sponsor and specific refugees (called “beneficiaries” on the I-134A) that states Freedom’s Haven intent to help the sponsor defray emergency or extraordinary expenses associated with sponsoring should such expenses arise. The letter will note that support would come through the Freedom’s Haven Network member organization.

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To request help covering specific emergency or extraordinary expenses, the Freedom’s Haven Network member organization must complete the form below and submit it to us.

The request will be reviewed, clarified if needed, and approved/denied by the Freedom’s Haven Board. FH will inform the Network member of the Freedom’s Haven board decision and, for positive decisions, provide the approved funds.

Freedom’s Haven will only award grants to help refugees/beneficiaries for whom the sponsor has received approval from USCIS. Typically, this means that USCIS has confirmed that the sponsor’s I-134A forms are sufficient and the beneficiaries have travel authorizations. If they’ve already arrived, their I-94 will have an annotation such as “UHP.”

Within one month of expending the funds, the Freedom’s Haven Network member organization must submit documentation (such as a receipt and/or signed letter) to demonstrate that the funds were used as intended. This documentation should be submitted to the Executive Director (use link above).

Please use this form to request a grant from Freedom's Haven. Please fill out a separate form for each family being sponsored. After completing and submitting this form, check all of your email folders for an email from Freedom's Haven.

Sponsor Support Organization Organization supporting the Sponsor

Sponsor Support Organization Email Email of primary contact for your organization

Sponsor Full Name Sponsor Full Name

Sponsor Email Enter Sponsor's Email Address

Sponsor Phone Enter Sponsor's Phone Number

First Name of Primary Newcomer This is the primary beneficiary on the U4U

Last Name of Primary Newcomer This is the primary beneficiary on the U4U

Email of Primary Newcomer This is the primary beneficiary on the U4U

Mobile Phone of Primary Newcomer

Date of Birth of Primary Newcomer Date of Birth of Primary Newcomer Month/Day/Year

Family members relocating with Primary Newcomer List Full Names, Dates of Birth (Month/Day/Year), current location and degree of Kinship

Date Left Ukraine What Date did Primary Newcomer leave Ukraine?

Other Countries List Other Countries Visited After Newcomer Left Ukraine

Date of Arrival in US Date Primary Newcomer Arrived in the US

I-134 Newcomer Assets Please list assets of Newcomer declared on the I-134

Current Assets of Newcomer What are the current assets of the Newcomer?

Nature of Extraordinary Expense What is the nature of the emergency or extraordinary expense(s) for which you are requesting a grant?

I-134 Housing Plan If this grant request is for housing, what was the Sponsor's housing plan listed on the I-134 for this newcomer?

Necessity of FH Grant Please answer why the expense cannot be covered without the assistance of Freedom’s Haven.

Grant Amount Requested What is the amount of the grant requested from Freedom's Haven?

Upload copy of I-94 Please upload a copy of the Newcomer's I-94

Additional Comments If you have additional comments, please write them here.

Freedom's Haven of SD

Bringing people to safety and building our
South Dakota workforce

Contact Information

Address: The Commons of Harmony Hill,
2527 Prairie Park Trail SE, Watertown, SD
57201

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Bringing People to Safety and Building our South Dakota Workforce

Join Freedom's Haven Network to be eligible for Grants

Freedom's Haven of SD

Contact Information

Experience a Better Life In SD