International Institute of New England

The International Institute of New England (IINE) is a nonprofit organization that has supported refugees and immigrants in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for more than a century. Founded in 1918, it traces its origins to 1910, when the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) created a Department of Immigration and Foreign Communities to oversee field projects called "International Institutes" serving the nation's growing foreign-born population. These Institutes offered multilingual social services for women and girls and became known as Red Feather Agencies. IINE's long-term vision is that refugees and immigrants are able to realize their dreams and contribute to New England's growth and prosperity. IINE provides a comprehensive suite of services: welcoming and resettlement, English-language and ESOL education, employment support and skills training, immigration legal services and pathways to citizenship, and language services. Its work includes unlocking and delivering federal and state benefits for which immigrants and refugees are eligible but cannot receive without an organization like IINE, advocating for streamlined processes and more equitable treatment at the state and federal level, and offering free financial literacy and ESOL classes. The organization partners with community groups that support resettlement. According to its 2025 impact reporting, IINE served thousands of refugees and immigrants, prepared immigrants to enter the workforce, provided English-language instruction to adults, and delivered immigration legal services. The vast majority of individuals receiving services in the past year came from Haiti, joining the third-largest Haitian diaspora in the U.S., largely in Massachusetts. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, IINE has welcomed and served more than 700 Ukrainians, helping them obtain cash assistance and medical benefits, secure housing, enroll in ESOL courses, and enter the workforce. It has also supported thousands of Afghans since August 2021. As a nonprofit, IINE publishes audited financials and Form 990 filings and has introduced a 2030 Strategic Plan to expand its impact over the next five years. It remains a privately governed charitable organization, not a publicly traded company, and continues to advocate for refugees and immigrants amid restrictive federal immigration policies.

The International Institute of New England (IINE) has been welcoming refugees and immigrants to Massachusetts and New Hampshire for more than a century. Its movement began in 1910 when the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) created the Department of Immigration and Foreign Communities to oversee field projects called "International Institutes" to serve the nation's growing foreign-born population. The Institutes offered multilingual social services for women and girls and became known as Red Feather Agencies. A group of folks at an International Institute of New England Party in 1929. First graphic representation of the IINE-Boston site while still a part of the YWCA. (1930s) Children pledging allegiance outside the IINE-Lowell site. (1964) IINE-Manchester site participating in the New Hampshire International Festival. (1995). Since its founding in 1918, IINE has fought for the protection and safety of newcomers. For more than a century, it has provided humanitarian relief, English language learning, employment support, skills training, and immigration legal services to refugees and immigrants from around the world. Its values include empathy, compassion and respect for all served; diversity and inclusion in the workplace, leadership, and communities; continuous improvement and a relentless focus on successful, data-driven outcomes; collaboration and partnership with stakeholders; self-sufficiency for the people served and for the organization; and a fearless commitment to its humanitarian mission. In recent years, IINE has responded to major global displacement crises. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, IINE has welcomed and served more than 700 Ukrainians, helping them to obtain cash assistance and medical benefits, secure housing, enroll in ESOL courses, and enter the workforce. IINE has also supported thousands of Afghans since August 2021 as they make new lives for themselves and their families in New England. The vast majority of individuals receiving services in the past year have come from Haiti, where political turmoil, natural disasters, water scarcity, famine, and widespread gang violence have displaced millions. Many put their hopes in the U.S. and set off on a long and perilous journey, and for tens of thousands, Massachusetts is their final stop — and their new beginning. Here they join the third largest Haitian diaspora in the U.S. As our nation faces the most restrictive federal immigration policy in recent history, IINE's staff and supporters are standing strong. The organization continues to advocate for streamlined processes, expanded support, and more equitable treatment of all refugees and immigrants at the state and federal level. It has introduced a 2030 Strategic Plan to define goals for its next phase of work and expand its impact over the next five years.

• 2025

  IINE publishes its 2025 impact numbers and introduces a 2030 Strategic Plan.

• 2022

  IINE responds to the invasion of Ukraine, serving more than 700 Ukrainians.

• 2021

  IINE begins supporting thousands of Afghans arriving in New England.

• 1995

  IINE-Manchester site participates in the New Hampshire International Festival.

• 1964

  Children pledging allegiance outside the IINE-Lowell site.

• 1930

  First graphic representation of the IINE-Boston site while still part of the YWCA.

• 1929

  A group attends an International Institute of New England Party.

• 1918

  International Institute of New England is founded.

• 1910

  YWCA creates the Department of Immigration and Foreign Communities to oversee "International Institutes" serving the foreign-born population.

Humanitarian nonprofit providing comprehensive support to refugees and immigrants in New England.

• Welcoming and Resettlement

  Refugee resettlement services for people moving into a new culture and country.

• Education

  Classes designed to help students succeed with practical English-language skills, taught by experienced ESOL teachers.

• Employment Support

  Pathways to durable self-sufficiency for refugees and new immigrants.

• Pathways to Citizenship

  Specialization in family, humanitarian, and business immigration law as well as U.S. citizenship.

• Language Services

  Language services offered by IINE.

1. 1Home - International Institute of New Englandiine.org
2. 2Who We Are - International Institute of New Englandiine.org
3. 3Our Impact - International Institute of New Englandiine.org
4. 4Financials - International Institute of New Englandiine.org
5. 5International Institute of New Englandwikidata.org