Immigrant Relief

Ramada Qatar struggled mightily when she first came to this country from Iraq. She and her family had been able to get out of Baghdad as things really started coming apart between the Sunnis and the Shiites. She had lots of friends on both sides of that line and she could see it coming. Within a matter of days she marshaled her sister, three brothers, husband and two children to the airport with barely anything but the clothes on their backs, got them through security and emigration with the help of a cousin and onto the plane bound for Frankfurt. They arrived in Tampa, Florida in the middle of winter with no place to go and knowing no one.

But Ramada was determined, and she made friends easily. She found a way to get the family placed, get them food, shelter, clothes and English lessons. And then she went to work to pay for all that people had generously contributed to their plight.

When she had become established, Ramada started a charity called Immigrant Assistance, the main function of which was to provide a place of sanctuary and help for people like her and her family. As hundreds of Iraqi immigrants fled their native country for the U.S., Immigrant Assistance provided just about everything they needed for the first few years of their new life in America. Food, clothes, English lessons, social conditioning, job interviews, shopping hints, shelter and apartments, religious services and much more were provided on a regular basis. Ramada was a busy and persistent woman!

QUESTION: Does the service Ramada Qatar and Immigrant Assistance provide to fleeing Iraqis save the government money? Is it a service that would be provided if she weren’t doing it? Is she making life better for the larger society as well as for her immigrant friends from back home? The rationale for giving nonprofits tax-exempt status has traditionally been that they provide public goods that would otherwise fall to government to provide for the society. Is this the case with this type of nonprofit?

Monday, October 25th, we'll begin a story about a CFO's hesitation. See you then!