Switchboard Blog

Switchboard’s blog posts offer a wide range of insights on the newcomer experience, including practical tips for navigating the resettlement process, resource lists tailored to community needs, case studies about relevant programs, engaging stories of successful integration, and more.

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How to Develop and Run a Community Advisory Board (CAB) Meeting

A community advisory board (CAB) is a group of individuals from a specific community who come together to provide guidance, feedback, and support to organizations, projects, or initiatives impacting their community. CABs are often useful in health care, education, research, and community development projects to ensure that the voices of community members are heard and…

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This blog by Switchboard’s partner, Refugee Housing Solutions, introduces the Housing Hub & Directory, a new online platform designed to support housing initiatives for newcomers across the U.S. This resource aims to connect resettlement agencies and other providers and individuals supporting ORR-eligible populations with vital housing information and services. The blog emphasizes the crucial role…

The Importance of Institutional Knowledge Refugee resettlement organizations navigate a rapidly changing landscape shaped by humanitarian crises, shifting policies, and evolving client needs. While this creates dynamic work, it can lead to burnout and turnover, which challenges operational consistency and clarity. According to research conducted by Panopto and McKinsey, employees spend approximately 20% of their…

This blog post is part of a series dedicated to supporting newcomer populations with specific industry aspirations. Check out Switchboard’s blog post on Supporting Job Seekers with Backgrounds in Aviation to learn how service providers can recertify foreign-trained professionals as pilots or in adjacent aviation careers.  The Appeal of Engineering in the U.S. Engineering jobs…

For providers to deliver the best possible services to newcomers, they must be able to measure the success of past and ongoing projects—with a basis in concrete, rigorous data. This blog post, written by Switchboard’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team, will introduce you to some best practices for measuring success: developing a theory of change,…

This blog post explores five practical resources you can use to help newcomers access affordable internet. The blog covers a range of solutions, from leveraging community resources to navigating offers from internet service providers.  For newcomers to the U.S., having affordable internet is crucial—for everything from job searches to educational opportunities, from staying connected with…

This blog post explores how Ethnic Community-Based Organizations (ECBOs) can expand their impact by choosing between 501(c)(3) status and fiscal sponsorship. Here, we’ll define both options, discuss scenarios for choosing each path, and examine their benefits and challenges. Featuring insights from leaders of New Chance Inc.—Ukraine Relief Program, United Stateless, and Slavic Refugee and Immigrant…