HIAS

HIAS, Inc.

Founded	November 27, 1881; 142 years ago (1881-11-27)[1]
Founded at	New York, New York, U.S.[1]
Tax ID no.	13-5633307[2]
Legal status	501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[2]
Purpose	To rescue people whose lives are in danger for being who they are; to protect the most vulnerable refugees, helping them build new lives and reuniting them with their families in safety and freedom; to advocate for the protection of refugees and assure that displaced people are treated with the dignity they deserve.[2]
Headquarters	Silver Spring, Maryland, United States[3]
President and chief executive officer	Mark J. Hetfield[4]
Chair of the board	Jeff Blattner[4]
Subsidiaries	Charitable Remainder Unitrust[2]
Revenue (2014)	$39,923,260[2]
Expenses (2014)	$36,449,447[2]
Endowment	$62,944,322[2]
Employees (2014)	67[2]
Volunteers (2014)	25[2]
Website	hias.org
Formerly called	Hebrew Sheltering Aid Society; Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society; Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society; United HIAS Service, Inc.; Association for the Protection of Jewish Immigrants

HIAS (founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society^[5]) is a Jewish American nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees. It was established on November 27, 1881, originally to help the large number of Russian Jewish immigrants to the United States who had left Europe to escape antisemitic persecution and violence.^[1] In 1975, the State Department asked HIAS to aid in resettling 3,600 Vietnam refugees.^[5] Since that time, the organization continues to provide support for refugees of all nationalities, religions, and ethnic origins. The organization works with people whose lives and freedom are believed to be at risk due to war, persecution, or violence. HIAS has offices in the United States and across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Since its inception, HIAS has helped resettle more than 4.5 million people.