Windmill Microlending receives $1M grant
Charity offers microloans for immigrants and refugees to retrain and relicense in Canada
Windmill Microlending, formerly known as Immigrant Access Fund, has been awarded a $1 million grant from the TD Ready Challenge. Designed to support organizations offering scalable solutions to promote inclusivity and prosperity, Windmill is the only dedicated immigrant-serving organization to receive one of the 10 $1 million grants offered by the program.
Windmill Microlending is a charity that provides low-interest microloans to help skilled immigrants and refugees get the training and licensing they need to continue their careers in Canada.
Underemployment of immigrants costs Canada as much as $12.7 billion annually, according to the Conference Board of Canada. Since 2005, Windmill has helped more than 4,000 skilled immigrants and refugees restart their careers in Canada. On average, its clients double or triple their income by the time their loan is repaid.
The grant will help support Windmill as it undertakes an ambitious plan to serve many more skilled immigrants and refugees across Canada. Funds from TD will support new microloans as well as enhanced client support services.
“Immigrants bring education, skills and experience that too often go to waste,” says Windmill CEO, Claudia Hepburn. “TD’s generous support will help us convert the skills and experience of our newcomers into prosperity for Canada. We are delighted to be partnering with TD to help us scale up.”
Windmill Microlending is a platinum sponsor of our Canadian Immigrant Fairs. Come see them at their booth at our upcoming Vancouver and Mississauga fairs on November 13 (Vancouver Convention Centre East) and November 30 (Living Arts Centre), respectively.