Founded in 2017, the Dropbox Foundation supports human rights organizations around the world. We support nonprofits through a multi-year partnership by providing grant funding and skills-based volunteering. In honor of World Refugee Day, we’re so pleased to introduce our two newest partners: Freedom Forward and Irish Refugee Council.

Freedom Forward works to prevent the sexual exploitation of young people across the San Francisco Bay area by offering programs that support foster care and alleviate homelessness, poverty, and abuse. The organization focuses on youth who are at risk of sex trafficking, which disproportionately includes those who come from a minority background, identify as LGBTQ+, have been in foster care or the juvenile justice program, or come from families living at or below the poverty line.

The organization’s core program is the HYPE Center, a drop-in center that provides coordinated services such as legal assistance, mental health support, workforce development, and alternative healing methods. The center also provides essential amenities like showers, food, clothing, and laundry facilities.

"I am thrilled to partner with the Dropbox Foundation, a collaboration that underscores our shared commitment to combating human trafficking,” says Francesca Gonzalez, Executive Director at Freedom Forward. “Together, we will leverage the innovative solutions and resources provided by the Foundation to enhance our advocacy efforts, strengthen our support for survivors, and drive meaningful change in the prevention of modern-day slavery."

‍

The Irish Refugee Council’s (IRC) mission is to support and work with refugees in Ireland. IRC delivers information to access legal services, housing, and employment that supports refugee integration and inclusion, as well as conducts research and advocacy for change.

Approximately 80,000 refugees from Ukraine now reside in Ireland. As the country navigates this new volume of displaced people seeking protection, the IRC’s work in supporting this community has been critical.

“We are thrilled to begin this partnership with the Dropbox Foundation,” said Nick Henderson, CEO of IRC. “Our services and expertise are under huge demand as Ireland is experiencing an unprecedented crisis around the support of refugees from around the world. This partnership therefore could not have come at a better time for us. We are all looking forward to getting started and building a strong relationship with the team at Dropbox.”

At Dropbox, we’ve already started building these relationships through our recent Impact Day, a day of volunteering service at the company. “Impact Day is just one of the ways we’re able to engage the Foundation’s partners,” says Amber Cottle, Vice President of Dropbox, Inc and the Dropbox Foundation. “As the partnerships grow, we’re looking forward to even more opportunities to help support these organizations in achieving their missions.”