Our Approach

While traditional humanitarian relief tends to offer a one-size-fits-all approach, Alight takes a human-centered approach to humanitarian aid. We exist to walk alongside those who – by sheer circumstance – find themselves on the long and arduous journey of displacement. Alight has been around since 1978 and we have been deeply co-creating with communities and integrating human-centered design into our work for more than a decade. Our 2,300 humanitarians across 20 countries understand the experiences of the displaced better than anyone and deliver high quality services worthy of their humanity.

Being Alight means centering the displaced, leaning into insights, institutionalizing co-creating and implementing high-quality programs and services – all while developing trusting local partnerships that build resilience and shifts power back into the hands of local communities, where it belongs.

Our Impact   

Alight works with the displaced during the entire journey, from initial support towards long-term stability. In addition to addressing basic needs such as healthcare, clean water, shelter, and protection, we offer livelihood programming and special attention to women and girls, the population most affected by displacement. We also create innovative solutions for those displaced due to climate or emergencies. While our reach is vast, our impact is deep. We’re privileged to be serving more than 4 million people each year.

We are an organization that sees possibility instead of scarcity, that provides services truly worthy of human beings instead of just ‘good enough.’ From the people we serve to the people who serve alongside us, our purpose is to unlock limitless potential, together. That’s when abundance happens.

Download our 5-year strategic plan to learn how we are working towards our objectives, and explore Alight's Theory of Change to discover the impact we aim to make. 

Alight is a global nonprofit that was founded in 1978. Formerly known as the American Refugee Committee, it was renamed in 2019 to reflect the optimism and abundance in the work we do. The organization is led by social innovator and co-founder/former CEO of IDEO.org, Jocelyn Wyatt, who took the helm as CEO in 2021 and works closely with its Board of Directors, Senior Management team, and locally based Executive Directors to lead Alight towards realizing its purpose. For details about Alight’s leadership, financials, and to see our annual report, visit us here.