Tech entrepreneur Yuri Milner’s non-profit Tech For Refugees has committed over $100 million toward programs tackling today’s refugee crisis. The Israeli billionaire and Eureka Manifesto author has teamed up with tech leaders like Airbnb.org and Spotify to deliver worldwide refugee relief efforts.
Julia and Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Foundation funds Tech For Refugees. Established to help the Milners fulfill their Giving Pledge, the Breakthrough Foundation supports various philanthropic projects. These include the Breakthrough Initiatives, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and the Breakthrough Prize.
Supporting Refugee Relief Efforts Through Technology
We are currently living through the largest refugee crisis since the Second World War. The number of people fleeing their homes has doubled since 1990. For the last decade, that number has risen year-on-year.
Tech For Refugees understands that technology — and tech companies — can drastically improve the lives of refugees. There are many areas where technology can help with humanitarian relief, including fundraising, aid delivery logistics, shelter, education, employment, and entertainment.
The Breakthrough Foundation
Tech For Refugees’ funding comes from the Breakthrough Foundation. The charitable organization launched in 2012 after Yuri Milner and his wife Julia made their Giving Pledge. Over 200 of the world’s wealthiest individuals have joined the Giving Pledge, dedicating the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.
The Milners’ Giving Pledge and Breakthrough Foundation have led to the creation of the Breakthrough Prize, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and the Breakthrough Initiatives.
- The Breakthrough Prize recognizes the world’s top scientists in the fields of fundamental physics, mathematics, and life sciences.
- The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is an annual global video competition for high school students that inspires creative scientific thinking. Breakthrough Junior Challenge winners receive a post-secondary scholarship and additional prizes.
- The Breakthrough Initiatives are astronomical programs that investigate the big questions of life in the Universe, such as are we alone? There are five Breakthrough Initiatives, including the $100 million project Breakthrough Listen.
Yuri Milner touches on some of these projects in his short book Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilization.
Published in 2021, Eureka Manifesto advocates for a shared mission for humanity: to explore and understand our Universe. In Eureka Manifesto’s postscript, Yuri Milner writes that he hopes his philanthropic work contributes toward the progress of this mission.
Tech For Refugees’ Partners
Airbnb.org, Flexport.org, Spotify, Welcome.US, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) are all participating in Tech For Refugees.
- org operates independently of Airbnb. Through Tech For Refugees, the non-profit has provided up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees with short-term, zero-charge accommodation.
- US is the single point of entry for people who want to support those starting new lives in the U.S. Tech For Refugees has helped the organization launch Welcome Connect, a user-friendly platform that connects U.S. citizens to refugees seeking a sponsor.
- The IRC helps those impacted by conflict and disaster to survive and rebuild their lives. Tech For Refugees has pledged a three-year commitment to expand the IRC’s community-driven Signpost platform.
- In partnership with Tech For Refugees, Spotify is offering its Premium subscription service at no cost to Ukrainian refugees.
- org is the non-profit arm of the supply chain management firm Flexport. Tech For Refugees funds several Flexport.org programs in Ukraine, Pakistan, and the Horn of Africa. The initiatives deliver food, medical aid, and crucial supplies to people in need.
Any non-profit or commercial tech-focused organizations looking to join forces with Tech For Refugees should contact the initiative.