20,000+
Program & community engagements
Documented participation across programs, events, outreach, and resource distributions since 2023. Includes unique individuals and repeat contacts.
Our impact
What changes when community leads.
A funder should be able to spend five minutes here and understand exactly what problem we solve, who we reach, what changes because of our work, who leads it, and what additional investment would accomplish.
Why this work is urgent
The crisis behind every program we run.
Our programs exist because the data demands it. Forced displacement, the ORR 5-year cliff, and the invisible struggles of first- and second-generation youth create a compounding crisis that mainstream systems were not designed to address.
117.3M
Forcibly displaced globally
Highest number ever recorded — mid-2024.
Source: UNHCR Global Trends 2024
5 years
ORR support window
Federal assistance ends regardless of stability achieved.
Source: ORR Policy, 45 CFR §400
2×
Mental health risk
Refugee youth face double the rate of depression and PTSD vs. peers.
Source: Am. Journal of Public Health, 2022
67%
2nd-gen youth report isolation
Caught between cultures — belonging fully to neither.
Source: Migration Policy Institute, 2023
1st Generation
Arrived as refugees or immigrants
- Language barriers limit school and workforce access
- Trauma from conflict, detention, or dangerous journeys
- ORR support ends at 5 years — often before full stability
- Cultural isolation and loss of community identity
- Navigating U.S. systems without trusted guides
2nd Generation
U.S.-born children of immigrants & refugees
- Identity conflict — "too American" at home, "too foreign" at school
- Pressure to translate and navigate systems for parents
- Higher rates of anxiety, depression, and school disengagement
- Underrepresented in college-prep and leadership pipelines
- Invisible to systems designed for either immigrants or citizens
The isolation gap
After 5 years of ORR support, social isolation often intensifies — not fades.
Research shows that refugee families who lose formal support after year 5 frequently experience increased social withdrawal, reduced civic participation, and higher rates of youth disengagement from school. Without trusted community anchors, the gains of early resettlement can unravel. More Than A Smile Foundation is designed specifically to fill this gap — long-term, community-rooted, and trusted.
Sources: Migration Policy Institute (2023); APA Stress in America Report (2022); ORR Annual Report to Congress (2023)
Our track record
A decade of community work. Three years as a nonprofit.
More Than A Smile Foundation was incorporated in 2023, but the work began years earlier — through grassroots tutoring, mentorship, and community organizing rooted in lived experience.
- 2016Grassroots work beginsTutoring, peer mentorship, and community organizing in Louisville.
- 2019Community events growCultural celebrations, sports, and family support expand through word of mouth.
- 2022Nonprofit planningCommunity demand drives planning for a formal 501(c)(3) structure.
- 2023IncorporatedMore Than A Smile Foundation Inc. registered as a 501(c)(3). Year-round programs launch.
- 2024Programs expand6 active programs. 20+ partners. Annual International Cup and Youth Conferences grow.
- 202620,000+ engagementsDocumented since founding. Building toward 2,000+ youth served annually by 2033.
Reach — who we connect with
The people behind the numbers
These figures represent documented participation across programs, events, resource distributions, and outreach since our founding in 2023. Louisville direct services and global partnership activity are reported separately so funders can see exactly where their investment goes. We do not round up or combine categories to inflate totals.
500+
Youth engaged
Young people participating in MTASF programs — sports, leadership, wellness, and summer programming
85+
Active volunteers
Community members contributing time to programs, events, and outreach — many of them former participants
20
Community and funding partners
Organizations, businesses, schools, and faith communities contributing resources, referrals, and expertise
6
Active programs
Year-round opportunities across youth development, wellness, family support, and global initiatives
3
Countries connected
Through defined global partnerships in youth leadership and cultural exchange — separate from Louisville direct services
Results — what changes because we exist
Evidence over inspiration
Reach tells us who is connected. Results tell us what is different. We are building a consistent measurement framework that links what we aim to change, how we work, and the evidence we collect. We publish only what we can document — and we show our work so funders can assess our rigor, not just our ambition.
We do not publish outcome percentages until they are supported by documented evaluation. The framework below shows what we are measuring and why — so funders can assess our rigor, not just our ambition.
Youth
Young people build confidence, belonging, and pathways to lead.
- Percentage reporting increased confidence (pre/post survey)
- Percentage reporting a stronger sense of belonging
- Young people progressing from participants into paid or volunteer leadership roles
- School engagement and mentorship retention rates
- Physical activity and wellness participation measures
Families
Families can navigate systems and access the support they need.
- Referrals successfully completed and followed up
- Families connected to benefits, housing, and health resources
- Barriers resolved through direct navigation support
- Language-access and interpretation encounters
- Repeat engagement — families returning to programs and services
Community
A stronger local network creates more opportunity for everyone.
- Volunteers activated and total volunteer hours contributed
- Partner organizations engaged and resources leveraged
- Youth-led projects and community initiatives completed
- Dollars and in-kind resources mobilized through partnerships
- Community events and outreach connections made
"We show up because we've been there."
— Amina Shale, Founder
Who leads it
Lived experience is our leadership model.
Our founder navigated the same systems our families face today. Our staff, volunteers, and advisors are drawn from the communities we serve. This is not a program designed for a community — it is a program built by one.
Founder-led
Amina Shale founded More Than A Smile Foundation after navigating the immigrant experience firsthand. She leads with the credibility of someone who has lived the barriers our families face.
Community-staffed
Our team and volunteer base are drawn from the communities we serve — multilingual, culturally connected, and trusted by the families we work with.
Board-governed
A volunteer board of directors provides financial oversight, policy governance, and executive accountability — ensuring the organization operates with integrity and long-term vision.
Can I trust them with investment
Transparency is not optional for us.
We are a young organization with a short track record and a long vision. We earn trust by showing our work — our governance, our finances, our measurement approach, and our honest accounting of what we know and what we are still learning.
Organizational details
- Legal name
- More Than A Smile Foundation Inc.
- EIN
- 93-4726853
- Status
- 501(c)(3) public charity
- Founded
- 2023 (incorporated); community work since 2016
- Location
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Fiscal year
- January 1 – December 31
Our accountability commitments
- Annual financial statements available to funders on request
- Conflict-of-interest policy in place and enforced by the board
- Outcome data published only when supported by documented evaluation
- Family relationships on staff and board disclosed proactively
- Open to due-diligence calls, site visits, and program observation
Questions about our governance, finances, or programs? We welcome due-diligence conversations.
View funder informationWhat your investment does
Where additional funding goes.
We are a lean organization. Most of our budget goes directly to programs, people, and the community. Additional investment expands reach, deepens outcomes, and builds the infrastructure to sustain both.
Program expansion
Funding more sessions, more sites, and more young people — extending the reach of existing programs that are already working.
Staff and leadership
Paying community members fairly for the work they already do — and building the capacity to sustain programs beyond any single grant cycle.
Evaluation and learning
Building the data systems and evaluation capacity to document outcomes rigorously — so we can publish what works and improve what doesn't.
Infrastructure and operations
The administrative backbone that makes everything else possible — financial management, compliance, communications, and organizational development.
More Than A Smile Foundation does not publish ROI claims or cost-per-outcome figures without documented evaluation data to support them. We will share financial statements and program budgets with funders on request.
How we measure
Our measurement framework.
We track what we aim to change, how we work toward it, and the evidence we collect. This framework is a living document — we update it as our evaluation capacity grows.
01
Inputs
Staff time, volunteer hours, funding, partnerships, and community trust — the resources we bring to the work.
02
Activities
Programs, events, outreach, navigation support, and resource distribution — what we actually do.
03
Outputs
Participation counts, referrals completed, resources distributed, and volunteer hours logged — what we can count.
04
Outcomes
Changes in confidence, belonging, system navigation, and community connection — what we are working to document.
How change happens
Theory of Change
Our model connects community investment directly to lasting outcomes for immigrant and refugee youth and families in Louisville and beyond.
Inputs
- ·Dedicated staff & volunteers
- ·Community partnerships (20+)
- ·Philanthropic & grant funding
- ·Lived-experience leadership
- ·Culturally responsive programming
Activities
- ·Youth sports & recreation leagues
- ·Leadership & civic engagement programs
- ·Women & family empowerment workshops
- ·Mental health & wellness navigation
- ·Back-to-school & community events
- ·Global initiatives & cultural exchange
Outputs
- ·500+ youth served annually
- ·20,000+ program & community engagements
- ·85+ active volunteers mobilized
- ·6 core programs delivered
- ·Events across 3 countries
Short-term Outcomes
- ·Increased sense of belonging & identity
- ·Improved access to health & social services
- ·Stronger family support networks
- ·Youth skill-building & confidence
- ·Reduced isolation for immigrant families
Long-term Impact
- ·Thriving, self-determined immigrant & refugee youth
- ·Economically stable, connected families
- ·Equitable Louisville communities
- ·Replicable model for global youth development
Inputs
- ·Dedicated staff & volunteers
- ·Community partnerships (20+)
- ·Philanthropic & grant funding
- ·Lived-experience leadership
- ·Culturally responsive programming
Activities
- ·Youth sports & recreation leagues
- ·Leadership & civic engagement programs
- ·Women & family empowerment workshops
- ·Mental health & wellness navigation
- ·Back-to-school & community events
- ·Global initiatives & cultural exchange
Outputs
- ·500+ youth served annually
- ·20,000+ program & community engagements
- ·85+ active volunteers mobilized
- ·6 core programs delivered
- ·Events across 3 countries
Short-term Outcomes
- ·Increased sense of belonging & identity
- ·Improved access to health & social services
- ·Stronger family support networks
- ·Youth skill-building & confidence
- ·Reduced isolation for immigrant families
Long-term Impact
- ·Thriving, self-determined immigrant & refugee youth
- ·Economically stable, connected families
- ·Equitable Louisville communities
- ·Replicable model for global youth development
Outcome and impact data will be published following the 2026 program cycle. This theory of change reflects our program design and intended pathway to community impact.
Ready to invest in community-led change?
We welcome conversations with funders who want to understand our work, ask hard questions, and invest in what's actually working for immigrant and refugee youth in Louisville.