Alex Toma

Alex Toma / Welcoming America's 15th Anniversary

My mom fled the communist dictatorship of Romania in March 1982 in order to give my sister and I the chance at a better life; one that didn't involve midnight raids, informant 'friends,' and arbitrary detention. I was still a toddler and my sister had just celebrated her first birthday when my mom escaped Romania. Above is a photo of my sister and I reuniting with my mother at John F. Kennedy Airport in December 1983. 

As a refugee, I know how important it is to feel welcome when starting a new life in the United States. Welcoming America helps communities across the country do exactly that. We connect, support, and amplify the amazing work of nonprofit organizations and local governments to support immigrant and refugee communities.

  • $1,353

    Raised

  • $1,500

    Goal

  • 11

    Supporters

  • 3

    Days Remaining

Recent Transactions

  • Jason Mosier

    $102.50 / 3 days ago

    Amazing initiative!

  • Amanda Lillis

    $333.00 / 4 days ago

    Love this effort and this organization. So glad you are doing this, Alex.

  • Javiera Alarcon

    $20.50 / 5 days ago

    Alex, thank you for sharing your immigrant story. I’ve signed up for updates - Welcoming America is an important community that holds special value for me and speaks powerfully about the U.S. Thank you for your dedication to the immigrant community.

  • Anonymous

    $102.50 / 9 days ago

    Immigrants make this country special. Thanks to Alex for the opportunity to support a great organization.

  • Rachel Bronson

    $76.88 / 9 days ago

    Best of America

  • Anonymous

    $210.13 / 13 days ago

  • Jennifer Smyser

    $51.25 / 15 days ago

  • Constantine Pavlakis

    $200.00 / 16 days ago

  • Diana Duarte

    $51.25 / 16 days ago

  • Daniel Stid

    $102.50 / 16 days ago

  • Anonymous

    $102.50 / 17 days ago

About Alex Toma

Alex Toma (she/her/hers) brings 20 years of leadership experience in politics, advocacy, and philanthropic organizations to her role as Peace & Security Funders Group’s Executive Director. In recognition of her leadership in the peace and security philanthropic sector, Inside Philanthropy recognized Alex as the “Affinity Group Head with the Most Hustle.” Listen to her take on philanthropy in this interview with the LBJ School’s RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service.

Prior to joining PSFG in 2013, Alex was Executive Director of the Connect U.S. Fund, a donors’ collaborative focused on incentivizing collaboration as a tool to meet today’s global challenges. While a Director at the Ploughshares Fund, Alex founded the Fissile Materials Working Group, a coalition that she grew to 80 U.S. and international organizations providing action-oriented policy solutions to combat nuclear terrorism. Before her nonprofit experience, Alex served as a foreign policy and defense advisor to Congressman Stephen F. Lynch of Massachusetts. 

Alex serves on the board of Welcoming America and the Compton Foundation, and is an advisor to the Colombe Foundation, Outrider Foundation, the Effective Institutions Project, and Orgs in Solidarity. She earned her M.S. in Foreign Policy and Security Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in International Affairs and Psychology, with a minor in French, from the University of Virginia. When not immersed in peace and security philanthropy, Alex enjoys Skype calls with her 100-y.o. grandmother, reading fiction, and traveling the world (she’s been to over 50 countries). Alex is also a proud refugee.