The Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (GRSI) is a joint initiative led by the Government of Canada; the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); the Open Society Foundations; the Giustra Foundation; and the University of Ottawa, which works to share good practices and support the creation of new programs to assit countries around the world to open new pathways for refugee protection through community sponsorship programs. 

The GRSI was announced in New York City in conjunction with the UN and US Refugee Summits, and was formally launched in December 2016. It aims to: 

• increase and improve global refugee resettlement by engaging private citizens, communities, and businesses in resettlement efforts;
• strengthen local host communities that come together to welcome newcomers; and
• improve the narrative about refugees and other newcomers.

Particularly, the Initiative shares information and experiences to help create opportunities for citizens to directly support refugees via community-based sponsorship programs, with resources including:

• The GSRI Guidebook, which provides a comprehensive breakdown of how community sponsorship programs are designed.
• A series of videos, which provide guidance on how community sponsorship programs and personal success stories from these programs. 
• Fact sheets, which outline GRSI's mission and work.