Found in Translation Honored as a 2025 .ORG Impact Awards Finalist
Found in Translation is honored to have been named a finalist in the 2025 .ORG Impact Awards by Public Interest Registry (PIR), the people behind the .ORG domain. Found in Translation was chosen from a diverse pool of nearly 3,000 applicants from over 120 countries. The .ORG Impact Awards recognize outstanding mission-driven organizations from around the world for their positive contributions to society, and we are thrilled to be among 35 outstanding finalists!
Found in Translation is a finalist in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion category for our work training low-income, bilingual women to be medical interpreters, advancing health equity and promoting economic mobility in underserved communities. Our alumnae interpreter community is nearly 400 strong, we have issued interpreting certificates in 38 languages, and we estimate that these interpreters provide language access in approximately 76,000 encounters each year. We are proud to transform our program participants into agents of change, supporting them as they work on turning systemic disadvantages and personal challenges into rewarding careers, noticeable confidence, and important positions that enable them to give back to their own communities.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion category recognizes organizations working to create “a more inclusive and equitable world by breaking down barriers, amplifying underrepresented voices, and driving meaningful change that creates opportunities for all.” Found in Translation has a dual mission to give low-income bilingual women an opportunity to achieve economic security through the use of their language skills, and to reduce racial, ethnic, and linguistic disparities in healthcare by unleashing bilingual talent into the workforce. As a local, immigrant woman-founded, women-led organization with this mission, diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of our work.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are both part of the approach and the intended outcome of our work here at Found in Translation. Through offering a free training program and commonsense, wraparound supportive services like childcare, transportation assistance, and technology, our approach aims to eliminate common barriers that may prevent women from achieving economic success. These same women go on to be a part of equitable, inclusive solutions for their communities by providing language access in critical spaces like healthcare, immigration, education, and other sectors.
“It is such an honor to be a finalist for the .ORG Awards, alongside some of the world’s most impactful and inspirational nonprofits,” says Maria Vertkin, Found in Translation’s Founder and Executive Director. “At this historic moment, with everything we stand for—justice, equity, a diverse, inclusive society—under attack, being a finalist in the DEI category as a U.S. organization is especially meaningful, and a bold statement about what we aspire to as a society. I have profound respect for PIR for the courage to stay true to their values and continue to include this important category in the .ORG awards.”
Winners in these categories and the prestigious .ORG of the Year will be announced at the in-person .ORG Impact Awards celebration on October 7th. The winner of the .ORG of the Year award will receive a donation of $50,000 USD while the other category winners will each receive $10,000 USD. Beyond the donation, receiving a .ORG Impact Award helps raise the profile of winning organizations, ultimately driving donations, funding, talent acquisition, partnership development, and increasing audience reach.