Lacey Stone: United Nations Refugee Agency, Building Futures for Refugee Women and Girls

We are honored to welcome Lacey Stone to Human Rights: Conversations Across Generations. As the Chief Development Officer at USA for UNHCR, the U.S. partner of the United Nations Refugee Agency, she works at the intersection of philanthropy, partnerships, and global humanitarian impact. With more than two decades of experience across organizations, including UNICEF USA, PATH, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Lacey has built a career grounded in connecting people, resources, and ideas to create meaningful change.

In this conversation, Lacey shares what it means to bear witness to the stories of refugee women and girls and to help translate those stories into action, visibility, and support. We discuss the DAFI scholarship program, the Building Better Futures campaign, and the urgent need to invest in higher education, mentorship, and wraparound support for refugee women and girls as they rebuild their lives and strengthen their communities.

Lacey also reflects on the evolving nature of philanthropy, from transactional giving to transformational partnerships, and why storytelling must remain at the center of that shift. This episode is a powerful reminder that education is more than access. It is dignity, agency, leadership, and a pathway toward long-term change.

From Lacey’s own journey as a first-generation college student to Bert’s perspective on the legal evolution of the 1951 Refugee Convention, this episode examines what happens when philanthropy becomes a relational partnership aimed at fueling the next generation of global leadership.

We encourage our listeners to take action by supporting USA for UNHCR and the Building Better Futures initiative. By contributing, you are providing more than a scholarship; you are ensuring that courageous students have the resources to secure their human rights, reclaim their narratives, and build a more equitable future for displaced communities worldwide.

Show Notes

Show Transcript PDF

USA for UNHCR

USA for UNHCR Website

UNHCR Donate

Building Better Futures

Building Better Futures Video 

DAFI Scholarship Program

2024 DAFI Annual Report

Referenced in Conversation

Article: Fundraising Wasn’t Built for Women. So We Built Something New, Inside Philanthropic

Study Trust (UNHCR partner in South Africa)