WASHINGTON, DC — The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, in partnership with the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, released a new publication calling on philanthropy to meet the scale, depth, and urgency of immigrant communities’ needs and leadership across the United States.

The Infrastructure of Welcome: Philanthropy’s Opportunity to Invest in Power and Prosperity for Immigrant Communities, calls for all grantmakers to strategically resource migrant justice groups and argues that funders who are focused on economic prosperity or health improvement have a critical opportunity to invest strategically in helping immigrant communities thrive.

“America’s large, diverse, deeply rooted ecosystem of pro-immigrant organizations is facing down the worst anti-immigrant violence and safety net austerity in more than a generation,” said Ryan Schlegel, NCRP Research Director. “Our research paints a picture of a sub-sector of civil society whose potential to help deliver economic and political democracy is huge, and whose funding sources often lag behind that potential.”

LOSING GROUND

While funders to groups with anti-immigrant positions and programs grant in long-term, flexible funds out of portfolios that may not necessarily be relevant, pro-immigrant funders send program limited funding. A large swathe of funders whose work directly partners with pro-immigrant goals – funders who support communities across the South and Mountain West, as well as funders in economic development and health – are missing pro-immigrant funding entirely.

According to NCRP research, $215 million went to funding explicitly anti-immigrant programs and organizations between 2020 and 2023. Shockingly, the sector’s pro-immigrant funding has not exceeded 2% of total U.S. grantmaking since 2011, even as many immigrant-serving and immigrant-led organizations face intensified threats, disinvestment, and austerity.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDERS

This extreme environment requires intentional, strategic investment. The brief identifies five calls to action for funders seeking to strengthen and expand long-term opportunity for immigrant communities:

• Fund strategically and imaginatively to align health, education and workforce development resources with immigrant-serving groups doing that work. 

• Close geographic disparities by investing in underfunded regions like the South and the Mountain West – home to many vibrant immigrant communities. 

• Lean into long-term general operating support and practices that shift power to community-led organizations. 

• Support power-building by funding advocacy, organizing, civic engagement, narrative change, and leadership development. 

• Mobilize resources to counter threats facing immigrant communities. 

“Immigrant communities are central to the nation’s economic future and democratic promise,” said Aaron Dorfman, NCRP President and CEO. “The Infrastructure of Welcome offers funders a practical and urgent roadmap for supporting the organizations closest to community needs and closest to the solutions.”

The full publication is available at https://bit.ly/TIoW.

ABOUT NCRP

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) is philanthropy’s independent watchdog and critical friend. Since 1976, NCRP has used original research and relationships with frontline communities to champion justice and drive improvement in the philanthropic sector.

ABOUT WES

World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise that supports the educational, economic, and social inclusion of immigrants, refugees, and international students. Learn more at wes.org.