Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees - GCIR

Founded in 1990, GCIR provides resources that foundations need to address the challenges facing newcomers and their host communities and to strengthen society as a whole. Its mission is to influence the philanthropic field to advance the contributions and address the needs of the country's growing and increasingly diverse immigrant and refugee populations.

GCIR is a growing network of foundations working on a wide range of immigration and immigrant integration issues including education, health, employment, civic participation, race and intergroup relations, and other concerns affecting immigrant children, youth, and families. Some of our members have longstanding immigrant-specific funding initiatives, while others incorporate immigrant and refugee issues into their core grantmaking programs. The majority of our members fund locally, regionally, or nationally in the United States, and a handful make migration-related grants in Latin America, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

"GCIR has a keen understanding of complex immigrant-related issues. I rely on their balanced perspective, sound judgment, and innovative ideas to guide my funding strategies."

Geri Mannion, Program Director, U.S. Democracy and Special Opportunities Fund, Carnegie Corporation of New York

to top

Our Mission and Goals

GCIR seeks to influence the philanthropic field to advance the contributions and address the needs of the world's growing and increasingly diverse immigrant and refugee populations. Our goals are to:

• Enhance philanthropy's awareness of issues affecting immigrants and refugees and their new communities.
• Deepen the field's understanding of how these issues are integral to community building in today's dynamic social, economic, and political environment.
• Increase philanthropic support for both broad and immigrant/refugee-focused strategies that benefit newcomer populations and strengthen the larger society.

to top

Our Values and Vision

GCIR's work is animated by a fundamental belief in democratic values, equal opportunity and justice, and universal human potential for all immigrants and refugees. We recognize the significant contributions that newcomers and their children make to the economic, cultural, and social fabric of their new communities. As native birth rates continue to decline and as the Baby Boom generation begins to retire, immigrants and their children—-as workers, taxpayers, consumers, and entrepreneurs—-will play an even more critical role in ensuring our nation’s vitality. Within this context, GCIR's vision is that:

• Immigrants and refugees, working with native-born Americans, play a central role in building secure, vibrant, and cohesive communities in which everyone has a stake.
• Philanthropic institutions have a unique opportunity to shape fair and humane immigration policies and to promote the integration of immigrants and refugees into the larger society.
• Community institutions and immigrant organizations, with strong support from the philanthropic sector, provide the services, programs, and infrastructure to integrate immigrants and refugees into their new communities.

to top

Our Strategic Direction

GCIR's 2007-2009 strategic plan focuses our research, publications, programs, and communications resources on helping funders promote immigrant integration to improve the well-being of newcomers and our broader society. To learn more, read the summary of our strategic plan.

to top