More than 200 philanthropic institutions have signed in support of this statement, representing local, state, regional, and national foundations from across the country.
Statement
The United States stands at a historic crossroads. Founded as a refuge from religious persecution and built by generations of immigrants, our country has been the standard bearer internationally for the assertion and protection of inalienable rights and freedoms, a beacon of hope for refugees facing oppression and persecution, and a land of opportunity for immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their families.
As philanthropic institutions, we have built our missions on this proud and rich tradition. We have invested in creating healthy communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, building a vibrant democracy, and advancing equity and equality for all people, regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, immigration status, and national origin.
The recently issued immigration executive orders compromise our nation’s founding principles and the Constitution, our standing in the world, and our core values of liberty, justice, and due process. They weaken our moral leadership, fuel the efforts of those who wish us ill, harm our global competitiveness, and fray our social fabric.
Our foundations support diverse issues, strategies, and communities across the country, but we are united in the belief that immigrants and refugees are integral to every aspect of our society. Newcomers enrich our culture and tradition as artists, playwrights, and dancers. Naturalized citizens strengthen our civic life as voters, jurors, school-board members, and elected officials. Immigrant entrepreneurs and refugee-owned businesses revitalize neighborhoods, towns, and cities across America. Foreign-born scientists and engineers fuel innovations and help our country prosper. Farmworkers put food on our tables, and caregivers nurture our children, care for our elders, and nurse our ill. Young newcomers—including DACA beneficiaries—demonstrate their patriotism and enthusiasm for American ideals in schools, communities, workplaces, and the armed forces. Without the contributions of immigrants and refugees now and throughout our history, our collective wellbeing and economic vitality would be greatly diminished.
We, the undersigned philanthropies, join public officials, the faith community, business leaders, and the American public in supporting policies that protect our national security, strengthen our economy, and uphold core American values. We stand with our grantees—advocates, organizers, researchers, and service providers—in calling for policies that reflect our nation’s founding principles, promote cohesion and inclusion, instill hope, and show compassion. Policies that recognize our global interdependence, that honor our tradition of welcoming those seeking refuge and a better life, and that keep families together will make our communities stronger, safer, and more prosperous.
We expect additional challenges in the weeks and months ahead on the immigration front, including expanded detention and deportations, and on policies affecting the rights of women, African Americans, the LGBTQ community, and other vulnerable groups. The issues, communities, and core values that our foundations have sought to advance are under serious and imminent danger. With history and morality as our guide, we reject discriminatory policies that target individuals based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender expression, and other grounds. We stand committed to the inherent value and dignity of every person at home and abroad. We stand together for the American Dream.
Signatories
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Lateefah Simon, President |
Iris Krieg, Executive Director Albert Pick, Jr. Fund Chicago, IL |
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Eileen Coogan, President & CEO |
Minna R. Buck, Founder Aloha Foundation |
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James D. McDonough, Executive Director |
Leticia Peguero, Executive Director Andrus Family Fund & Family Philanthropy Program New York, NY |
| Audrey Yamamoto, President & Executive Director Asian Pacific Fund San Francisco, CA |
Thomas E. Wilcox, President |
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Jim Canales, President & Trustee |
Robert C. Kirkwood, Board Chair Bella Vista Foundation San Francisco, CA |
| Jerry Greenfield, President Ben & Jerry’s Foundation South Burlington, VT |
Claire M. Solot, Managing Director |
| Cecilia C. Clarke, President & CEO Brooklyn Community Foundation Brooklyn, NY |
Sonia Gonzales, Executive Director |
| Antonia Hernández, President & CEO California Community Foundation Los Angeles, CA |
Geri Mannion, Director, Strengthening Democracy Program and Special Opportunities Fund Carnegie Corporation of New York New York, NY |
| Hussien Y. Shousher, Board Chair Center for Arab American Philanthropy Dearborn, MI |
Karen A. Simmons, President & CEO Chester County Community Foundation West Chester, PA |
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K. Sujata, President & CEO |
John Boettiger, Chair |
| Farhad Ebrahimi, Founder & Chair Chorus Foundation Boston, MA |
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Mary Pounder, Program Director |
Laura Livoti, CEO Common Counsel Foundation Oakland, CA |
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Jeff Hirota, CEO |
Ellen Friedman, Executive Director Compton Foundation San Francisco, CA |
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Leslie Ramyk, Executive Director |
Yanique Redwood, President & CEO Consumer Health Foundation Washington D.C. |
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Marco Antonio Quiroga, Program Director of the Contigo Fund |
Elizabeth Sak, Executive Director |
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Jeanne Kracher, Executive Director |
Maryanne Mott, Founder & Trustee CS Fund Freestone, CA |
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Lukas Haynes, Executive Director |
Joe Goldman, President |
| Lori Bezahler, President Edward W. Hazen Foundation New York, NY |
Jacqueline Mann, President Elias Foundation Brooklyn, NJ |
| Dr. Arthur E. Roswell, President Elizabeth B. and Arthur E. Roswell Foundation Baltimore, MD |
Lauren Embrey, President |
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Richard England, Jr., Board President |
Elena M. Marks, President & CEO Episcopal Health Foundation Houston, TX |
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Nicky Goren, President & CEO |
Jennie Lehua Watson, Interim President |
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Sandor Straus, President |
Kim Belshé, Executive Director |
| Darren Walker, President Ford Foundation New York, NY |
Mimi Frankel, Founder & Trustee Frankel Family Foundation Chicago, IL |
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Nancy Brain, Board President |
Marnie Thompson, Co-Managing Director |
| Marcos Vargas, Executive Director Fund for Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA |
Christine H. Russell, Trustee Mark Schlesinger, Trustee Susan Clark, Director of Programs Gaia Fund San Francisco, CA |
| Dimple Abichandani, Executive Director General Service Foundation Aspen, CO |
Nancy Bales, Executive Director |
| Vanessa Daniel, Executive Director Groundswell Fund Oakland, CA |
Eva Grove, Founder & Board Member Leslie Dorosin, Executive Director Grove Foundation Los Altos, CA |
| Darren Sandow, Executive Director Hagedorn Foundation Roslyn, NY |
Lisa K. Simmons, President |
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Barbara Harman, Executive Director |
David Nicholson, Executive Director |
| Liz Simons, Chair of the Board Deanna Gomby, President & CEO Heising-Simons Foundation Los Altos, CA |
Tricia Hellman Gibbs, MD, Board President Susan Mayer Hirsch, Executive Director Hellman Foundation San Francisco, CA |
| Nat Williams, Ph.D, Executive Director Hill-Snowdon Foundation Washington D.C. |
Roger Doughty, President |
| Ann B. Stern, President & CEO Houston Endowment Houston, TX |
Julia Kaemmer, President |
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Sasha Rabsey, Founder |
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Randy Newcomb, President & CEO |
Julie Gersten, Co-Founder
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| Janet Froetscher, President J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation Chicago, IL |
Peter W. Davidson, Chairman Amy L. Freitag, Executive Director J.M. Kaplan Fund New York, NY |
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John Goldman, President |
Jennifer Rainin, Ph.D., CEO |
| Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, CEO Latino Community Foundation San Francisco, CA |
Debora Ortega, Ph.D., Board Chair Carlos Martinez, Executive Director Latino Community Foundation of Colorado Denver, CO |
| Kara L. Masters, Board President Caitlin W. Davis, Executive Director Legal Foundation of Washington Seattle, WA |
James S. Farley, Esquire, President & CEO |
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Daniel Lee, Executive Director |
Shane Murphy Goldsmith, President & CEO Liberty Hill Foundation Los Angeles, CA |
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Unmi Song, President |
David M. Okorn, Executive Director |
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Mitch Lynn, Founder |
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| Luz A. Vega-Marquis, President & CEO Marguerite Casey Foundation Seattle, WA |
Thomas Peters, Ph.D., President & CEO |
| Justin Maxson, Executive Director Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation Winston-Salem, NC |
Helen Brunner, Foundation Director Media Democracy Fund Washington D.C. |
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Jenny Russell, Executive Director |
Charles Wilhoite, Board Chair Doug Stamm, CEO Meyer Memorial Trust Portland, OR |
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Minette A. Kwok, Co-Founder & Board Member |
Jeannie Blaustein, Ph.D., President |
| Roberta Phillip-Robbins, J.D., Executive Director MRG Foundation Portlnd, OR |
Frank I. Sanchez, Executive Director |
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Nicholas Donohue, President & CEO |
Michele Lord, President NEO Philanthropy New York, NY |
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Lorie A. Slutsky, President |
Maria Mottola, Executive Director |
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Kristin Hull, Founder, Director |
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| Kevin F. Walker, President & CEO Northwest Area Foundation St. Paul, MN |
Nichole June Maher, President and CEO |
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Pamela Shifman, Executor Director |
Ken Zimmerman, Director of U.S. Programs Open Society Foundations New York, NY |
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Judith Baker, Executive Director |
Veronica Reed, Board Chair |
| Gillian Darlow, CEO Polk Bros. Foundation Chicago, IL |
Mary E. McClymont, President & CEO Public Welfare Foundation Washington D.C. |
| Pamela Reis, President Reis Foundation Rolling Hills, CA |
Stephen Heintz, President Rockefeller Brothers Fund New York, NY |
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Melissa A. Berman, President & CEO |
Timothy P. Silard, President Rosenberg Foundation San Francisco, CA |
| Aixa N. Cintrón-Vélez, Ph.D., Program Director Russell Sage Foundation New York, NY |
Sarah Martinez-Helfman, President Samuel S. Fels Fund Philadelphia, PA |
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Sarah Walczyk, Executive Director |
Ann Alpers, President |
| Fo-ChingLu, President Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation Redmont, WA |
Chet P. Hewitt, President & CEO Sierra Health Foundation Oakland, CA |
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Susanna H. Krey, President |
Tom Keith, President Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina Columbia, SC |
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Cheryl Brownd, Program Director |
Sister Regina Fox, SSND, Executive Director |
| Sally Osberg, President & CEO Skoll Foundation Palo Alto, CA |
Molly Gochman, Founder Stardust Fund Houston, TX |
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Phillip W. Henderson, President |
John F. Swift, President |
| Jennifer Leith, Executive Director The Alfred & Mary Douty Foundation Philadelphia, CA |
Jim Durkan, Interim President |
| Paul Grogan, President & CEO The Boston Foundation Boston, MA |
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| Robert K. Ross, M.D., President & CEO The California Endowment Los Angeles, CA |
Judy Belk, President & CEO The California Wellness Foundation Woodland Hills, CA |
| Truman Collins, President Cynthia G. Addams, CEO The Collins Foundation Portland, OR |
Karen McNeil-Miller, President & CEO The Colorado Health Foundation Denver, CO |
| Alicia Phillip, President The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Atlanta, GA |
William W. Ginsberg, President & CEO The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven New Haven, CT |
| Elizabeth Brazas, President The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Asheville, NC |
Virginia Bayless, Board Chair |
| Trent Stamp, CEO The Eisner Foundation Beverly Hills, CA |
Angelique Power, President |
| Drew Fink, Director The Fink Family Foundation Westport, CA |
Brooke Hisle, Executive Director The Fund for Change Baltimore, MD |
| Deborah T. Poritz, Board Chair Kiki Jamieson, President The Fund for New Jersey Princeton, NJ |
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| Grant Oliphant, President The Heinz Endowments Pittsburgh, PA |
Marti Wilson-Taylor, Chair, Board of Trustees Jocelyn V. Sargent, Executive Director The Hyams Foundation, Inc. Boston, MA |
| Don Howard, President & CEO The James Irvine Foundation San Francisco, CA |
Ruth Hennig, Executive Director |
| Keith Swayne, Co-founder Anne Swayne, President The Keith and Judy Swayne Family Foundation Laguna Beach, CA |
Rip Rapson, President & CEO The Kresge Foundation Troy, MI |
| Alexandra A. Herzan, President The Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc. New York, NY |
Patricia Blakely, Executive Director The Merchants Fund Philadelphia, PA |
| R.T. Rybak, President & CEO The Minneapolis Foundation Minneapolis, MN |
Michael Gelman, Director |
| Ana L. Oliveira, President & CEO The New York Women’s Foundation New York, NY |
Craig Harwood, Director The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans New York, NY |
| Martha McCoy, President The Paul J. Aicher Foundation East Hartford, CT |
Pedro Ramos, President & CEO The Philadelphia Foundation Philadelphia, PA |
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Bryan Traubert, Trustee |
The Resilience Fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation |
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Richard Woo, CEO |
Fred Blackwell, CEO The San Francisco Foundation San Francisco, CA |
| Irene Reynolds Schier, Board President Christine Reeves Strigaro, Executive Director The Sapelo Foundation Brunswick, GA |
Dan Chu, Executive Director The Sierra Club Foundation Oakland, CA |
| Amanda Cloud, President & CEO The Simmons Foundation Houston, TX |
Rick Kinsel, President The Vilcek Foundation New York, NY |
| Stacie Ma'a, President The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation San Francisco, CA |
Edward Kissam, Trustee The Werner-Kohnstamm Family Fund Oakland, CA |
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John Esterle, Co-Executive Director |
Alan S. Davis, Director The WhyNot Initiative |
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Tom Glenn, Chair |
Larry Kramer, President |
| Karen Kreisberg, Executive Director The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund Baltimore, MD |
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| Christina Kind, Managing Trustee The Patricia Kind Family Foundation Philadelphia, PA |
Kriss Deiglmeier, CEO |
| Taryn Higashi, Executive Director Unbound Philanthropy New York, NY |
Richard Xavier Corral, Interim Executive Director |
| Kate Kroeger, Executive Director Urgent Action Fund Oakland, CA |
Ken Kind, Board President |
| Nancy Wiltsek, Executive Director van Löben Sels/RembeRock Foundation San Francisco, CA |
Irene Cooper-Basch, Executive Officer |
| Diana Buckhantz, Executor Vladimir & Araxia Buckhantz Foundation Los Angeles, CA |
John Schwartz, President Voqal Boulder, CO |
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William S. Goldman, President of the Board of Trustees |
Fred Ali, President & CEO Weingart Foundation Los Angeles, CA |
| Laura Rossi, Esq., Executive Director Westchester Community Foundation Hartsdale, NY |
Catherine Crystal Foster, Executive Director |
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Jennifer Corrigan, President, Board of Directors |
Sherece Y. West-Scantlebury, Ph.D., President & CEO |
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La June Montgomery Tabron, President & CEO |
Libby Wadsworth, CEO Mary L. Gregory, Administrator W.L.S. Spencer Foundation San Francisco, CA |
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Daniel Solomon, President |
Grace Hou, President Woods Fund Chicago Chicago, IL |
| Bob Uyeki, CEO Y & H Soda Foundation Moraga, CA |
Maurice "Mo" Green, Executive Director Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Winston-Salem, NC |
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Merryl Snow Zegar, Trustee and Executive Director |
Allison Magee, Executive Director Zellerbach Family Foundation San Francisco, CA |
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Philanthropy-Supporting Organizations |
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Susan Taylor Batten, President & CEO |
Niamani Mutima, Executive Director |
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Sampriti Ganguli, CEO |
Cora Mirikitani, President & CEO Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) |
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Deborah Holmes, Board Chair |
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| Carly Hare, National Director/Coalition Catalyst CHANGE Philanthropy |
Tory Dietel Hopps, Managing Partner Dietel Partners |
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Mark Randazzo, Executive Director |
Rachel Leon, Executive Director Environmental Grantmakers Association |
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Meg Long, President |
Damon T. Hewitt, Executive Director Executives’ Alliance for Boys and Men of Color |
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Eric Marshall, Executive Director |
John Kania, Global Managing Director FSG |
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Ben Francisco Maulbeck, President |
Diana Campoamor, President Hispanics in Philanthropy |
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Yvonne Moore, Principal Advisor |
Dennis Quirin, President Neighborhood Funders Group |
| Sarah Stachowiak, CEO ORS Impact |
Lori Villarosa, Executive Director Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity |
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Iimay Ho, Executive Director |
Susan Eaton, Director |
| John Mitterholzer, Board Chair L. Benjamin Starrett, President & CEO The Funders' Network |
Tamara Lucas Copeland, President |
| Glen Macdonald, Founder and Advisory Board Chair The Wealth & Giving Forum |
Donna P. Hall, President & CEO Women Donors Network |
A special thanks to GCIR members and funders for their support in making this statement possible.
Photo shared by Flickr user russellbernice under a Creative Commons license.