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The California Immigrant Inclusion Initiative (CIII) is a community of grantmakers that seek to advance the vision of a just and inclusive California where all immigrants and refugees can live with dignity and respect.
In these tumultuous times when people the world over are experiencing fear, distress, and uncertainty in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, GCIR is leaning into our core values to guide how we mobilize philanthropy to support immigrant families and communities in the United States. We believe this moment calls for philanthropy to lead with courage to advance an inclusive, equitable, and holistic response. Philanthropic action must not only address urgent needs but reflect a vision that all Americans, no matter where they were born, are united with one another in the face of this devastating public health crisis.
Roughly two months into the Biden administration, we will take a look at the administration’s immigration policy agenda—what has been achieved, what remains to be done, and what obstacles stand in the way.
Join this webinar to learn more about pressing state and federal immigration policy issues from campaign leaders and to explore steps funders can take to support their efforts.
One in four U.S. children lives in an immigrant family, and the next four years will bring unprecedented threats to their safety and wellbeing. From ongoing family separations and the threat of mass deportations, denial of basic services, and elimination of birthright citizenship, children living in immigrant families - 90 percent of whom are U.S. citizens - are already experiencing trauma.
Join GCIR and our partners from the Four Freedoms Fund, the Latino Community Foundation, the California Community Foundation, and the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation to discuss the importance of investing in movement infrastructure and to learn directly from funder colleagues how they define and prioritize this work.
Join GCIR for this peer-to-peer discussion session to learn about the challenges local leaders are encountering while addressing the needs of these newly arriving migrants. We will also explore the strategies currently being developed and refined for building strong response networks. It has become clear that – in addition to resources –communication, coordination, and adaptability are essential to a successful response. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to share their experiences and ask questions about strategies for welcoming and supporting new arrivals.
Looking back on the first year of the Biden administration, we remember that there was initially great promise and early progress toward advancing immigrant justice and restoring immigrant rights. The administration began by undoing many of the Trump administration’s racist and draconian immigration policies, including fortifying Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), rescinding the Muslim Ban, and ending government funding of a border wall. Yet, recent actions taken by the current administration, such as expelling Haitian migrants and increasing the number of immigrant detainees during a worldwide pandemic, continue to negatively impact communities.
Join GCIR as we partner with Philanthropy Northwest to co-host a webinar featuring individuals and organizations who are advancing worker enfranchisement and empowerment and are at the forefront of this movement for farmworker justice.
California Dignity for Families Fund grantees.
As I reflect on what brings me to this work, I am reminded that these roots run deep. As a Puerto Rican brought up in the United States, I was raised with an awareness of our nation’s history of colonialism and at times violent intervention in Latin America and beyond. I saw how the U.S. government had fought to ensure that the political and economic arrangements in Latin American countries suited its own interests, while then abdicating responsibility for the resulting destabilization.
As a native-born U.S. citizen working in the movement for immigrant justice, I often reflect on what brought me to this work out of the many social justice issues that demand our attention. Navigating the immigration system alongside my wife who immigrated from Albania to pursue her dreams of a better future opened my eyes to the complex and often challenging immigrant experience in America.
As discussed in GCIR’s program, Building Immigrant & Worker Power in Rural America, immigrants and refugees add to the diversity of rural communities and help mitigate the negative impacts of a rapidly aging population while also enlivening local economies. The availability of work in manufacturing and agriculture has contributed to the considerable growth of immigrant populations in these communities, with nearly 75% of all farmworkers in the United States being foreign-born.
Join GCIR and our partners at Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) for a 75-minute webinar that aims to inspire funders to imagine what is possible, and to move them to take action to help protect the freedom to move and stay.