Giving Compass' Take:

• Stephanie Peng shares important insights about funding the pro-immigrant rights movement and offers concrete suggestions for grantmakers who want to make an impact. 

• Which of these suggestions are you ready to act on? 

• Learn why immigration is good for America. 

Immigrants are part of the fabric of our communities and have been for centuries. Many American families have a migration story. But in recent years, immigrant communities have been subjected to an increase of dehumanizing attacks from an increasingly white nationalist agenda built upon decades of discrimination and racism against immigrants, along with people of color, women, and girls, LGBTQI, and other marginalized communities.

Pro-immigrant, refugee, and asylum seeker movements are at the front lines of responding to these crises. As these organizations are responding to the moment, they are also growing in strength and number to counter this hatred and continue our shared journey of creating a new, more equitable America.

But according to Foundation Center data, between 2011 and 2015, barely one percent of all money granted by the 1,000 largest U.S. foundations was intended to benefit immigrants and refugees.

In April, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) launched the Movement Investment Project—a multi-year initiative to drive more resources to social movements by providing recommendations for grantmakers to improve their grantmaking and maximize their impact. And we’ve started the project with a focus on the pro-immigrant movement.

If we want our communities to thrive and be inclusive and welcoming to all, philanthropy has the opportunity to shift grantmaking practices to support the social movements that are the key ingredient to making sure that all people have the opportunities to thrive.

Even in the context of constant crises and a history of scarce resources, the pro-immigrant movement is growing and fighting for an inclusive, just, and welcoming future. Funders and donors can also play a role in investing in this future to fight narratives of fear and hate.

No matter what issue areas your foundation focuses on, there are ways to support pro-immigrant organizations. Pro-immigrant movement groups work at the intersection of public health, economic security, civil rights, education access, public safety, gender justice, and many other issues philanthropy cares about. Immigrants are moms and dads, entrepreneurs and small business owners, teachers and students, doctors and nurses, caregivers, construction workers, and so much more.

When we embrace the complexity in the history and identities of all people in our communities and enable them to thrive, those communities become healthier, safer, and more prosperous.

Read the full article about supporting the pro-immigrant rights movement by Stephanie Peng at PEAK Insight Journal.