Nonprofit's Role in Immigration

Long before terrorism in the Middle East and the collapse of duly elected democratic governments in Central and South America sent waves of immigration to the U.S. southern border, nonprofits played a critical role integrating a “once welcome” immigrant population into our society. During this current controversial era, however, nonprofits walk a tightrope across a political divide that threatens to disenfranchise their efforts by interpreting every service impulse as "choosing sides". Nonprofits, with their mission-driven focus and dedication to social welfare, are well-positioned to provide vital services and advocacy for immigrants without regard to any political position.

Wide Variety of Direct Services

The nonprofit community supports the legal immigration community with:

1. Language and cultural orientation classes
2. Legal assistance
3. Access to healthcare
4. Job training
5. Educational support

Broad Spectrum Support

In addition to direct services, nonprofits also play a crucial role in advocating for immigrant rights and policy reform by:

1. Serving as a voice for immigrant contributions.
2. Advocating for policies that promote immigrant inclusion and well-being.
3. Campaigning for public education opportunities for immigrants.
4. Community organizing
5. Challenging discrimination
6. Building bridges between immigrant populations and popular society.
7. Organizing events that bring together immigrants and the broader society to promote cultural exchange and mutual respect.

Economic Support

1. Nonprofits provide resources and support for immigrant entrepreneurs, helping them start and grow businesses.
2. By promoting entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, nonprofits contribute to the economic vitality of both immigrants and their host communities.
3. Nonprofits also run job placement programs for immigrants.

Refugee Support

Nonprofits offer specialized services to genuine refugees who have fled persecution or violence in their home countries.

1. Trauma counseling
2. Refugee resettlement
3. Support for survivors of domestic violence
4. Escape from human trafficking.

Collaborative Support

Nonprofits collaborate with government agencies, other nonprofits, and community organizations to create a coordinated and comprehensive approach to immigration. Nonprofits also engage in research and data collection to better understand the needs and experiences of immigrants.

Point-of-View

All social service providers, whether governmental or nonprofit, approach social work from a point-of-view.

• Many nonprofits are religion based, for example, and approach all their work from that point-of-view without regard to any political considerations.
• Many are strictly humanitarian, (Doctors Without Borders e.g.), and they provide services to any vulnerable group that needs their services. No political point-of-view applies. They don't consider either "status" or "country of origin" when jumping in to help anyone in a medical crisis.
• Feeding America does not interview hungry applicants when deciding who they will feed at mealtime.
• Over 1.7 million people are displaced in the Gaza Strip and UNICEF USA has poured in all the humanitarian relief they can without regard to whether the recipient is a Palestinian or an Israeli.

Maintaining Neutrality

The dilemma for nonprofits is that although they have no political axe to grind, almost every one of their donors identifies as either liberal or conservative. Even the most apolitical nonprofit's work will be interpreted as revealing either a "liberal" or a "conservative" bias. This, of course, has a negative impact on donations and must be cleared up quickly.

The Mission's ‘The Thing’

The Creative Director of a large Madison Avenue ad agency who is a friend of this blog advises all nonprofits, both large and small, old and new, to carefully review and restate their mission statement to ensure their humanitarian mission is the central message being communicated to their donor population. "Avoid the traditional ‘heart rending’ recipient anecdotes that usually accompany donation drives and stick with the central message that inspired the founding of the nonprofit in the first place", he says. "Avoid feeding the confusion of the current rancorous political discourse by clearly restating the reason your donors signed up in the first place. Keep it simple. Your mission's “The Thing."