GCIR - Joint Foundation Statement on Immigration
February 03, 2017
Since 1990, Grantmakers Concerned With Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) has sought "to influence philanthropy to advance the contributions and address the needs of the country's growing and increasingly diverse immigrant and refugee populations." In so doing, it seeks "to promote effective grantmaking that not only improves the lives of newcomers but also strengthens communities."
On Friday, the group issued a joint statement on immigration signed by more than thirty foundations and funder groups. The statement, in its entirety, is included below, along with the names of the signatories:
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Statement
The United States stands at a historical 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 well-being 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.
For more information or to sign the statement, contact Caleb Beaudoin (link sends e-mail). If joining, please provide the name of your foundation and the name and title of your signer (i.e., the CEO, the board chair, or both).
A special thanks to GCIR members and funders for their support in making this statement possible.
Signatories | |
Cora Mirikitani, President & CEO Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) |
Maria Mottola, Executive Director New York Foundation |
Audrey Yamamoto, President & Executive Director Asian Pacific Fund |
Kevin F. Walker, President & CEO Northwest Area Foundation |
Jerry Greenfield, President Ben & Jerry’s Foundation |
Ken Zimmerman, Director of U.S. Programs Open Society Foundations |
Antonia Hernández, President & CEO California Community Foundation |
Pedro Ramos, President & CEO Philadelphia Foundation |
Robert K. Ross, M.D., President & CEO California Endowment |
Gillian Darlow, CEO Polk Bros. Foundation |
Karen A. Simmons, President & CEO Chester County Community Foundation |
Mary E. McClymont, President and CEO Public Welfare Foundation |
Truman Collins, President Cynthia G. Addams, CEO Collins Foundation |
Timothy P. Silard, President Rosenberg Foundation |
Laura Livoti, CEO Common Counsel Foundation |
Aixa N. Cintrón-Vélez, Ph.D., Program Director Russell Sage Foundation |
Alicia Phillip, President Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta |
Fred Blackwell, CEO San Francisco Foundation |
Joe Goldman, President Democracy Fund |
Fo-Ching Lu, President Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation |
Jennie Lehua Watson, Interim President Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund |
Amanda Cloud, President & CEO Simmons Foundation |
Marcos Vargas, Executive Director Fund for Santa Barbara |
Tom Keith, President Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina |
Ben Francisco Maulbeck, President Funders for LGBTQ Issues |
Molly Gochman, Founder Stardust Fund |
Dimple Abichandani, Executive Director General Service Foundation |
Kriss Deiglmeier, CEO Tides |
Eva Grove, Founder & Board Member Leslie Dorosin, Executive Director Grove Foundation |
Taryn Higashi, Executive Director Unbound Philanthropy |
Darren Sandow, Executive Director Hagedorn Foundation |
Kate Kroeger, Executive Director Urgent Action Fund |
Nat Williams, Ph.D, Executive Director Hill-Snowdon Foundation |
Nancy Wiltsek, Executive Director van Löben Sels/RembeRock Foundation |
Diana Campoamor, President Hispanics in Philanthropy |
Rick Kinsel, President Vilcek Foundation |
Don Howard, President & CEO James Irvine Foundation |
William S. Goldman, President, Board of Trustees Pamela H. David, Executive Director Walter & Elise Haas Fund |
Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, CEO Latino Community Foundation |
Fred Ali, President & CEO Weingart Foundation |
Debora Ortega, Ph.d., Board Chair Carlos Martinez, Executive Director Latino Community Foundation of Colorado |
Edward Kissam, Trustee Werner-Kohnstamm Family Fund |
James S. Farley, Esquire, President & CEO Leichtag Foundation |
Larry Kramer, President William and Flora Hewlett Foundation |
Helen Brunner, Foundation Director Media Democracy Fund |
Donna P. Hall, President & CEO Women Donors Network |
Charles Wilhoite, Board Chair Doug Stamm, CEO Meyer Memorial Trust |
Grace Hou, President Woods Fund Chicago |
Frank I. Sanchez, Executive Director Needmor Fund |
Bob Uyeki, CEO Y & H Soda Foundation |
Michele Lord, President NEO Philanthropy |
Allison Magee, Executive Director Zellerbach Family Foundation |
Lorie A. Slutsky, President New York Community Trust |
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