Leading local philanthropies seek proposals for innovative efforts to improve the lives of asylum seekers and recent migrants while establishing a lasting infrastructure to optimize social service delivery in New York City
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
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New York, NY – In response to the unprecedented arrival of more than 200,000 migrants and asylum seekers in New York City since the spring of 2022, The New York Community Trust and Robin Hood have announced the creation of The Funds for the Newest New Yorkers. The coordinated effort recognizes how integral immigrants are to the fabric of our city and will align all sectors–government, business, philanthropy, and nonprofits–to better support new arrivals.
The two allied funds bring together generous individuals, corporations, and other philanthropic partners and will work closely with the New York City mayor’s and comptroller’s offices and the New York State governor’s office to ensure the city’s newest arrivals have the support they need to thrive, now and in the future. The funds welcome new donors as fundraising continues.
An advisory board with representatives of the offices of the mayor, comptroller, and governor, as well as of The New York Community Trust, Robin Hood, UJA Federation, Ford Foundation, and Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies, will provide support and advice to the overall effort.
“Philanthropy, nonprofits, and government have each invested substantial time and money to help meet the needs of new New Yorkers,” said Shawn Morehead, The Trust’s vice president for grants. “By developing a unified approach, The Funds for the Newest New Yorkers aim to build coordinated, resilient systems that can support current and future arrivals to the city. This collaborative effort will build on The Trust’s decades of work to help newcomers integrate into New York’s economic and civic life–work we’re proud to continue to ensure our city remains an inclusive hub of opportunity for all.”
“The Funds for the Newest New Yorkers are not just about financial support but are catalyzing a new infrastructure to aid the nonprofits and governmental agencies on the frontlines of social service delivery in a way that neither can accomplish alone. Long after this crisis recedes, we hope this work will influence future public funding design and decisions to strengthen the sector and our response mode to newcomers in need,” said Emary Aronson, Chief Knowledge Officer and Senior Advisor to the CEO at Robin Hood, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting philanthropy. “Immigrants helped to make our city what it is today. They are valued members of our community and we must ensure that structures remain in place to aid their resiliency, enabling them to thrive because New York must always be a beacon of hope and opportunity.”
The initiative’s goal is to facilitate economic inclusion and mobility for newly arrived immigrants while strengthening the city’s social service infrastructure and resilience against future crises that cause strain. To this end, The New York Community Trust and Robin Hood will administer at least $4 million to nonprofits through an open request for proposals (RFP) process. The Funds are not intended to replace the role of the government services, but instead build capacity.
The RFP is now open, and the application process will close on September 16, 2024. Nonprofits can apply to submit their proposal for The Funds for the Newest New Yorkers here.
The Funds for the Newest New Yorkers will focus on several key areas:
- Legal Services: Grants will increase nonprofits’ capacity to provide legal support to new arrivals. Nonprofits will receive referrals from citywide intake points, increasing access to legal assistance.
- Case Management: Funding will enable nonprofits to hire navigators to support residents in shelters, connect them with vital services, and help them navigate their new environment.
- Stability: Community groups will receive funds to offer education, job training, English classes, childcare, and other services essential for integration into the workforce.
- Coordination: Resources will be allocated to strengthen nonprofit infrastructure, allowing for better coordination with government agencies and other organizations.
For more than three decades, The Trust hosted the Fund for New Citizens, a funder collaborative that distributed more than $27 million in grants to support advocacy for policies that benefit the city’s immigrants, capacity building for immigrant-led groups, and affordable immigration legal services. Over the past 18 months, The Trust has made nearly $3.5 million in grants to support the city’s newest arrivals.
As New York City’s largest local poverty-fighting philanthropy, Robin Hood has historically funded resettlement efforts. Since the spring of 2022, Robin Hood has invested over $12 million to assist migrants and asylum seekers. Last December, the philanthropy issued a slate of grants focused on speeding up pathways for migrants to become eligible to work and funded programs that connected new arrivals to job training and placement services, as well as case management and legal services. The Robin Hood grants aim to expand the capacity of community-based organizations that serve new arrivals and to reduce the time between a migrant’s arrival to NYC and work authorization.
“New York City and thousands of asylum seekers are grateful to The New York Community Trust, Robin Hood, and all the generous funders of the Funds for the Newest New Yorkers,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “Countless grassroots and nonprofit organizations, houses of worship, and legal organizations throughout the City stepped up to help asylum seekers get on their feet for the last two years. The grants made through this fund will support ongoing efforts and encourage some new proposals to support new arrivals with the case management, work authorization aide, or workforce development they need on their path to settlement and security. The programs these funds support will open opportunities for our newest arrivals to make connections and find stability so they can not only survive but thrive, as they become our neighbors and colleagues.”
“The launch of the Newest New Yorkers funds demonstrates how the public and philanthropic sectors can effectively come together to support our city’s nonprofits and New Yorkers in need,” said Meaghan Brown, Chief of External Affairs, City of New York. “This fund is not only a response to the urgent needs of asylum seekers and migrants but is also a proactive investment in the future of our city and a model for cross-sector collaboration. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive New York City for all.”
“The Adams Administration is committed to helping asylum seekers and migrants on their path to stability,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “We are grateful for The New York Community Trust, Robin Hood, and the countless other funders and nonprofit organizations helping our newest New Yorkers. This Fund demonstrates that our city’s strength lies in unity and compassion.”
About The New York Community Trust
As New York’s largest community foundation, The New York Community Trust fosters and engages in enduring and innovative philanthropy, making grants that bring together the diverse, local knowledge and expertise of its team, nonprofits, and partners to help donors fulfill their vision for the causes they love. From education and the arts to health care and the environment, The New York Community Trust seeks to improve every aspect of the cultural and civic life of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester. The New York Community Trust celebrates 100 years of impact and looks forward to the next 100 years of improving life for New Yorkers. This is philanthropy for New Yorkers, by New Yorkers.
About Robin Hood
Robin Hood is New York’s largest local poverty-fighting philanthropy. Last year, Robin Hood celebrated its 35th year of funding, supporting, and connecting New York’s most impactful community organizations at the forefront in the battle against poverty. We are NYC’s largest local poverty-fighting philanthropy and since 1988, we have invested nearly $3 billion to elevate and fuel New Yorkers’ permanent escapes from poverty. In 2023, through grantmaking with 250+ community partners, we created pathways to opportunities out of poverty through our strategic partnerships on child care, child poverty, jobs, living wages and more. We are scaling impact at a population level for the nearly 2 million New Yorkers living in poverty. At Robin Hood, we believe your starting point in life should not define where you end up. To learn more about our work and impact, follow us on X @RobinHoodNYC or go to robinhood.org.
