California is home to 10.6 million immigrants– that’s 27% of our population, more than double the national average, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Between 2.35 and 2.6 million of those immigrants are undocumented and one in five California children live in mixed-status families. In the Bay Area, about one in three residents identifies as an immigrant.
When we see increasing raids in schools and workplaces, the halting of refugee resettlement and aid, and attempts to deny birthright citizenship and other policy attacks across the country, these actions are threatening the trust, safety and dignity of community members right here in the East Bay. Local nonprofits are working harder than ever to protect immigrants by providing legal training and organizing communities to ensure that immigrants continue to feel safe in their homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals, and places of worship. But our community partners cannot do it alone.
For 100 years, East Bay Community Foundation has been an anchor in the East Bay, a constant during times of change and chaos. Our north star is an unshakeable belief that everyone in our community deserves the freedom to dream, heal, and belong. This moment demands deep solidarity and action – which is why EBCF is doubling down on our commitment to connect donors with movement leaders and organizers.
Our recent donor dialogue webinar, co-hosted with the San Francisco Foundation, brought funders into conversation with nonprofits that are working with local immigrant communities. These community leaders discussed what’s happening on the ground across California and in the Bay Area, as well as concrete – and immediate – ways to help. The event featured Aarti Kohli, Executive Director at the Asian Law Caucus, Masih Fouladi, Executive Director at the California Immigrant Policy Center, Yoel Haile, Co-Director of Priority Africa Network, and Rev. Deborah Lee, Executive Director at the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity.
We are also sharing EBCF’s Immigration Give Guide to help amplify opportunities for donors to invest in organizations serving immigrant communities across the East Bay. If you’d like to get involved and show up more courageously, check out the following organizations that are doing meaningful work to support local immigrant communities and defend their rights.
Give to CAMP if you are looking for a one-stop-shop for community impact in the East Bay. Immigrant communities face many challenges, and CAMP supports organizing across issue areas and identities.
- Because no single organization can create the just and inclusive East Bay we all deserve, CAMP pools our community’s resources in a central fund to magnify our collective impact and accelerate change. In the 2024 fiscal year, CAMP mobilized $4.2M in strategic and responsive grants, enabling community leaders to focus on their missions of making the East Bay a better place to dream, heal, and belong. By making a gift to CAMP, you support EBCF’s core grantmaking as well as our leadership work across the East Bay.
Give to these groups if you are looking to support EBCF Core Grantees that are bringing organizations together to meet the collective needs of immigrant communities in the East Bay.
- Collaborative efforts are especially important at this moment. MUA and FIAEB are key leaders in organizing and defending immigrants in the East Bay. FIAEB is one of the lead organizations in the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, supporting individuals facing imminent risk of arrest by ICE. Both groups address these attacks at the policy level and directly with impacted individuals and families in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. This includes holding town hall meetings and Know Your Rights trainings, providing immediate services, and working with elected officials to ensure protection for vulnerable communities. MUA focuses on working women and is a resource for Mam-speaking immigrants from Guatemala and FIAEB has a faith-based approach.
Give to this organization if you are looking to fund local and frontline defense of East Bay immigrants, especially those facing deportation.
- Local organizations are positioned to make a substantial impact at this moment. Supporting groups like Centro Legal De La Raza, which has been working at the local level for decades, is an important way to support change here in the East Bay. Headquartered in Oakland, Centro Legal is leading efforts around deportation defense in the East Bay and across the Bay Area.
Give to these organizations if you want to support underrepresented African and Black immigrant communities.
- Both PAN and BAJI work at the intersection of immigrant and racial justice, building bridges between Black immigrants and African-American communities. BAJI’s community organizing efforts aim to advance racial, social and economic justice. PAN also specializes in leadership development, conducts a “Know Your Rights” workshop for community members, and has mental health services for those impacted by immigration related stress.
Give to this organization if you want to support individuals and families navigating pathways to citizenship, or if you are especially interested in supporting family reunification cases related to deportation.
- Among the many challenges facing immigrants, family separation has been and continues to be one of the most critical. IIBA is one of the organizations known for supporting reunification cases for refugees, temporary protective status holders, and their families. They also play a key role in supporting individuals in their pathway towards citizenship.
Download our Give Guide here for the list of organizations you can easily save and share with your network. This list is not meant to be comprehensive nor a blanket endorsement of these organizations’ programs, and as always, we encourage donors to do their own research. That said, this moment demands bold action. Wherever you choose to give, we invite you to give generously and join us in pushing back on hate and division and demanding a brighter, more just future for all.