A Three-Pronged Strategy

Supporting Our Immigrant Neighbors is a three-pronged strategy to protect, support and stand alongside the more than one million foreign-born people in Greater Boston and Massachusetts—a commitment to service and compassion in the face of mounting social inequities, so we might contribute to a more just society, improve lives and strengthen communities.

We begin with protection. Immigrant families, and the organizations that serve them, are under increasing pressure, and demand for legal support is rising quickly. We will expand our support of legal aid and community-based efforts that defend rights, provide representation, and help families navigate systems that have become increasingly complex and intimidating.  

We must also prepare ourselves and our communities for the longer-term fight. Beginning with a specially-focused round of our Safety Net Grants program, providing over $1.4 million to immigrant-focused and -serving organiations, we will  provide direct, flexible resources to help our partners respond to ongoing needs and prevent families from falling further behind. 

Advancing this work also depends on truth-telling. At a time when too much of the public conversation about immigrants has been driven by misinformation, and access to data is being limited and distorted, we will redouble our commitment to credible research.

Boston Indicators, alongside other immigrant-focused research organizations, will pair data with the powerful stories of lived experience to inform public understanding, guide philanthropic investment, and support policies rooted in evidence. We will also partner with a diverse group of storytellers to elevate the narratives, contributions, and diverse lived experiences of immigrant communities.