Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) and Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP) joined forces to research and produce Pursuing Democracy’s Promise: Newcomer Civic Participation in America to call the philanthropic community’s attention to the critical
importance of engaging immigrants and refugees in civic life and integrating them fully into our society.
Immigration in recent decades has transformed communities across the United States. Given the changing face of America, foundations are increasingly recognizing that their grantmaking strategies must respond to the needs and contributions of newcomers and, as importantly, ensure that newcomers join with the native born as full and vital participants in building strong, healthy communities.
This report seeks to help foundations across a range of funding interests understand the contributions immigrants and their children can make to their communities, when given opportunities through strong organizations. Using concrete examples, it also demonstrates the value of immigrant civic engagement in advancing broader community goals, from improving educational, health, and employment outcomes
to redistributing political power and building a more vibrant democracy.