Defying the odds
There’s no doubt about it. If someone had told me back in 2007—when we awarded just $14,000 to seven undocumented scholars—that in 2022 we’d be serving over 3,000 people through our grants, programs, and services; making over $2.8 million in grants to individuals; and reaching almost 750,000 people through our online resources, I’d have been utterly incredulous.
And yet, here we are! Immigrants Rising continues to grow, reaching more people across the state, and the country, than ever before. Whether it’s expanding access to in-state tuition for all students; creating safe virtual spaces for undocumented people to connect and process their experiences; or providing the resources and funds undocumented people need to launch their careers, pursue law school, and start their own businesses, I am deeply humbled and inspired by what we’ve been able to accomplish together.
Here’s an overview of the impact we’ll make in 2022-2023:
| Higher Education Impact |
17 higher education leaders in our Intersegmental Work Group will develop guidelines for the equitable administration of AB 540/SB 68 across California. 1500+ educators and administrators will receive specialized training and technical assistance to support undocumented students. 700,000 users will access our online resources about higher education including our In-State Tuition Tool and Scholarship List. |
| Career Programs Impact | 50 undocumented professionals will receive over 6,000 hours of training, mentorship, coaching, and hands-on career experience, six of whom will gain 2,715 hours towards their mental health provider licensure. |
| Law School Programs Impact |
60 undocumented students will participate in a “Pre-Law Bootcamp” with 12 hours of workshops about applying to law school. 10 undocumented students will receive $25,000 in “Pre-Law Fund” grants to cover the costs of applying to law school. 1,200 users will access our online law school resources for undocumented students. |
| Entrepreneurship Impact |
We will disburse $2,820,000 in micro-grants to undocumented entrepreneurs–including current and former DACA beneficiaries–to launch or grow their businesses. 500 undocumented SEED grantees will participate in 10 hours of workshops on business management. Our Spark entrepreneurship materials will be accessed by 13,000 users across 10 different states. |
| Legal Services Impact |
200 undocumented people—including 40 DACA beneficiaries—will learn about their immigration legal remedies through our online intake service. 12,000 users will access our legal resources translated into Spanish. |
| Mental Health Impact |
174 undocumented people will receive over 6,000 hours of individual therapy through our Mental Health Connector. 300 undocumented people–at least 40% of whom are DACA recipients–will receive 2,000 hours of support through our Wellness Support Groups. |
We can’t do this work alone. It’s thanks to the sustained support of community members like you that we are able to create so many opportunities for undocumented people to not just get by, but thrive. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I look forward to another year of defying the odds together!
Katharine Gin
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Immigrants Rising
