Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition

Transcription

1 Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition General Information Contact Information Nonprofit Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition Address 2195 Nolensville Pike Nashville, TN Phone (615) Web Site Web Site Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter At A Glance Year of Incorporation 2003 TIRRC TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition 1

2 Mission & Impact Statements Mission The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration whose mission is to empower immigrants and refugees throughout Tennessee to develop a unified voice, defend their rights, and create an atmosphere in which they are recognized as positive contributors to the state. Background In January of 2001, immigrant service providers came together in a groundbreaking and successful campaign to advance a bill in the Tennessee state legislature that would provide licenses to drivers without social security numbers. As an outgrowth of this success, and the need for a statewide organization focused on the needs of Tennessee s rapidly growing immigrant population, a critical mass of groups decided to form statewide immigrant rights coalition. Since our founding, TIRRC has grown from an informal network of community leaders into one of the most diverse and effective coalitions of its kind, a model for immigrant rights organizations in the Southeast. Tennessee has one of the fastest growing immigrant population of any state in the country. The tensions and anxieties that arise from rapidly shifting demographics has created fertile ground for acts of hate and a climate for extreme anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policy. Since we were founded we have defeated more than 150 anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies. Impact Now in our fourteenth year, we are nationally recognized for our multiethnic, multigenerational coalition building, effective legislative advocacy, and award-winning communications initiatives. We organize individual immigrants and refugees, as well as organizations that serve immigrant and refugee communities. We believe that real and lasting change must be led by those directed affected by injustice, and for this reason community organizing and leadership development are the core strategies we use to realize our vision. We bring together diverse immigrant communities throughout the state to examine root causes, find common interests, and organize for better conditions. We strive to lift up the voices of directly affected people and invest in leaders at the grassroots level, and to ensure our theory of change is reflected in the way we make decisions, in the work we undertake today, and in the course we set for the future.we invest in public policy campaigns as a vehicle to build community power and to improve the lives of our members. Each year our coalition has become stronger and the immigrant community has become more powerful and organized. We have increasingly marginalized antiimmigrant policies and made space for more pro-immigrant legislation -- including defeating all anti-immigrant bills every year for three years. Needs Our 2015 strategic planning process mapped our growth trajectory and determined where best to focus our capacity. The vision that was cast is one focused on expanding the reach and impact of TIRRC through three key areas: policy, external capacity building, and internal leadership development. In the policy arena, we have a goal of creating and leading policy change, being the key convener and coalition builder around immigrant issues, and increasingly becoming a force that builds and wields political power. External capacity building will result in training and resource offerings to develop strong immigrant leaders and organizations statewide, and allow us to mobilize the largest, most diverse group in Tennessee. We also want to build capacity that enables the implementation of strategic direct services that build the capacity of our partner organizations, defend our policy wins, and help immigrants overcome systemic barriers. Internally, we want to operate out of a comprehensive membership engagement strategy, become a recognized presence throughout the state, build a sustainable funding model, implement a balanced, effective internal organizational model, and establish a connected external communication system. Other ways to donate, support, or volunteer You may also donate or become a monthly sustainer for as little as $5 per month and provide ongoing support to help us empower immigrants and refugees in Tennessee by calling our office or mailing a check to our mailing address. Visit to view upcoming volunteer opportunities. 2

3 Service Categories Primary Organization Category Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy / Minority Rights Secondary Organization Category Human Services / Ethnic/Immigrant Services Tertiary Organization Category Public & Societal Benefit / Citizen Participation Areas of Service Areas Served TN As we look ahead, we will focus our organizing efforts on Latino and undocumented communities, Muslim/Arab/South Asian communities, and Black immigrant communities who we believe will be the most vulnerable. We are a statewide organization with individual and organizational members across Tennessee. We focus our leadership development and organizing in 24 main cities/clusters throughout East, Middle, and West Tennessee. 3

4 Programs Programs Overview of Programs & Accomplishments Description Population Served We meet immigrants and refugees wherever they are on a continuum of escalating engagement. In initial stages, immigrants, refugees, and their allies come to TIRRC through our direct services -- an average of 25,000 people come to TIRRC annually through our resource referrals hotline, informational sessions, and legal services. In addition to the broad community education we do, we provide direct assistance to an average of 5,000 individuals in overcoming specific barriers to integration-- for example, assisting individuals in applying for citizenship and English classes. Through an empowerment model of service delivery, we then connect these individuals to community-building and leadership development opportunities to address the issues they face, for example, access to health care, educational opportunities, and affordable housing. For most of our members, this happens through connecting individuals to existing local organizing committees and campaigns. These committees are spaces for education, trainings and leadership development, and hubs for local organizing efforts, and they have led our work around local, state and national issues that impact immigrant communities. In committees and campaign spaces, we convene community members to develop solutions and strategies to reduce or eliminate barriers. For example, when an undocumented students calls us seeking information about going to college, we connect these individuals to our youth groups and our ongoing campaign for tuition equality - which would grant in-state tuition to DACA recipients. Since the election, we have developed new community education curricula, legal services, and organizing spaces to meet the urgent needs of communities impacted by recent immigration policy shifts.we invest in public policy campaigns as a vehicle to build community power and to improve the lives of our members. Since our founding, we ve successfully defeated more than 150 anti-immigrant bills in the state legislature. Each year our coalition has become stronger and the immigrant community has become more powerful and organized. Since 2013, we had increasingly marginalized anti-immigrant policies and made space for more pro-immigrant legislation -- including defeating all anti-immigrant bills every year for three years and coming within just one vote of passing a bill to grant in-state tuition for undocumented students. Immigrant, Newcomers, Refugees, At-Risk Populations, Minorities 4

5 Governance Board Chair Board Chair Mr. Claudio Mosse Company Affiliation Vanderbilt University Medical Center Term Apr 2017 to Apr Board Members Name Affiliation Status Mr. Abey Lissane Ethiopian Community Association in Nashville (ECAN) Voting Mr. Jeger Ali Metro Nashville Public Schools Voting Ms. Andrea Blackman Nashville Public Library Voting Ms. Dania Cruz Comite de Mujeres Voting Ms. Valeria Gomez Volunteer Immigrant Defense Advocates (VIDA) East Tennessee Voting Mr. Daniel Heacock HCA Voting Ms. Katherine Ledezma-Soto JUMP Voting Mr. Claudio Mosse Vanderbilt University Medical Center Voting Ms. Jazmin Ramirez JUMP Voting Ms. Ivette Ramos Radio Ambiente Voting Mr. Arturo Salomon JUMP Voting Ms. Molly Sehring MNPS Voting Ms. Chay Sengkhounmany Sengkhounmany Law Voting Mr. Fuad Suleman Asurion Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 1 Asian American/Pacific Islander 1 Caucasian 2 Hispanic/Latino 7 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 3 Middle Eastern/African Board Demographics - Gender Male 6 Female 8 Unspecified 0 5

6 Governance Board Term Lengths 3 Board Term Limits 0 Board Meeting Attendance % 85% Written Board Selection Criteria? Written Conflict of Interest Policy? No Percentage Making Monetary Contributions 86% Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions 100% Constituency Includes Client Representation Number of Full Board Meetings Annually 6 Standing Committees Advisory Board Finance Strategic Planning Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts Program / Program Planning CEO Comments SNashTIRRC expects its board members to take a somewhat broader leadership role than might be required for other nonprofit boards. TIRRC sees the Board as its conscience, listening to the organization s immigrant and refugee base, ensuring that the organization remains faithful to its Founding Principles, and using both of the preceding criteria as the basis for decision-making and oversight. TIRRC s board of directors has 19 slots, with at least 2/3 of the board elected by the organizational membership at the Annual Membership Convention. Board members serve three-year terms, serving no more than three terms consecutively. 6

7 Management Executive Director/CEO Executive Director Ms. Lindsey Harris Term Start May Co-CEO Co-CEO Ms. Stephanie Teatro Term Start May Former CEOs Name Term Mr. Stephen Fotopulos June May 2014 Mr. David Lubell Jan June 2008 Staff Full Time Staff 18 Part Time Staff 0 Volunteers 500 Contractors 10 Retention Rate 0% Plans & Policies Does the organization have a documented Fundraising Plan? Does the organization have an approved Strategic Plan? Number of years Strategic Plan Considers 3 When was Strategic Plan adopted? Dec 2015 In case of a change in leadership, is a Management Succession plan in place? No Does the organization have a Policies and Procedures Plan? Does the organization have a Nondiscrimination Policy? 7

8 Does the organization have a Whistle Blower Policy? No Does the organization have a Document Destruction Policy? CEO Comments One of TIRRC s central challenges is balancing proactive work that meets the needs of a growing community, while also responding to backlash and working to defeat anti-immigrant legislation. Recent global tragedies and the rhetoric of presidential politics have again triggered violent backlash against immigrant and refugee communities, locally and nationally. What was once considered fringe in Tennessee is now becoming the mainstream in the US political climate. In Tennessee, polling after the March 2016 primaries showed that 75% of republican voters agreed with banning Muslims, and 50% supported deporting all undocumented immigrants. We are continually weighing how to respond to the resurgence of devastating barriers while advancing our goals. In 2016, we will work to leverage the infrastructure and strength of communities that we built over time to withstand the volatile climate. We have several opportunities for proactive work in 2016 engaging in the presidential election and building the power of the immigrant vote, the potential to implement DACA and DAPA, and hosting the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Nashville in December. We will also use the backlash to engage in coalition building and multiethnic organizing around our priority and emerging campaigns. We will continue to align our capacity to invest in these movement building opportunities to advance immigrants rights in Tennessee while continuing to try and shift the rhetoric and prevent anti-immigrant policies from taking root. Over the next year, our goals are to continue to build our base of individual and organizational members; expand and strengthen our community organizing and leadership development initiatives to develop strong leaders and organizations statewide; improve the lives of immigrant and refugees through strategic policy advocacy at the local, state, and federal level; develop our infrastructure and capacity around policy through deepening our expertise, convening key partners, building strategic coalitions, and building political power for immigrant communities; and build the power of immigrant and refugees through promoting naturalization, registering voters, and mobilizing immigrant and refugee voters to go to the polls. 8

9 Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start Jan Fiscal Year End Dec Projected Revenue $1,866, Projected Expenses $1,846, Endowment Value $0.00 Endowment Spending Policy N/A Endowment Spending Percentage (if selected) 0% Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Total Revenue $1,681,859 $1,935,988 $1,082,734 Total Expenses $1,300,021 $1,786,395 $1,017,007 Revenue Sources Foundation and Corporation $0 $0 $0 Contributions Government Contributions $0 $0 $0 Federal $0 $0 $0 State $0 $0 $0 Local $0 $0 $0 Unspecified $0 $0 $0 Individual Contributions $1,580,417 $1,409,412 $990,042 Indirect Public Support $0 $0 $0 Earned Revenue $31,308 $474,645 $25,554 Investment Income, Net of Losses $0 $0 $0 Membership Dues $0 $0 $0 Special Events $34,856 $23,571 $32,195 Revenue In-Kind $0 $0 $0 Other $35,278 $28,360 $34,943 9

10 Expense Allocation Program Expense $1,109,736 $1,488,247 $714,551 Administration Expense $109,637 $178,172 $160,765 Fundraising Expense $80,648 $119,976 $141,691 Payments to Affiliates $0 Total Revenue/Total Expenses Program Expense/Total Expenses 85% 83% 70% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 5% 8% 14% Assets and Liabilities Total Assets $983,216 $619,228 $400,955 Current Assets $975,987 $614,039 $393,961 Long-Term Liabilities $0 $0 $0 Current Liabilities $62,334 $136,912 $68,232 Total Net Assets $920,882 $482,316 $332,723 Short Term Solvency Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 0% 0% 0% Top Funding Sources Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Contributions, Gifts and Grants $1,580,417 Contributions, Gifts and Grants $1,409,412 Contributions, Gifts and Grants $990,042 Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Other Revenue Program Revenue Other Revenue Amount $35,278 $474,645 $34,943 Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Fundraising Events $34,856 Other Revenue $28,360 Fundraising Events $32,195 Capital Campaign Is the organization currently conducting a Capital Campaign for an endowment or the purchase of a major asset? No Capital Campaign Goal $0.00 Capital Campaign Raised-to-Date Amount $0.00 as of 0 Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years? State Charitable Solicitations Permit TN Charitable Solicitations Registration - Expires June 2019 Registration No 0 Organization Comments Part of TIRRC's mission is to build the capacity of other organizations and the immigrant rights movement, and as such we serve as the fiscal sponsor for several related organizations and events. In FY 2016, we are serving as the fiscal sponsor for the Southeast Immigrants Rights Network (SEIRN), the Cumberland Hispanic Festival, 10

11 and the National Immigrant Integration Conference. Because these are all managed financially as different "projects" of TIRRC by GAAP standards, this balance sheet includes revenues, expenses, and net assets for all three projects in addition to TIRRC's specific revenues, expenses, and net assets. All of this financial data is also included on our 990 in our annual external audit. Overall we are in strong financial health, and have now surpassed our pre-recession budget, after downsizing for several years. Slightly more than 75% of our income comes from diversified grant streams, and we have invested significantly in our non-fundraising over the past four years. As such we are on relatively firm financial foundation and are excited to continue our growth to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing immigrant and refugee community. GivingMatters.com Financial Comments Financial figures are taken from the 990. Financial documents prepared by Blankenship CPA Group, PLLC. Comments provided by Kathryn Bennett 12/18/18. Created Copyright 2019 The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee 11