Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Inc. (MIRA Coalition)

Transcription

1 Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Inc. (MIRA Coalition) General Information 105 Chauncy Street, Suite 901 Boston, MA (617) Website Organization Contact Sue Parsons Year of Incorporation

2 Statements & Search Criteria Mission Statement The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) protects and promotes the rights and opportunities of immigrants and refugees across the Commonwealth. MIRA advances this mission through education and training, leadership development, organizing, strategic communications, policy analysis and advocacy. Today, MIRA fights for the rights of nearly 1 million foreign born people in the state, who make up 15% of our population and 18% of MA s workforce. MIRA was founded in 1987 in response to President Ronald Reagan's signing of the nation's last major immigration overhaul, IRCA, a 1986 law that legalized some three million immigrants. The Coalition's immediate purpose was to become a voice for these newly legalized residents. But the founders also had a larger vision: to develop a member-driven coalition that would regularly work for the interests of all the foreign-born residents of the Commonwealth. At the same time, similar coalitions developed in other states with large immigrant populations. As these groups built a nationwide network, MIRA became an effective advocate in Washington as well as in Massachusetts. Still, for much of its first decade, the organization remained primarily a "policy shop" with a small full-time staff. This changed after the welfare reform law and the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, whose new restrictions on immigrants demanded a renewed political response. By the time founding director Muriel Heiberger departed in 2000, MIRA had grown to a dozen staff members, and it had become a visible actor on the national political stage as well as a behind-the-scenes analyzer and advocate. By its 20th anniversary in 2007, MIRA had again redoubled its efforts. Twenty years after President Reagan's partial immigration overhaul, the organization became a leading voice in a new national movement for comprehensive immigration reform, backed by the crucial support of Senator Edward Kennedy. Around the same time, MIRA also founded and supported the Student Immigrant Movement (SIM), opened a sister office in New Hampshire, became a leading defender of those affected by the immigration raids in New Bedford, and contributed to significant policy changes in the raids' wake. Looking ahead, MIRA continues to nurture partnerships with state and federal agencies to significantly improve the lives of immigrants and refugees. "Even in the brightest future, we have much work to do", says Eva Millona, who joined MIRA in 1999 and became Executive Director in "As a citizen-by-choice myself, I believe with all my heart that the work we do here is essential to this nation's great ongoing experiment in democracy and freedom." 2

3 Impact Statement Launching a Model Integration Institute In the fall of 2011, MIRA launched the New American Integration Institute. With the support of The Boston Foundation and an advisory board made up of key leaders in in the public, private and nonprofit sectors, the NAII combines research with on-the-ground projects that help immigrants and refugees find solid footing in their adopted country. Holding Secure Communities at Bay After advocates successfully argued that the program makes our communities less secure by destroying the bond of trust between local law enforcement and immigrant communities, the Patrick administration declined to sign his administration onto the federal Secure Communities program. This flawed program sends the fingerprints of anyone arrested by local police through a federal immigration database, flagging matches for deportation. Despite these efforts, Secure Communities was implemented nationally in May MIRA continues to work at every level to counsel immigrants and to voice our deep misgivings about the program. Engaging New Citizens and New Voters MIRA has implemented a comprehensive civic engagement program, which includes a media campaign to encourage green-card holders to apply for citizenship and events to help them with the difficult process. As part of the Greater Boston Citizenship Initiative, led by the Fish Family Foundation, and the statewide Become a Citizen Now campaign, supported by the Open Society Foundation, we work with members and dozens of volunteers at citizenship events that draw attendees from around the state and beyond. We then also register new citizens to vote at naturalization ceremonies, and organize Get Out The Vote drives around elections to complete the process of helping immigrants gain their civic voice. Needs Statement Citizenship Promotion & Services $100,000 New American s Integration Institute $75,000 AmeriCorps Program (NAIP) $50,000 Comprehensive Immigration Reform Efforts $50,000 Education/Early Childhood Services for Immigrants $25,000 3

4 CEO/Executive Director Statement My first direct encounter with MIRA was in the Hall of Flags. I was attending the 1998 Immigrants Day at the State House as director of the refugee resettlement program in central Massachusetts, and I remember the excitement of seeing a group working on policies that affected so many of those I had come to know as a direct service provider. In July 1999, I got the opportunity to join that group by overseeing a state and national citizenship project. Twelve years later, I am proud to say I have been with the Coalition for half its life. From this vantage, I can see how much our growth reflects the growth of immigrants in the Bay State. MIRA s organizational membership has grown by over 50 percent since I joined, and Massachusetts Hispanic and Asian communities have grown by almost as much. For that matter, half the state s PhDs are now foreign-born; half again as many immigrants graduated from college in 2010 as did in 2000; and since MIRA s founding, the total immigrant representation in the state has also grown by half. Massachusetts and the nation have also reached something of a half-way point in our policies and attitudes towards immigrants. The current immigration wave has made our communities more vibrant, but the problems with our immigration system have grown worse. Will we move forward on immigration, or continue to slip backward? Since I became Executive Director in December 2008, MIRA has responded to this question by expanding work on integration of the foreign-born, building bridges among the native-born, and expanding our work in New Hampshire with the NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees. In the last few years we have partnered on two concerted citizenship campaigns, reaching out to 35,000 green-card holders eligible for citizenship. We have also reached out to close to 15,000 immigrant friendly voters and worked to bring 20,000 voters to the polls last November. We ve engaged native-born communities too, with art events, film screenings, and integration talks. And we ve raised our collective voice at the State House, defeating anti-immigrant amendments three years in a row, securing crucial budget-line items, and taking Immigrants Day at the State House to new heights, with over 1,000 participants in To top it off, we launched a nationally replicable model with the New Americans Integration Institute, covering issues from professional credentialing to entrepreneurship, and we cofounded and co-chaired the National Partnership for New Americans. As an adult newcomer to this nation myself, I was fortunate to move smoothly from my professional life in Albania to my life as an advocate here, following the same promise of peace and prosperity that have brought the vast majority of new Americans to this country. For 25 years, MIRA has helped realize that promise, not just for the foreign-born, but for everyone. I look forward to working with all of you in the years ahead as we take that promise from the half-way mark to fulfillment. 4

5 Board Chair Statement Everyone knew Muriel Heiberger. Back in 1987, she was one of many dedicated advocates, all of us doing our particular piece at our particular organizations. Muriel had the idea to link the pieces, to create a coalition to manage all the changes set in motion by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of Even if we didn t all immediately become part of this simple but powerful new idea, I remember it touched us, including me, as I worked on a national policy study. After all, Muriel was already a hub unto herself. By 1990, the new MIRA Coalition had become a national as well as a local stakeholder, and I began to work directly with the group on the national push to establish Temporary Protected Status, with an eye to the plight of New England s Salvadoran community. In 1996, with the passage of welfare reform, the notion of a coalition grew even more vital as we all banded to confront the setbacks to immigrant rights. As with all organizations, MIRA went through some growing pains, but by the time of the New Bedford raid in 2007, it had already begun to implement the idea of institutional organizing, a concept that helped transform the nature of the Coalition. Working with other organizations in New Bedford and beyond, it would help forge the most effective state, regional and national response ever seen to a mass immigrant arrest. I was proud to be part of that response, and I was proud to be asked to join MIRA s board shortly thereafter to represent my organization, Greater Boston Legal Services. Now, as Board President, I am again very proud, not only of MIRA s past and wonderful staff, but to play a role in helping oversee the next phase of the transformation. As the issue of immigration grows more heated, MIRA has responded by extending its reach to advocate for all foreign-born residents of the region, acting on the truth that we are all interconnected parts of a nation of immigrants. Now, everyone knows Eva Millona and the MIRA staff not only locally and regionally, but also increasingly nationally and internationally. In the age of the wireless Internet and globalization, we may no longer need hubs to make connections, but MIRA knows that the connections themselves are more varied and vital than ever. Service Categories Minority Rights Alliances & Advocacy Geographic Areas Served Massachusetts Statewide New Hampshire Please review online profile for full list of selected areas served. 5

6 Programs Policy & Advocacy Description MIRA provides members, policy makers, and the media with timely and accurate analysis of immigration law, policy, and budget items at both the federal and state levels. We are the only voice exclusively representing the rights and integration of the foreign-born on Beacon Hill, and the primary voice representing New England in the coordinated national effort to improve priorities on Capitol Hill. Budget Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, General/Other Immigrants' Rights Adults, Families, Children and Youth (0-19 years) During the legislative season we work closely with our allies to further bills such as the English Language Learners bill, in-state tuition equity bills, the temp workers right-to-know bill, and the recently passed landmark anti-human trafficking bill. Legislative Advocacy Since its founding, MIRA has worked directly with policymakers to effect change on the state and national level, focusing our efforts on budget items and bills that will affect immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts. Our constant work throughout the budget season has resulted in funding for programs like adult basic education, domestic violence services, and citizenship preparedness. Policy Advocacy, aiming to strengthen the pro-immigrant voice in the State House, maintain at least level state and federal funding for immigrant services, tap the growth in the minority vote to defeat anti-immigrant legislation and budget amendments, and further implement the New Americans Agenda with the new research, networking and advocacy muscle provided by the Institute. For over 25 years, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) has been the leading organization in New England promoting the rights and successful integration of immigrants and refugees. The Coalition s leadership was essential to the state s adoption in 2009 of a New Americans Agenda with 131 recommendations for improving the integration of foreign-born residents of the Commonwealth. 6

7 Institutional Organizing Description Organizing has become one of MIRA s largest components. While we do some grassroots organizing through projects such as our Get out the Vote and ongoing Democracy School campaigns, most of our organizing informs and empowers our member organizations and the immigrant communities they serve. This unites them behind common causes, but also supports them so they can effect local change. Budget Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, General/Other Immigrants' Rights Immigrant, Newcomers, Refugees, Families, Adults The annual 2-day Democracy School is MIRA s cornerstone for leadership development not only for immigrant issues but across social justice movements. Participants bring their new skills and knowledge back to their communities, and also participate in MIRA s actions, bringing cross-sector weight to our campaigns. MIRA runs Welcoming MA and Welcoming NH campaigns to enable honest conversation among ordinary folks, so immigrants and non-immigrants may express their concerns and hear from one another addressing issues in ways that advocacy cannot, and directly impacting the day-to-day safety and well-being of immigrants. MIRA s Organizing and Civic Participation work grows the clout of MA s immigrant constituency to define policies that directly impact their lives and ensures that the legislative agenda we fight for is backed by a visible, vocal constituency. Alliances driven by member organizations take root across communities and boost the sustainability of a movement. Such alliance building is the lifeblood of MIRA s model, fueling our processes, actions, and successes at both state and national levels. 7

8 Examples of Program Success MIRA convenes monthly meetings, provides legal and legislative analysis and strategy, liaises with bill sponsors, and outreaches to build institutional support, such as organizing community events to grow grassroots support, and outreach to their local police chiefs, workers, or others with whom they have relationships. The leveraging of each partner s strengths helps ensure genuine ownership of the campaigns we work on. MIRA has organized hundreds of immigrants to speak out for workers rights, alongside African American, LGBTQ, women, youth, interfaith, low income, and labor constituencies. MIRA brought this muscle to bear in defeating over three dozen anti-immigrant amendments that were added to the FY14 State budget and other major bills filed in the spring and summer of Together with our allies, we achieved over $700,000 in increased funding for programs of importance to immigrants, with over $43 million allotted to MIRA s priority line items. 8

9 New Americans Integration Institute (NAIP) Description NAII is a newly launched division of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) which focuses on the integration of newcomers into the civic, economic, and social life of America. The Institute works through direct, onthe-ground integration projects coupled with community-based research to directly shape integration policy and programming and enhance the image of immigrants in our society and public discourse Budget Category Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, General/Other Immigrants' Rights Population Served Immigrant, Newcomers, Refugees, Adults, Children Only (5-14 years) 9

10 Program Short Term Success Short Term Success includes: v Providing naturalization to thousands of eligible lawful permanent residents through group processing clinics and individual case management support v Leading a federally funded initiative to train early childhood educators and care providers statewide to work better with children of immigrants by employing culturally sensitive practices, aiming to close the opportunity gap; v Improving access to higher education through training and education for students, parents, guidance counselors and others; v Impacting high poverty rates among foreign-trained immigrant professionals by streamlining the re-credentialing process and advancing career pathways for those wishing to re-enter careers for which they trained. (20.1% of college-educated immigrants [46,000 individuals] were either unemployed or working in lowskilled jobs between 2009 and 2011.[1]); and v Building financial, institutional and community infrastructure to support the growth of immigrant entrepreneurship and celebrate the significance of immigrant-led businesses. [1] Migration Policy Institute analysis of U.S. Census 2011 American Community Survey data Program Long term Success MIRA s New Americans Integration Institute is implementing its Pipeline for Immigrant Professionals Project to impact high poverty rates among immigrants by improving services for foreigntrained professionals who wish to re-enter careers for which they trained. The Institute also is responding to the new federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy by helping those eligible --17,000 in MA --to access higher education (at instate tuition rates) and work permits. Together with the MA Office for Refugees and Immigrants, the Institute is also providing training for early education and care (EEC) providers statewide to address culturally sensitive practices for working with children of immigrants, aiming to close the opportunity gap for these children. 10

11 Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success In 2010, MIRA co-founded the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), through which MIRA and the Institute work regionally to provide leadership and training to our members, with a focus on seeding our group processing model of naturalization application assistance, and nationally to craft integration principles with a focus on ESOL, citizenship, workforce development, and access to legal and other services. The Institute s AmeriCorps New American Integration Program (NAIP) parallels and provides grassroots support to our citizenship work. Launched in partnership with the MA Office for Refugees and Immigrants and English for New Bostonians, NAIP matches AmeriCorps Members each year with immigrant service providers in Boston, New Bedford, and Lynn. These Members have assisted thousands of clients with learning English, obtaining citizenship and basic services, job readiness, and pursuing opportunities to help them achieve economic stability. I The Institute s AmeriCorps New American Integration Program (NAIP) parallels and provides grassroots support to our citizenship work. Launched in partnership with the MA Office for Refugees and Immigrants and English for New Bostonians, NAIP matches AmeriCorps Members each year with immigrant service providers in Boston, New Bedford, and Lynn. These Members have assisted thousands of clients with learning English, obtaining citizenship and basic services, job readiness, and pursuing opportunities to help them achieve economic stability. 11

12 Training, Leadership Development and Strategic Communications Description We offer trainings throughout the year with an eye toward developing a new generation of immigrant leaders. Public trainings are listed on our website calendar and noted in our MIRA Bulletin. MIRA unites its departments through its communications work, with the fundamental goal of educating the public about the foreign-born and providing members and allies with supportive information via traditional and new media. Budget Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, General/Other Immigrants' Rights Adults, General/Unspecified, The MIRA Coalition is regularly featured in numerous local, regional, national and ethnic news media platforms, via print, radio and television. Impacting Public Debate: MIRA uses strategic communications and public events to enhance the image of immigrants in our public discourse. We conduct educational activities to train interfaith, business, and civic groups to reach out to non-immigrants; highlight immigrant stories in press releases and through our Welcoming MA campaign (focused in Framingham and Milford); and conduct media trainings, expand social media (especially Twitter), and highlight economic benefits of immigration to MA. MIRA offers trainings throughout the year to provide support and resources to our members, but with an eye toward developing a new generation of immigrant leaders and empowering our members to advocate for change. Our three-day Immigration Law Training updates legal professionals on best practices in the field of immigration law, while our Know Your Rights training informs individuals of their basic rights in dealing with law enforcement. We also try to foster better understanding with the ABC s of Immigration, educating diverse groups of people, including legislators, about our complex immigration system. Some address current issues, such as our series of trainings on Secure Communities in 2011, while others cover topics from organizing to media relations. MIRA aims to change the terms of the debate to broaden the audience for immigration reform and rights beyond the base, aiming for the "moveable middle" and those "unsure" about their opinions of immigrants. This work diversifies messengers to forge alliances with audiences who trust them, increases the visibility of immigrants and responds to stereotypes or divisive rhetoric with positive portrayals of immigrants. 12

13 Examples of Program Success MIRA has also played a key role shaping national immigrant integration policy, as co-chair of the National Partnership for New Americans which unites the twelve largest immigrant advocacy organizations nationwide. MIRA s role and immigrant integration models has been featured in national and international conferences. MIRA s challenge is twofold: changing public perception of immigrants, and disseminating our message more effectively in all channels, online and print media. Although MA is a very progressive state politically, many communities still express misconceptions toward the state s burgeoning immigrant population. This requires the fostering of positive immigrant messages, which means encouraging stories in traditional media outlets, while also getting the message out everywhere from blogs to social networking sites. The more our messaging is disseminated the easiest it is to publicize events, trainings and other activities MIRA organizes. 13

14 Management CEO/Executive Director Executive Director Ms. Eva A Millona Term Start July emillona@miracoalition.org Experience Eva Millona is Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. She has been with the organization for almost 15 years, working as the director of Policy and Advocacy and as Deputy Director. Prior to joining MIRA in July, 1999, Eva directed the resettlement program at the Friendly House, Inc.in Central MA. In her native Albania, she practiced civil and criminal law. From , Eva served as a judge in Tirana s District Court. Outside of MIRA, Eva is the co-chair of the Governor s Advisory Council on Refugees and Immigrants and also sits on the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights. Eva is a graduate of Clark University and of Tirana University, School of Law. She is the recipient of the 2009 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service s Outstanding American by Choice Award, the 2007 Political Asylum Immigration Representation Project (PAIR) Detention Attorney Award, and the 2007 National Lawyers Guild Legal Professional Award. Most recently, Wainwright Bank awarded her the prestigious 2010 Social Justice Award. She is a frequent speaker on immigration policy and immigrant integration. Senior Staff Mr. Sarang Sekhavat Title Experience/Biography Director of Federal Policy Prior to joining MIRA in April 2008, Sarang was an immigrant rights advocate in New York City. There he designed a legal training program for the Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans, and he served as the Interim- Director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's New York Office. Sarang received his J.D. frombrooklyn Law School in 2005, his master's in International Relations from Boston University in 2004, and his bachelor's from Tufts in Dr. Jeff Gross Title Experience/Biography Director of the New Americans Integration Institute eff joined MIRA after many years in academia and high technology and extensive public policy research on workforce development, immigrant entrepreneurship, and educational issues impacting Massachusetts' immigrant communities. He holds a PhD in medieval studies and linguistics from Harvard University, and a Master of Public Policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. His work at The Institute focuses on policy research and on-the-ground integration projects driven by this research, primarily in the areas of access to education, economic development, and citizenship services. 14

15 Ms. Sue Parsons Title Development Coordinator Experience/Biography Staff Information Full Time Staff Part Time Staff Volunteers Contractors Staff Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 2 Asian American/Pacific Islander 1 Caucasian 8 Hispanic/Latino 2 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 Staff Demographics - Gender Male Female Unspecified Formal Evaluations CEO Formal Evaluation CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation Frequency Senior Management Formal Evaluation Senior Management Formal Evaluation Frequency NonManagement Formal Evaluation Non Management Formal Evaluation Frequency Annually Annually Annually Plans & Policies Organization has a Fundraising Plan? Organization has a Strategic Plan? Years Strategic Plan Considers 5 15

16 Date Strategic Plan Adopted Jan 2010 Does your organization have a Business Continuity of Operations Plan? Management Succession Plan? Organization Policy and Procedures Nondiscrimination Policy Whistleblower Policy Document Destruction Policy Directors and Officers Insurance Policy Is your organization licensed by the Government? Registration Permit? Under Development No Collaborations The MIRA Coalition works with over 130 member organizations and many other allies across the state, ranging from community-based organizations to labor unions to law firms, and more. We collaborate to organize, mobilize, and educate our communities to build power and strength. MIRA and a wide set of allies have successfully promoted just, humane and workable immigration reform campaign, and major improvements to refugee resettlement programs. MIRA and its allies have improved the well-being of all Americans by improving opportunities for quality health care, strong safety net services, livable wage jobs, access to quality housing, education, training and has promoted full implementation of the 2009 Massachusetts New Americans Agenda including broad access to English language classes, model civic engagement and leadership development programs, citizenship enhancement and entrepreneurship programs design to offer opportunities for stronger partnership, and fundraising collaboration with MIRA members. Awards Awards Award/Recognition Organization Year 2013 E Pluribus Unum WINNER Migration Policy Institute

17 Board & Governance Board Chair Board Chair Mr. John Willshire-Carrera Company Affiliation Greater Boston Legal Services Term June 2011 to July Board Members Name Affiliation Status Serge Bologov Russian Community Association of MA Voting Carolyn Crowley Eastern Bank Voting Philip Gordon Gordon Law Group, LLP Voting Mossik Hacobian Higher Ground Voting Mark Kosmo The Mentor Group Voting Juliana Langille Claudia Marcela Paez Community Connections of Brockton Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ Voting Voting Raphaella Poteau Barton Gilman LLP Voting John Shayeb 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Voting Janet Slovin Retired Voting Courtney Snegroff SEIU Local 615 Voting Bishop Filipe Teixeira Immigration Pastoral Center Voting Corinn Williams Community Economic Development of Center MA Voting John Willshire-Carrera Greater Boston Legal Services Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 1 Asian American/Pacific Islander 0 Caucasian 10 Hispanic/Latino 3 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 Board Demographics - Gender Male Female

18 Unspecified 0 Board Information Board Term Lengths Number of Full Board Meetings Annually Board Meeting Attendance % Written Board Selection Criteria? Written Conflict of Interest Policy? Percentage Making Monetary Contributions Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions Constituency Includes Client Representation % Under Development Under Development 30% 100% Standing Committees By-laws Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts Executive Finance Membership Comments Everyone knew Muriel Heiberger. Back in 1987, she was one of many dedicated advocates in the region working on immigration issues, all of us doing our particular piece at our particular organizations. Muriel had the idea to link the pieces into something greater than the sum of its parts, to create a coalition to manage all the changes set in motion by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of Even if we didn't all immediately become part of this simple but powerful new idea, I remember it touched us, including me, as I worked on a national policy study. After all, Muriel was already a hub unto herself. By 1990, the new MIRA Coalition had become a national as well as a local stakeholder, and I began to work directly with the group on the national push to establish Temporary Protected Status, with an eye to helping New England's Salvadoran community. In 1996, with the passage of welfare reform, the notion of a coalition grew even more vital as we all banded to confront the setbacks to immigrant rights. As with all organizations, MIRA went through some growing pains, but by the time of the New Bedford raid in 2007, it had already begun to implement the idea of institutional organizing, a concept that helped transform the nature of the coalition, and would help forge the most effective state, regional and national response ever seen to a mass immigrant arrest. Thanks to MIRA's response, within hours of the raid, a response was already set in motion that helped change government policies, and that awoke our state to the mothers, fathers and children in their midst being dehumanized by a broken system. I 18

19 was proud to be part of that response, and I was proud to be asked to join MIRA's board shortly thereafter to represent my organization, Greater Boston Legal Services. Now, as Board President, I am again proud to help oversee the next phase of the transformation. As the issue of immigration grows more heated, MIRA has responded by extending its reach to advocate for all foreign-born residents of the region, to bring home the idea that we are all interconnected parts of a nation of immigrants. On our 25th anniversary, in the age of the wireless Internet, we may no longer need hubs to make connections, but MIRA knows that the connections themselves are more varied and vital than ever. John Wilshire- Carrera, President of The Board of Directors 19

20 Impact The MIRA Coalition's mission is to promote and enhance the rights and integration of immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts. Together with our 130+ members, as well as hundreds of allies, we fight for the rights of the nearly 1 million foreign-born people who comprise 14.9% of Massachusetts' population and 17.9% of our workforce. MIRA combines member training, community education, policy advocacy, institutional organizing, academic and community-based research, and strategic communications, to drive policy change and on-the-ground initiatives toward our long-term goal of full integration of immigrants and refugees into the civic, social and economic fabric of their new communities, cities, and country. Our success, of course, will manifest itself in myriad ways, ranging from quantitative measures (number of naturalized immigrants, decreased high school drop-out rates, numbers of immigrants expanding or launching businesses), to more nuanced indicators (feeling welcome and able to contribute to larger communities, feeling safe on the streets). MIRA's Strategic Plan stated as a top priority the creation of a new MIRA division to focus on helping newcomers achieve well-being and financial security, and to fully contribute to the economic, social and civic fabric of America. Thus was born the New Americans Integration Institute officially kicked off in October 2011 at a Boston Foundation event hosted by Governor Patrick. The Governor simultaneously proclaimed October Immigrant Entrepreneurship Month. The two announcements to an audience including community-based partners, academia, practitioners, and the press were joined by a common theme: supporting the importance of immigrants to the economic, social and cultural richness of the Commonwealth and the nation. Since its inception, the Institute has conducted policy-oriented research, together with on-the-ground integration initiatives that have helped drive that research. We have employed communications and public events to enhance the image of immigrants in our public discourse and to drive home their contributions to the economic vitality, cultural richness, and human capital of our Commonwealth. As described below under Question 2, several initiatives underway have made significant inroads into forging the cross-sector partnerships necessary for sustainable progress. We have already served hundreds of immigrants via those initiatives. These initiatives support the development of policies, programs and partnerships that advance citizenship, immigrant entrepreneurship, career pathways for immigrant professionals, ESOL and civics instruction, access to early education and care, K-12 achievement and access to higher education, and local Welcoming Massachusetts efforts. 20

21 The Institute represents MIRA's response to lack of adequate policies facilitating immigrant integration, and to anti-immigrant vitriol that poisons our public discourse. By galvanizing state, private, academic and non-profit partnerships, the Institute drives policy change while implementing on-the-ground initiatives to help immigrants integrate into their new communities and country. The Institute's initiatives include: Naturalization: With city and state partners, MIRA since September 2011 has held 41 naturalization clinics, assisted 1880 eligible immigrants, helped complete 1407 applications, arranged 811 fee waivers, achieved combined fee and attorney savings for participants totaling $1,950,000, and fielded over 130 volunteers contributing over 850 hours of volunteer service. Entrepreneurship: The Institute developed an online resource center for immigrant business owners, conducted research on barriers to capital and non-traditional paths to capital, and organized three networking breakfasts that engaged store-front business owners and high tech entrepreneurs alike. Career Pathways for High-Skilled Immigrants: The Institute conducts labor market research, develops policy recommendations, and provides resources and programs for immigrant professionals working to re-enter the careers for which they trained in their native countries. Early Education and Care: The Institute leads a 3-year, federally-funded project that offers 5 workshops yearly to early education and care (EEC) providers and system stakeholders statewide, to better serve immigrant children and maximize their chances for healthy development and educational success. Eight workshops thus far have reached over 400 participants. Post-training evaluations rated the workshops at 4.37 out of 5. Higher Education: Workshops on how immigrant students can overcome financial and other barriers to college have been provided to students, parents, and guidance counselors at 10 Greater Boston area high schools. An Access to Higher Education guide was produced for guidance counselors, students, advocates and policymakers. ESOL and Civics Instruction: Thirty AmeriCorps members each year, many immigrants and refugees themselves, receive training from World Education and MIRA to become skilled and passionate ESOL teachers, citizenship service providers, and liaisons to community services at 30 host sites in eastern MA. Over 2500 immigrants have been served. Welcoming Massachusetts: A partnership of MIRA and Welcoming America, this program sponsors Welcoming initiatives in Framingham and Milford two cities experiencing intense anti-immigrant sentiment. These initiatives build bridges between newcomers and native-born residents through such activities as church breakfasts, events where immigrants tell their stories and share their dreams, and education of service providers who work with the newcomers. Please see for more information on the Institute. 21

22 Capabilities Internal resources Director: Jeff Gross, PhD, MIRA s New Americans Integration Institute Director, oversees implementation of all Institute initiatives, builds myriad cross-sector alliances to support those initiatives, and develops research instruments, training curricula and program evaluation tools. Jeff joined MIRA after many years in academia and high technology and extensive public policy research in workforce development, immigrant entrepreneurship, and educational issues impacting Massachusetts' immigrant communities. Jeff works very closely with MIRA s Organizing Director, our Federal and State Policy Directors (both of whom are attorneys), and our Communications Director. Fundraising: MIRA benefits from a few longtime funders who strategize with us to push the field of immigrant integration and to support us in implementing those strategies. The more project-oriented funders see MIRA as the go-to organization to accomplish their priorities, such as improving health care access for immigrants or supporting immigrant children and families in early education and care settings. National funders fund MIRA to develop initiatives that can serve as models for replication in other states. For example, the J.M. Kaplan fund chose MIRA as one of three state immigrant advocacy coalitions to receive a grant to improve the state infrastructure for high-skilled immigrant integration. External resources New Americans Agenda: In 2008, MIRA was designated by Governor Patrick to conduct community-based research that would serve as the basis for the Massachusetts New Americans Agenda. MIRA invited to the same table immigrants, MIRA members, elected and appointed officials, and faith leaders to identify and prioritize immigrant and refugee interests and needs. The capacity to bring these stakeholders together in an intimate setting demonstrates MIRA s unique capacities as well as the respectful relationships built over many years. The New Americans Agenda has served as a model for similar state immigrant integration policy platforms in several other states. Strategic Communications: MIRA works with local, state and national allies to craft messages designed to impact specific target constituencies. Importantly, MIRA s reputation as an organization that can tactfully and intelligently debate the merits of differing perspectives brings invitations to appear on right-leaning programs and other outlets across the aisle that enable us to speak to a broad audience. Access to Lawmakers: MIRA s balanced approach has also facilitated trusting relationships with legislators of all stripes, who rely on our staff s policy analysis and our drafting of bills that are recognized as reflecting deep expertise and assessment of political realities. Our Federal Policy Director also has the ear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, enabling him to appeal on behalf of immigrants seeking citizenship or at risk of being unfairly detained or deported. 22

23 Indicators MIRA measures progress toward our goals along multiple dimensions appropriate to each program and to our larger aim promoting equity and opportunity for immigrants in Massachusetts. Qualitative measures can include productive relationships with natural allies and with potentially contentious ones (e.g., law enforcement), number of op-eds by senior policy staff, number of television debates with anti-immigrant spokespersons, and the dissemination of research and policy papers. Some of these measures are continuous, e.g., media placements and their impact on the public. Others, such as key events or convenings, represent milestones that drive and coordinate other efforts (such as research reports or workshops) and become the context for featuring those successes. For example, quarterly Institute reports track progress against the Institute s agenda for integration of high-skilled immigrants. Acknowledging our accomplishments, a March 2013 award from the J.M. Kaplan Fund is driving research, outreach, training and convenings this year to advance our advocacy blueprint, support ongoing policy analysis, and build service provider networks. Studies on the immigrant workforce, barriers to naturalization, and opportunities for immigrant professional integration in our state have been completed, reviewed by outside experts, and posted online. The Institute also received a grant from the Migration Policy Institute to support regional field research into immigrant parent engagement in EEC settings. The Institute tracks quantitative outcomes such as numbers of individuals served in direct service contexts, and participant evaluations of trainings. As noted above, citizenship clinics yielded: 1407 completed applications, 811 fee waivers arranged, and $1,950,000 in fee and attorney savings for participants. Eight Early Education and Care workshops reached 400+ participants from 250 organizations. Evaluations rated the workshops at 4.37 out of 5. Key quantitative milestones in this context would include monthly citizenship clinics, five yearly EEC trainings, and quarterly reviews of AmeriCorps service outcomes. All tracking is ongoing (in the case of citizenship and AmeriCorps, using online data logging tools) and reviewed by interdepartmental teams quarterly. Outcomes inform both continuous improvement efforts and ongoing review of project goals. For example, noting some clients slow rates of follow up and completion of naturalization applications, we instituted a more intensive program of client tracking and case management that has almost doubled our rate of application submissions over the past six months. In another example, seeing relatively low representation of home-based EEC providers in our earlier trainings, we will hold a Saturday workshop to accommodate this important audience, and will review training materials to ensure program needs relevant to this audience are highlighted. 23

24 Progress The Institute s progress towards near-term objectives demonstrates to us at once the needs and the potential challenges related to our long terms goals: to improve the program and policy infrastructure than can advance opportunity and inclusion for the million foreign born residents of Massachusetts. For example, outcomes of our citizenship clinics and research into barriers to naturalization have both strengthened our approach and led us to new partnerships e.g., working with a MIRA member in Western Massachusetts to extend our group processing model to underserved rural areas, supported by a $250,000 grant from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This work has also driven MIRA s national advocacy, through our leadership in the National Partnership for New Americans, for USCIS to reduce and streamline fee requirements efforts that have succeeded in prompting the agency to review its fee structures in the coming year. Other projects, such as our immigrant entrepreneurship initiative, began with ambitious expectations of primary research into best practice models as well as trainings for MIRA members in small business development. While we were able to achieve our initial goals here, we learned in the process that, given the scope and complexity of the issues, we needed to find ways to extend our capacity and expertise. As a result, the Institute has strengthened partnerships (some existing, some new) with research institutions, government agencies, and community-based organizations that are already active in this arena. Collaboration has included sharing of resources and expertise while partnering on research projects, joint program initiatives, and stakeholder convenings (including a conference of gateway city economic development institutions planned for Fall 2014). The Institute s combination of strong community partnerships and long-standing connections with state government uniquely positions MIRA and the Institute to connect the dots, both with respect to entrepreneurs and community groups navigating the web of technical assistance providers, and in helping providers themselves (nonprofit, private and public) collaborate to maximize program and policy impact. Perhaps most fundamentally, the Institute continues to learn the importance of integrating our initiatives closely with those of MIRA s other divisions, always taking into account how the Institute s ends, means and long-term mission support and are supported by those of other parts of the organization. A good example is the Institute s messaging in support of the organizing team s Welcoming Massachusetts initiative, which focuses on breaking down barriers between immigrant and native-born populations through direct community engagement and neighborhood outreach. The Institute looks forward to increased direct program collaborations in the future that will support these mutual efforts. 24

25 Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start July 01, 2016 Fiscal Year End June 30, 2017 Projected Revenue $1,826, Projected Expenses $1,931, Endowment? No Spending Policy N/A Credit Line? Reserve Fund? Months Reserve Fund Covers 6 Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Fiscal Year Total Revenue $2,297,655 $2,227,520 $2,171,185 Total Expenses $2,146,522 $2,090,891 $2,149,084 Revenue Sources Fiscal Year Foundation and Corporation Contributions Government Contributions $0 $0 $0 Federal State Local Unspecified -- $0 $0 Individual Contributions $1,402,359 $1,189,020 $1,227,773 Indirect Public Support $50,750 $42,477 $54,037 Earned Revenue $593,919 $852,824 $699,790 Investment Income, Net of Losses $5,513 $1,256 $15,909 Membership Dues $18,488 $5,880 $12,070 Special Events $226,626 $136,063 $161,606 Revenue In-Kind Other -- $0 $0 25

26 Expense Allocation Fiscal Year Program Expense $1,753,872 $1,797,142 $1,881,371 Administration Expense $214,681 $171,508 $122,960 Fundraising Expense $177,969 $122,241 $144,753 Payments to Affiliates Total Revenue/Total Expenses Program Expense/Total Expenses 82% 86% 88% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 11% 9% 10% Assets and Liabilities Fiscal Year Total Assets $897,432 $747,434 $826,739 Current Assets $883,894 $744,486 $816,414 Long-Term Liabilities $0 $20,954 $22,308 Current Liabilities $115,636 $100,168 $178,661 Total Net Assets $781,796 $626,312 $625,770 Short Term Solvency Fiscal Year Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency Fiscal Year Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 0% 3% 3% Top Funding Sources Fiscal Year Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? No Comments Foundation Staff Comments Financial summary data in the charts and graphs above are per the organization's IRS Form 990s. Contributions from foundations & corporations are included under individuals when the breakout was not available. Created Copyright 2018 The Boston Foundation 26