Grants for Immigrants & Refugees

Climate migration

Increasingly, more major funders are starting to invest in the intersection between the changing climate and migration. The Emerson Collective’s Climate Migration Council, which identifies displacement caused by climate disasters as a growing push factor for global refugee crises, has worked to bring climate migration to the forefront of conversations regarding both global security and climate change. Related to these overlapping areas and further defining the concept of climate migration, Emerson’s 2023 report identifies ways that philanthropy can increase disaster relief and emergency response to address rapidly evolving needs to preserve human life. Additionally, the Migration Policy Institute, along with several national and global security organizations, identifies climate migration as an increasing risk to security as countries race to deal with the fallout of multiple crises at once.

Gaps in funding for refugees and immigrants

Legal, policy and international organizations are currently working to expand the limited definition of a refugee, which currently denies asylum status based on gender violence. As a result, a large gap exists between government and nongovernmental agencies seeking to fund migration issues. In addition, since refugee status is so narrowly defined, the term “climate refugees,” or individuals fleeing due to persecution, war and violence caused by climate change pressures, does not yet exist in most laws as a protected group. However, a select group of funders is keeping track of developments facing refugee and immigration law in real time.

There is less funding going to pro-immigrant and pro-refugee movement and advocacy work than to direct services for immigrants and refugees, and the gap is especially large when it comes to Black, AAPI, Indigenous, refugee and LGBTQ migrant justice groups, the NCRP found. For example, Black migrant groups receive less than 2% of movement funding, LGBTQ migrant groups less than 0.5%, and Indigenous migrant groups less than 0.4%.

According to the NCRP, funding is lower per capita across the U.S. South and in Florida, New Jersey, Hawaii, and Nevada than in relatively well-funded states such as New York and California.

Funding for refugees tends to fluctuate according to humanitarian crises like wars or disasters; however, there are also several steadfast funders who consistently make grants for immigrants and refugees. More than 100 funders are part of the network for Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, a philanthropy-supporting organization that mobilizes resources on pressing issues facing immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. 

In light of the second Trump Administration’s continued attacks on migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S., IP has outlined several other funding approaches that funders can anticipate needs by providing: rapid response grants; support for immigrant rights’ education; place-based funding; fact-checking to combat disinformation around immigration. As well, long-term funding approaches include investing in policy and advocacy for immigrants and refugees; narrative change about immigration; movement and power building; and investing in issues that intersect with the well-being of all Americans, like education, labor protections, healthcare access, and affordable housing.

Evolving giving trends for movement giving

The Ford Foundation, a big funder in this field, makes grants for migrants and refugees a part of a broader giving strategy centered on civic engagement; gender, racial and social justice; and creativity and free expression. Meanwhile, Unbound Philanthropy is one of the few foundations focused primarily on immigrants. Funders seeking to support the U.S. immigrant justice movement and improve the lives of immigrants in the U.S. have pooled resources through the Four Freedoms Fund, hosted by intermediary NEO Philanthropy.   

Funder collaboratives and networks, among the biggest sources of movement funding, are not only expanding alliances and increasing grantmaking but also working to invigorate immigrant and refugee justice work through intersectional and racial equity lenses. As social movements articulate the ways in which immigrant and refugee justice intersects with other social and climate justice issues, more progressive funders are following suit and increasingly support movement-building and grassroots organizations.

Despite the diversification of movement funding, this area of grantmaking is still vastly underfunded in light of multiplying geopolitical, climate and economic pressures. However, in a 2018 report, “Philanthropic Strategies to Support Refugees and Asylum Seekers,” Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees identifies ways that funders can dramatically improve investment in this space.