SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Board of Directors of the Rosenberg Foundation has unanimously approved increasing its giving in 2013 to advance immigration reform. The Foundation has awarded more than $1 million in Q1 grants to 15 organizations, including special opportunity grants to support reform of the country’s immigration laws and policies.

“I thank our Board of Directors for taking this bold step of approving extra spending from the Foundation’s assets to increase our giving in 2013 and support immigrant rights at this critical moment of opportunity,” said Timothy P. Silard, Rosenberg Foundation’s president.

“The Rosenberg Foundation carefully shepherds its assets to preserve the strength of the endowment into the future while maximizing impact today,” said Daniel Grossman, chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.  “This special investment in immigration reform advocacy makes excellent business sense for Rosenberg and any Foundation that aims to strengthen our communities by improving conditions for immigrant youth and families across our state and country.”

As part of the special opportunity grants, the Foundation approved $240,000 over one year to National Immigration Law Center in partnership with United We Dream to ensure that undocumented immigrant youth are at the forefront of the current fight for a new immigration process. More than a quarter of the nation’s Deferred Action eligible immigrant youth live in California.

The Foundation also awarded $175,000 to the United Farm Workers Foundation and $135,000 to Farmworker Justice to elevate the voices and needs of farmworkers as an integral part of the immigration reform debate. California has the largest farmworker population in the U.S. In addition, the Foundation awarded $30,000 to Mobilize the Immigrant Vote to lead a nonpartisan civic engagement initiative in California’s Central Valley, the Inland Empire, and Orange County.

“Advocates are working on the frontlines for reform that truly is humane and comprehensive, includes a pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants, protects immigrant workers from exploitation, and addresses abuses in the border enforcement systems,” Silard said. “We are particularly proud to support our grant partners who are lifting up the voices of undocumented immigrant youth, farm workers, and other immigrant workers.”

Additional grants approved in the area of Immigrant Rights and Integration include $30,000 to CLUE Los Angeles; $35,000 to Alliance for Justice; $75,000 to Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF); $30,000 to Restaurant Opportunity Workers United (ROC); and $30,000 each to Mujeres Unidas y Activas and Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California.

For a full list of our grant partners, please visit the Rosenberg Foundation’s website: https://rosenbergfound.org/grants/our-grantees.