Driving Capital into the Immigrant-Serving Sector: 8 Key Takeaways from our Twitter Chat

On December 15, World Education Services (WES) brought immigrant serving-organizations together for a Twitter chat to discuss funding for and investing in organizations and solutions that enable immigrants and refugees to thrive.

The conversation focused on how to drive more capital toward creating a more inclusive economy. More than 40 individuals and organizations joined us to explore funding challenges and to surface promising tools and partnerships that can improve economic mobility for all workers. For the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, we believe that different types of capital and more funders from diverse sectors are needed to develop, scale, and sustain solutions that ensure inclusive economies for immigrants and refugees in the U.S. and Canada.

Here are eight key takeaways from the discussion on prospective financing and funding approaches to spur innovation, better support immigrant-serving organizations, and ensure that immigrants and refugees thrive:

1. Immigrant and refugee perspectives are critical to making funding decisions. Immigrants must be at the table designing and leading the development and implementation of initiatives.

A7: Funding organizations that include immigrant and refugee voices in the conversation and planning phases. Robust funding and a stronger social safety net are needed, to fund immediate needs (e.g., rent, food) and long-term systemic changes. #ImmigrantsThrive https://t.co/8SE6QQvcfx

— IRC's Center for Economic Opportunity (@IRC_CEO) December 15, 2020

A6: Related to this, capital will flow to refugees & immigrants if more refugees and immigrants are the ones making decisions about capital allocations. We simply MUST support fund managers & investment professionals who have LIVED displacement & migration. #ImmigrantsThrive https://t.co/TaJuIITdez

— John Kluge (@klugesan) December 15, 2020

A6: The Refugee Livelihood Lab at @RADIUS_SFU offers fully subsidized program seats to racialized migrants who want to design their own systems change projects, campaigns, and ventures. #ImmigrantsThrive

— RADIUS (@RADIUS_SFU) December 15, 2020

 

2. Partnerships and collaboration are key to expanding investment impact and providing support beyond funding dollars.  

A7: We also believe that inter-governmental & credential bodies need to work together in addressing systemic barriers & discrimination of foreign trained professionals. 2/3 #ImmigrantsThrive @WorldEdServices

— MOSAIC (@MOSAICBC) December 15, 2020

A5: The Immigrant Fellowship in Philadelphia leverages public sector investment with city department dollars to create earn and learn opportunities for @welcomingcenter IPP grads – 40% acquire full-time employment in their department, a diverse talent pipeline to govt roles https://t.co/MJbJZtvduT

— Nikki Pumphrey (@nikkipump) December 15, 2020

A3 Funders can play a convening role to catalyze collaboration across silos/agencies/fields of work to identify and address persistent service gaps, such as needs for #digitalinclusion, translation, and more. #immigrantsthrive https://t.co/2Tbpd51CQv

— World Ed – USA (@WorldEdUS) December 15, 2020

A4/ One of our fave things is bridge financing alongside corporate supplier diversity programs. Having working capital to get permits, equipment, supplies to be able to tap into lucrative contracts. @MDFinanceSD #immigrantsthrive https://t.co/yZjgk3PIja

— Lauren Grattan (@cheeseaugrattan) December 15, 2020

 

3. Employers have a critical role to play in investing in efforts that back the success and advancement of immigrant workers.

A3: Employers can do 5 things:

1. Know your workers
2. Better understand future workforce needs
3. Unpack your ave. retention rate
4. Invest in benefits
5. Share your story#ImmigrantsThrive | https://t.co/vM9T68n80S HT @_lauramaye

— JFF (@jfftweets) December 15, 2020

A3: Employers can make an active effort to look for talents outside of their usual networks. They can also reach out to immigrant serving organizations to educate themselves on immigrant communities. Most immigrants don’t need sponsorship.

— Ben (@FrenchBen_PHL) December 15, 2020

Companies need to understand the significant immigrant talent at the mid- and even higher levels in addition to entry level. Investing in talent is – bottom line – worth it. It's the best hope for more successful and sustainable alternative funding models. #ImmigrantsThrive

— Upwardly Global (@UpwardlyGlobal) December 15, 2020

 

4. For initiatives that support immigrant and refugee workers, outcomes-based financing models like “pay for success” can be an impactful way to increase funding from different types of investors. (Social Finance defines pay for success as “a set of innovative, outcomes-based financing and funding strategies that directly and measurably improve the lives of people in need by driving resources toward results.”) 

A4 @JVSBoston has been successful with the Pay For Success model. What can we learn from this to drive more funding to effective supports so #ImmigrantsThrive Read more at: https://t.co/jdOJUKKRs2 https://t.co/cPso2sE0v1

— World Ed – USA (@WorldEdUS) December 15, 2020

A5: Use Pay-for-Success. End payor can be Investor (e.g., Massachusetts Pathways) or Employer (e.g., Comcast/Philadelphia Works)

— bzeidman (@bzeidman) December 15, 2020

 

5. Economic mobility is contingent on much more than education, skills, and networks. Funders can help ensure that immigrants and refugees have access to critical wraparound supports and inclusive financial services by funding programs that support the holistic needs of workers and their families.

A2: Relatedly, philanthropic or grant financing is crucial to support the programs which we @RefugeeInvest call the 'social determinants of work': language learning and workforce readiness, mental and physical health support, childcare, education, transport etc #ImmigrantsThrive

— John Kluge (@klugesan) December 15, 2020

A3: Supporting interventions that recognize the underlying causes of economic stagnation are complex, & thus take a holistic, client-centered approach to project design.

More flexibility in funding + limiting restrictions put on grants, allows for customization #ImmigrantsThrive

— IRC's Center for Economic Opportunity (@IRC_CEO) December 15, 2020

A5: Non-traditional underwriting that de-emphasizes FICO scores hold promise for accelerating upward mobility of credit-thin immigrant and refugee households, all of whom arrive to the U.S. without an established credit history. #ImmigrantsThrive

— IRC's Center for Economic Opportunity (@IRC_CEO) December 15, 2020

A3: funding affordable housing, providing honest/ethical jobs, and overall, funding/investing in projects brought forth by BIPOC communities, as they know what they need for their communities to thrive. #ImmigrantsThrive

— La Loba Del Mal 🏳️‍🌈 (@amercadowrites) December 15, 2020

 

6. As the role of technology continues to expand, organizations must invest in more equitable technological development and address digital divides so that all immigrants and refugees can access the benefits of the virtual world and remain competitive amid changes in the workplace.

A2: Remote working has disrupted services and shifted programming. With these rapid changes, organizations will continue to deal with numerous challenges related to digital accessibility, meeting clients’ basic needs, and staying afloat. #ImmigrantsThrive 1/5

— RADIUS (@RADIUS_SFU) December 15, 2020

A2: During #COVID19 we've seen how critical internet connection & digital equipment are for accessing necessary services and resources.💻

We need to build infrastructure to support barrier-free access to internet for vulnerable newcomers. #DigitalEquity #ImmigrantsThrive

— MOSAIC (@MOSAICBC) December 15, 2020

A1: Immigrant-serving orgs face many challenges in distributing vital info to immigrants, via both language access needs and lack of digital access to information: https://t.co/acJMY3RSxX #ImmigrantsThrive

— New American Economy (@NewAmericanEcon) December 15, 2020

 

7. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted immigrants and refugees. Now is the time to fund inclusive efforts that can help ensure an equitable recovery now and down the line.

A7: Our members are racialized & immigrant low-wage workers who've been hardest hit by #COVID19. They work in grocery stores, healthcare, cleaning, warehouses & all jobs that keep our economy running. They need to be at the centre of an equitable recovery. 1/2 #ImmigrantsThrive

— WorkersActionCentre (@WorkersAC) December 16, 2020

A2: one challenge we face is that many families will need help to get back on their feet. The pandemic might be over soon, but the damage it has done will still be present. Moving forward we need SD to know that we as an org, are here to stay and need the support to thrive/help.

— La Loba Del Mal 🏳️‍🌈 (@amercadowrites) December 15, 2020

A7: An equitable economic recovery must include everyone in this country. ALL people must have access to stimulus relief, cash and food assistance programs, paid leave, affordable child care and driver’s licenses. #ImmigrantsThrive

— MIRA Coalition (@MIRACoalition) December 15, 2020

 

8. To sustainably support the economic mobility of immigrants and refugees requires long-term commitments, flexible funding, and local, community-based investments.

A3: Multi-year general operating support can help immigrant-serving organizations thrive by relieving some of the strain of programmatic growth — often tied to new programs — and allowing the orgs to grow and deepen their services organically. #ImmigrantsThrive

— GAIN (@georgia_asylum) December 15, 2020

A2. COVID has underscored the need to invest in local, community based solutions, often developed & run by immigrants & refugees. We need to invest in financing mechanisms & technology to support these organizations directly & to promote mutual aid. #ImmigrantsThrive

— TashaTweets (@nfreidus) December 15, 2020

Multi-year general operating support for critical services AND movement-building is crucial as we rebuild, and there's an overdue gap to fill https://t.co/kkIt7433t3

— NCRP (@NCRP) December 15, 2020

Thank you to all participating organizations! We encourage readers to continue to share and discuss how to identify and invest in initiatives and ideas that work toward ensuring more inclusive economies in the U.S. and Canada.