The Boston Foundation Announces Round of Grants to Protect the Legal Rights of Immigrants & Vulnerable Communities in Greater Boston

March 28, 2017

BOSTON, Massachusetts (March 28, 2017) – In keeping with its commitment to a fostering a diverse, just and equitable community, the Boston Foundation announced 11 grants of close to $170,000 to organizations that provide legal services and community outreach to Boston area residents.

“Regardless of one’s politics, the current policy shifts have created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, and organizations that support our diverse population are under increased stress to carry out their mission,’ said Boston Foundation President and CEO Paul Grogan. “These grants support a cohort of organizations whose missions include the protection of legal rights of immigrants, LGBTQ, and other vulnerable communities. Our Foundation was created to build and sustain a vital, prosperous city and region, where justice and opportunity are extended to everyone, and that work is as important now as it has ever been over the past 100 years.”

The grant recipients are as follows:

  • GLAD
  • Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice
  • Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
  • Hyde Square Task Force
  • Jewish Community Relations Council
  • International Institute of New England
  • Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
  • Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center
  • Greater Boston Legal Services, Asian Outreach Unit
  • Student Immigrant Movement
  • African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE)

 

“As our communities face an unprecedented wave of hate, the legal resources for civil rights enforcement are limited,” said Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice. “Support from the Boston Foundation will allow us to rapidly mobilize and advocate for hate crimes investigations and civil rights enforcement in response to the growing number of incidents in Greater Boston.”

“This grant could not have come at a better time,” said Yusufi Vali of the Islamic Society of Boston
Cultural Center. “Our Center is the symbol of Islam in Boston, and now more than ever, both the Muslim community and our broader Greater Boston community are reaching out to us to understand the impact of the new administration’s policies and to establish policies to fight threats together. This kind of support and partnership from the Boston Foundation will help ensure the fabric of our diverse city remains strong no matter what happens elsewhere.”

“As the voice of the organized Jewish community in the public square, JCRC remains committed to
advocating for policies supporting immigrants and refugees, civil rights, and religious tolerance,” said Jeremy Burton, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council. “Our ability to inform and mobilize our constituents and allies is greatly enhanced by the support from the Boston Foundation and will have a direct and profound impact on the participation of the Jewish community in Greater Boston at this critical time.”

“These investments are not only a response to current events, but a measure of our long-term support for vulnerable populations and preserving an inclusive and welcoming community, said Orlando Watkins, Vice President for Program at the Boston Foundation.

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The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the largest community
foundations in the nation, with net assets of some $1 billion. In 2016, the Foundation and its donors made $100 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of more than $107 million. In celebration of its Centennial in 2015, the Boston Foundation launched the Campaign for Boston to strengthen the Permanent Fund for Boston, the principal endowment fund focused on the most pressing needs of Greater Boston. The Foundation is proud to be a partner in philanthropy, with more than 1,000 separate charitable funds established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. The Boston Foundation also serves as a major civic leader, think tank and advocacy organization, commissioning research into the most critical issues of our time and helping to shape public policy designed to advance opportunity for everyone in Greater Boston. The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), a distinct operating unit of the Foundation, designs and implements customized philanthropic strategies for families, foundations and corporations around the globe. For more information about the Boston Foundation and TPI, visit tbf.org or call 617-338-1700.