The New York Community Trust and Robin Hood announce more than $5.6 million in grants to support NYC immigrants

NEW YORK, NY — A consortium of philanthropies and corporations led by The New York Community Trust and Robin Hood, called The Funds for the Newest New Yorkers, announces more than $5.6 million in grants to 22 frontline nonprofits serving the diverse needs of the city’s newest arrivals, providing the support they need to thrive.

Announced earlier this year, the consortium partnership recognizes how integral immigrants are to the fabric of our city. It aligns government, business, philanthropy, and nonprofits to better support the newest arrivals to New York City.

Today’s announcement will provide two years of funding to 22 nonprofits across four boroughs to promote stability and encourage long-term integration for new arrivals. Funded activities include expanding access to case management, legal services, English language classes, education, job training, health care, and other social services while assisting grantees in building organizational capacity.

“New York City is a place of dreams and opportunity, and these new resources will help stabilize the newest New Yorkers so they are in a position to seize future opportunities that will make aspirations of new arrivals a reality,” said Emary Aronson, chief knowledge officer and senior advisor to the CEO at Robin Hood, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting philanthropy. “We know that this is a frightening time for immigrants and their families. That’s why it is vital that we continue to sow the seeds of hope for every new generation and new arrivals.”

Grants from the Funds reflect the breadth of NYC’s newcomer communities. The awards address the needs of unaccompanied young people, families, and single individuals; immigrant communities from Africa, Haiti, Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond; and people who are self-identified as LGBTQI+.

“New York has received generations of immigrants, and The Trust is proud to continue our work to ensure it remains a welcoming hub of opportunity,” said Eve Stotland, program director for human justice and civic affairs at The New York Community Trust. “If we work together as philanthropy, as neighbors, as government, if we all do our part to provide the necessary resources, our newest New Yorkers will revitalize this city.

Contributors to the Funds for the Newest New Yorkers include The New York Community Trust ($1 million), Robin Hood ($500,000), UJA-Federation of New York ($1 million), Ford Foundation ($1 million), Carnegie Corporation of New York ($500,000), Trinity Church NYC  ($500,000), Altman Foundation ($250,000), Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation ($250,000), M&T Bank ($150,000), Endeavor Foundation ($150,000), Scherman Foundation ($100,000), and individual donors.

Grantmaking decisions were made by a committee comprised of funders, grantmaking staff from The New York Community Trust and Robin Hood, and paid consultants representing the city’s immigrant communities. Representatives from the NYC Asylum Seekers Office and the Office of the Comptroller served as advisors to ensure better coordination of resources between philanthropy, government, and nonprofits.

The following is a list of grants awarded from the Funds for the Newest New Yorkers. Longer descriptions of the programs supported are available upon request.

 Grants, totaling $3,950,000, Made by The New York Community Trust’s Fund for the Newest New Yorkers

• Arab American Family Support Center: to provide community-based social services and legal support to Arab, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and West African migrants.

• Center for Family Life in Sunset Park: to provide community-based social services and legal support to newly arrived migrants in Brooklyn.

• Center for the Integration of New Americans: to provide legal support and community based social services to newly arrived migrants in Queens.

• El Puente de Williamsburg: to provide legal support and community-based social services for newly arrived migrants in Brooklyn.

• Interfaith Center of New York: to improve the capacity of faith-based organizations and congregations to help new migrants access emergency assistance, social services, and legal support.

• Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement: to provide legal support and access to social services to newly arrived migrants in Western Queens.

• Lutheran Social Services of New York: to provide legal assistance to migrant families across three sanctuary hotels in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

• Mercy Center: to provide legal support and social services to new migrants in the South Bronx.

• The Door: to provide legal and social services to migrant youths in Manhattan and the Bronx.

• Translatina Network: to provide legal assistance and social services to LGBTQ+ Latinx migrants.
• Covenant House New York: to provide legal and social services to newly arrived migrant young adults in Manhattan and the Bronx.

• Urban Justice Center – Street Vendor Project: to provide small business development support and access to street vending permits to newly arrived migrants.

• Women in Need: to provide legal support and social services to migrant families in the Bronx.

Grants, totaling $1,690,000, made by Robin Hood’s Fund for the Newest New Yorkers

• African Communities Together: to support hiring additional case management and legal staff to connect newly arrived migrants to basic needs support services and address immigration and work authorization needs.

• Commonpoint Queens: to support the costs of providing comprehensive case management services to new arrivals who are primarily based in shelters.

• Comunilife: two Housing Navigator specialists to assist newly arriving migrants at its transitional housing facilities, El Faro and Casa Hope Residences, with the often onerous, confusing, and time-consuming procedures.

• Haitian Americans United for Progress: to provide comprehensive case management and community-based programs that address the needs of newly arrived migrants in New York City, facilitating their access to employment, education, and supportive services.

• Henry Street Settlement: to provide holistic and comprehensive case management services, access to public entitlements, and critical information and referrals to help recently arrived migrants to New York City stabilize and thrive here.

• Hispanic Federation: to stabilize the lives of newly arrived New Yorkers through case management services aimed at securing public benefits for which they are eligible and work authorizations to secure employment.

• ICARE: to fund a pilot project in Queens Family Court that fast-tracks legal proceedings for children who are eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.

• Lutheran Social Services: to provide essential case management, legal services, education and employment opportunities, and additional wrap around supports for newly arrived migrants and asylum seekers living in Lutheran Social Services of New York’s L.S.S.N.Y. sanctuary hotels.

• Sunset Park Health Council: to increase the capacity of Family Health Centers to provide targeted case management, legal services, and community-based social services to new immigrant arrivals. The work will take place on-site at shelters across South and Central Brooklyn.

Other recent grants to support newcomers

Robin Hood

$2,350,000 to the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, Hotbread Kitchen, Project Hospitality, The Legal Aid Society, and UnLocal.

New York Community Trust

$1,000,000 to Havens Society Relief Fund, New Immigrant Community Empowerment, Adhikaar, Worker’s Justice Project, The New School, and Emma’s Torch.

Ford Foundation 

$1.3M to African Communities Together, Make the Road States/New York, Arab American Family Support Center, Immigration Research Initiative, New York Immigration Coalition/Ellis Island Initiative, New York Immigration Coalition, Worker’s Justice Project.

Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation

$266,900 to Counseling in Schools, Henry Street Settlement, New York Immigration Coalition, Street Vendor Project.

Trinity Church NYC

$200,000 to New York Immigration Coalition and Catholic Charities New York.

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About The New York Community Trust

As New York’s largest community foundation, The New York Community Trust fosters and engages in enduring and innovative philanthropy, making grants that bring together the diverse, local knowledge and expertise of its team, nonprofits, and partners to help donors fulfill their vision for the causes they love. From education and the arts to health care and the environment, The New York Community Trust seeks to improve every aspect of the cultural and civic life of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester. The New York Community Trust celebrates 100 years of impact and looks forward to the next 100 years of improving life for New Yorkers. This is philanthropy for New Yorkers, by New Yorkers. 

About Robin Hood

We are NYC’s largest local poverty-fighting philanthropy and since 1988, we have invested nearly $3 billion to elevate and fuel New Yorkers’ permanent escapes from poverty. In 2023, through grantmaking with 250+ community partners, we created pathways to opportunities out of poverty through our strategic partnerships on child care, child poverty, jobs, living wages, and more. We are scaling impact at a population level for the nearly 2 million New Yorkers living in poverty. At Robin Hood, we believe your starting point in life should not define where you end up. To learn more about our work and impact, follow us on X @RobinHoodNYC or go to robinhood.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Courtney Biggs | 212-889-3963 | cbiggs@thenytrust.org

Peter Panepento | 202-531-3886 | peter@turn-two.co

Kevin Thompson I 212-844-3586 | press@robinhood.org