Nationalities Service Center just launched a Fund for Immigrant Justice - Generocity Philly

Funding

Jul. 16, 2018 12:14 pm

Nationalities Service Center just launched a Fund for Immigrant Justice

Amidst funding cuts and an increased workload, the immigrant and refugee service agency is fundraising to hire a full-time attorney to serve low-income clients for free.

A Nationalities Service Center staffer with an immigrant client.

(Photo via facebook.com/NationalitiesServiceCenter)

In 2017, Nationalities Service Center (NSC) saw $1 million in forced cuts to programming and reallocation of resources for the 5,000 immigrants and refugees it serves per year due to fallout from the so-called federal travel ban.

And in the past 18 months, the social services agency has also seen a 300 percent increase in legal consults due to a local crackdown of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, even for those with no criminal convictions.

At the end of last year, NSC created its “Keep Philadelphia Welcoming” campaign to combat the loss of funding with unrestricted donations.

“When you resettle four refugees, and you’re expected to sustain a capacity of X number of staff to get them houses, to get their kids into school, to get them healthcare, to get them jobs, that’s just not sustainable,” Executive Director Margaret O’Sullivan told Generocity at the time. “Having general operating funds allows us to be malleable in how we apply and how we use the funds that we’re raising, and put it where the need is greatest.”

Recently, NSC also launched its Fund for Immigrant Justice fundraising project to help it handle the increase of legal consults.

The first phase of this project, to run from June 2018 through May 2019, seeks to raise $100,000 to hire a full-time attorney who will provide free legal services and counsel for low-income immigrants “along the spectrum of status” and manage 40 to 50 clients.

The fund will also pay for the costs of applications, filing fees — which can range from $200 to $1,800 per application, according to NSC — and related expenses for clients with incomes below 125 percent of the federal poverty level guidelines.

From our Partners

So far, the fund has collected $5,900 in donations.

Learn more -30-

From our Partners

A Generocity update, and our 2023 editorial calendar

Nonprofit fundraisers: this is your moment

Scribe explores oral history in ‘Power Politics’ series, funds emerging media makers

SPONSORED

Generocity Philly

Meet Kim Andrews, new executive director for The Fund for Women and Girls

Philadelphia, PA

Fairmount Park Conservancy

Capital Projects Manager

Apply Now
Philadelphia, PA

Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP)

Director of Development and Communications

Apply Now
Philadelphia

DiverseForce

Managing Directors: Career Pathways & Community Resiliency

Apply Now

Adult learners need digital literacy, too

How to create a CSR initiative built to last

cinéSPEAK and the future of cinema in West Philly

SPONSORED

Generocity Philly

Be the leader to bring a 26-year mission into the future in Chester County

Hybrid (Princeton)

Young Audiences NJ and Eastern PA

Arts Education Administrator (Hybrid)

Apply Now
Philadelphia , PA

Community Legal Services

Communications and Social Media Associate

Apply Now
Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Remote, or Hybrid

Regional Housing Legal Services

Staff Attorney, Housing Development Legal Services

Apply Now
   
       
       

Subscribe to Generocity

       
* indicates required