The needs of Southeast Michigan’s growing immigrant and refugee populations are a focus of a new partnership between The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM), The Kresge Foundation and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR).

The group, known as the Southeast Michigan Immigrant and Funder Collaborative, will work with funders, nonprofits and other key stakeholders to determine the most impactful methods for providing support to the more than 600,000 foreign-born residents of Michigan, over 70 percent of whom live in Southeast Michigan.

"Organizations serving refugees and immigrants are facing increased financial pressures due to decreases in federal assistance and the need for supporting these members of our community is growing," Mariam Noland, president, CFSEM, said in a press release. "The goal of the Southeast Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Funder Collaborative is to provide a coordinated, philanthropic effort to support immigrant- and refugee-serving nonprofit organizations and address the needs of their constituents in our region."

The collaborative formed as a result of a report released by CFSEM, Kresge and The Skillman Foundation, analyzing support organizations and resources for Southeast Michigan’s immigrant and refugee populations. The report details key findings on the region’s immigrant and refugee communities, including the barriers they face in assimilation, the lack of funding organizations serving these populations receive and the impact of federal policy on these populations in Michigan.

Information on local, state and federal funding for nonprofit organizations that serve these populations, scans of organizations embedded in the work and interviews with key stakeholders were used to identify four critical issues facing the region’s foreign-born populations. These include:

• A lack of access to services such as affordable housing and barriers in obtaining health care, employment and other necessities.

• Poor public perception of immigrants and refugees, often leading to their needs being overlooked in communities.

• A lack of federal funding designated to serve the needs of Michigan’s foreign-born populations.

• No regional strategy that aims to support services for immigrant and refugee populations in the region.

The collaborative will invest $450,000 over the next two years into efforts that support these populations. Additionally, the collaborative plans to partner with key stakeholders – including dozens of nonprofit organizations already serving immigrants and refugees – and communities to determine how to best support the region’s foreign-born population. Nonprofit organizations in Southeast Michigan currently assist these communities with legal services, education on their rights, direct services and community activities.

“Refugees and immigrants are important to the fabric of our society,” a summary of the report states. “They contribute to the communities they live in and bring stories of courage and perseverance against great odds.”

Want more?

Learn more about the Southeast Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Funder Collaborative.

Read the full report.