To advance and defend the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones.
National Immigration Law Center uses grantmaking to advance and defend the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones, with most of its recent funding centered on immigrant-family protection and access to legal status. A large share of the foundation’s recent support has gone to the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund and the Immigration Justice Fund, alongside project support for statewide and regional advocacy organizations. Its recent grants show a pattern of backing groups that work directly on policy, legal access, and public advocacy for immigrant communities. In 2023, it gave $100,000 to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights in Chicago for protecting immigrant families, and also supported the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families in New York, Hola Carolina in Asheville, and the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition in Boston at the same level for the same broad purpose. The foundation also funds university and service-oriented partners, including Drexel University in Philadelphia, San Diego State University Foundation, and Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, reflecting a mix of advocacy, research, and direct legal-service infrastructure.
A major theme is protecting immigrant families through state and local advocacy. The foundation gave $100,000 to the California Immigrant Policy Center in Los Angeles for protecting immigrant families, and another $100,000 to the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center in Ypsilanti for the same purpose. It also supports access to legal status and pathways to status. One example is a $50,000 grant to the Colorado Immigrant Right Coalition in Denver for access to status. Health and opportunity barriers for immigrants appear in its grant list as well. The foundation gave $35,000 to the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum in Oakland for protecting immigrant families, and $100,000 to the Center for Health Progress in Denver for the same broader family-protection focus. Education and leadership development show up through the FirstGEN Civil Rights Fellowship, a ten-week summer fellowship for first-generation college students pursuing careers in social justice.
Typical grant sizes cluster tightly around smaller project and program awards: the 25th percentile is $19,500, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $35,000. The recent grant list also includes a small number of larger awards, including $250,000 and $750,000 grants, but most visible awards sit well below those levels. This is a regular funder with program-support, project-based, and capacity-building grants. The same grantees appear across multiple years, including California Immigrant Policy Center and Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, indicating repeat support rather than one-off funding only. The foundation also accepts unsolicited applications through FirstGEN.
$519K
$32.7M
$17.6M
$17M
Most grants fall between $20K and $35K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$35K
About 8% of grants go to recipients in PA.
ANGELICA MATOS
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Grantmaking is national, with every listed recipient in the United States. The top state by grant count is Pennsylvania, and 8% of grants go to recipients in Washington, DC. Recent grants reached organizations in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Houston, showing a multi-state mix rather than concentration in one region.
Its recent grants focus on protecting immigrant families, access to legal status or pathways to status, economic stability for immigrant households, health and opportunity barriers for immigrants, and immigrant-focused crisis relief and services. The largest visible awards also support immigration-justice funds and legal-advocacy infrastructure.
The distribution is centered on modest awards: the 25th percentile is $19,500, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $35,000. That pattern suggests most grants are in the project-support range rather than very large institutional awards.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including California Immigrant Policy Center and Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. The recent list also includes repeated support for NILC-related funds, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated grants.
The foundation does not fund individuals. Its active FirstGEN Civil Rights Fellowship is a separate program that accepts unsolicited applications and provides a $1,500 fellowship award to each selected student.
Giving is national, and every listed recipient is in the United States. Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count, while Washington, DC receives 8% of grants. The recent list also includes recipients in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Houston.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NILC IMMIGRANT JUSTICE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF SAN MATEO COUNTY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| CENTRO SAVILA | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $25,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| MASSACHUSETTS IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE ADVOCACY COALITION | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| EVERY TEXAN | AUSTIN, TX | $20,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| FLORIDA HEALTH JUSTICE PROJECT INC | MIAMI, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| MICHIGAN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS CENTER | LANSING, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| BORDER NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS | EL PASO, TX | $18,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| NEO PHILANTHROPY | NEW YORK, NY | $15,400 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| MAKE THE ROAD STATES INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT / PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| CHINESE-AMERICAN PLANNING COUNCIL INC | NEW YORK, NY | $14,260 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| CENTER FOR LAW AND SOCIAL POLICY | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,800 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| SHRIVER CENTER ON POVERTY LAW | CHICAGO, IL | $10,800 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| COMUNIDADES ORGANIZANDO EL PODER Y LA ACCION LATINA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $10,000 | 2025 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| IMMIGRATION JUSTICE FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ETHNIC MINORITIES OF BURMA ADVOCACY & RESOURCE CENTER | DES MOINES, IA | $65,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| HOUSTON IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES COLLABORATIVE | HOUSTON, TX | $50,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| DREXEL UNIVERSITY | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $50,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| PENNSYLVANIA IMMIGRATION & CITIZENSHIP COALITION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $25,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| ARAB COMMUNITY CENTER FOR ECONOMIC & SOCIAL SERVICES | DEARBORN, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND | BELLAIRE, TX | $20,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF SAN MATEO COUNTY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| SHRIVER CENTER ON POVERTY LAW | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| COALITION FOR ASIAN AMERICAN CHILDREN & FAMILIES | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| LATINO COMMUNITY FUND INC | DECATUR, GA | $15,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| CONEXION AMERICAS | NASHVILLE, TN | $15,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| HISPANIC UNITY OF FLORIDA INC | HOLLYWOOD, FL | $15,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| FLORIDA IMMIGRANT COALITION INC | MIAMI, FL | $12,300 | 2024 | ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023 |
| LIGHT & SALT ASSOCIATION | HOUSTON, TX | $12,300 | 2024 | ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023 |
| CENTRAL VALLEY IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION COLLABORATIVE | FRESNO, CA | $11,300 | 2024 | ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023 |
| TENNESSEE IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE RIGHTS (TIRRC) | NASHVILLE, TN | $11,300 | 2024 | ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023 |
| NC FIELD INC | KINGSTON, NC | $10,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| ENLACE LATINO NC INC | RALEIGH, NC | $10,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| INDEPENDENT ARTS & MEDIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| EAST BAY SANCTUARY COVENANT | BERKELEY, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| LA CASA DE AMISTAD INC | SOUTH BEND, IN | $10,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| LA CLINICA DEL PUEBLO | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| CPLC HOME HEALTHCARE LLC | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2024 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| AFRICAN COMMUNITIES TOGETHER INC | NEW YORK, NY | $7,300 | 2024 | ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023 |
| MAKE THE ROAD STATES INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $6,300 | 2024 | ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023 |
| NILC IJF | LOS ANGELES, CA | $750,000 | 2023 | OTHER |
| CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| MASSACHUSETTS IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE ADVOCACY COALITION | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2023 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| COALITION FOR ASIAN AMERICAN CHILDREN AND FAMILIES | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| CENTRO SAVILA | ALBURQUERQUE, NM | $100,000 | 2023 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
| ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2023 | PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES |
NILC IMMIGRANT JUSTICE FUND
$250,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER
$25,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF SAN MATEO COUNTY
$25,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
CENTRO SAVILA
$25,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
MASSACHUSETTS IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE ADVOCACY COALITION
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
EVERY TEXAN
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
FLORIDA HEALTH JUSTICE PROJECT INC
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
MICHIGAN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS CENTER
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
BORDER NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
$18,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
NEO PHILANTHROPY
$15,400PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
MAKE THE ROAD STATES INC
$15,000ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT / PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
CHINESE-AMERICAN PLANNING COUNCIL INC
$14,260PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
CENTER FOR LAW AND SOCIAL POLICY
$10,800PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
SHRIVER CENTER ON POVERTY LAW
$10,800PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
COMUNIDADES ORGANIZANDO EL PODER Y LA ACCION LATINA
$10,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
IMMIGRATION JUSTICE FUND
$250,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
ETHNIC MINORITIES OF BURMA ADVOCACY & RESOURCE CENTER
$65,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
HOUSTON IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES COLLABORATIVE
$50,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$50,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
DREXEL UNIVERSITY
$50,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
PENNSYLVANIA IMMIGRATION & CITIZENSHIP COALITION
$25,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
ARAB COMMUNITY CENTER FOR ECONOMIC & SOCIAL SERVICES
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF SAN MATEO COUNTY
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
SHRIVER CENTER ON POVERTY LAW
$20,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
COALITION FOR ASIAN AMERICAN CHILDREN & FAMILIES
$15,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
LATINO COMMUNITY FUND INC
$15,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
CONEXION AMERICAS
$15,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
HISPANIC UNITY OF FLORIDA INC
$15,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
FLORIDA IMMIGRANT COALITION INC
$12,300ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023
LIGHT & SALT ASSOCIATION
$12,300ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023
CENTRAL VALLEY IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION COLLABORATIVE
$11,300ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023
TENNESSEE IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE RIGHTS (TIRRC)
$11,300ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023
NC FIELD INC
$10,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
ENLACE LATINO NC INC
$10,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
INDEPENDENT ARTS & MEDIA
$10,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
EAST BAY SANCTUARY COVENANT
$10,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
LA CASA DE AMISTAD INC
$10,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
LA CLINICA DEL PUEBLO
$10,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
CPLC HOME HEALTHCARE LLC
$10,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
AFRICAN COMMUNITIES TOGETHER INC
$7,300ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023
MAKE THE ROAD STATES INC
$6,300ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO HEALTH & OPPORTUNITY (ECHO) PROJECT 2023
NILC IJF
$750,000OTHER
CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER
$100,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
MASSACHUSETTS IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE ADVOCACY COALITION
$100,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
COALITION FOR ASIAN AMERICAN CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
$100,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
CENTRO SAVILA
$100,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS
$100,000PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES