HomeMy WebLinkAboutApplications_SLO County UndocuSupport DEI 2022 ApplicationDiversity, Equity and Inclusion
2022-2023 GRANT FUNDING FOR HIGH IMPACT DE&I PROJECTS
Pl e ase provi de al l re que ste d i nformati on be f ore submi tti ng your appl i cati on. Please be as spe cific as possible !
I f accommoda on or assistance is n eed ed in co mple ng this A pplica on, or if a paper ve rsion is prefe rre d, ple ase
contact (805) 781-7100 or D EI@slocity.org
Organization Name :*
Y e ar Establishe d:*
Fiscal Age nt, if diffe re nt than abov e :*
Tax ID #:*
Docume nt Ce rtifying Fe de ral Tax-Exe mpt status, if applicable
Name of Exe cutiv e Dire ctor (or highe st le ade rship position)
Approximate Annual Budge t:
M ajor Source s of Funding:
M ission State me nt:
Numbe r of paid staff (full- or part-time ):
Numbe r of v olunte e rs:
Name of Board Pre side nt or Chair:
PART 1: APPLICANT INFORMATION
SLO County UndocuSupport
2020
The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County
770496500
Nonprofit IRS Docs - The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo
County.pdf
505.11KB
Chelsea Ruiz - UndocuSupport Program Manager
156,000
Local donors, California Immigrant Resilience Fund, SLO County Board of Supervisors, Community
Foundation San Luis Obispo County, SLO County Public Health
SLO County UndocuSupport’s mission is to provide and connect resources, support and advocacy for and
with immigrant families in SLO County in order to make meaningful impact and true system change.
UndocuSupport strives to meet the basic needs of immigrant families to allow them to be healthy and thrive
in the challenging environment of disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 and beyond, layered over years
of systemic racism. UndocuSupport seeks to improve access to basic health and social services, and
provide support to allow families to work, go to school and care for children.
1
20
Rita Casaverde
Organizational Le ade rship Chart *
Name of Pe rson comple ting this Application:
Organization M ailing Addre ss:*
Phone :*
E-mail:*
Brie fly de scribe your organization’s mission, primary activ itie s, and ope rating structure s.
De scribe the community(ie s) your organization supports.
Org chart - UndocuSupport.png 2.91MB
Joel Diringer
City
San Luis Obispo
State / Province / Region
CA
Postal / Zip Code
93401
Country
USA
Street Address
c/o The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County
Address Line 2
550 Dana Street
8055432323
undocusupport@cfsloco.org
UndocuSupport was created as a crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when it became obvious that
federal stimulus would be neglecting to provide a safety net for our undocumented- and mixed-status
family community members. In an ideal world, every single person in our community would have access to
basic services and programs regardless of their immigration status, but that is currently not the case.
Legal and socially institutionalized stigma have been pushing some of our neighbors into the shadows,
stifling their possibility to thrive and denying a sense of belonging to generations and generations of
immigrant families in our community.
The need to work for systemic change has been prioritized in UndocuSupport’s strategic planning, as well
as meeting critical needs with immediate aid, streamlining access and delivery of services, and fiscal and
operational sustainability of the organization.
Even though we have passed the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, our organization is highly aware that our
undocumented and mixed-status families have always lived in a state of crisis, and this will not change
once the pandemic is over. For this reason, this proposal focuses on requesting funds for our DIRECT AID
PROGRAM, and support for our NEIGHBORHOOD CONVENINGS, which to this date have helped inform
how we prioritize our efforts.
SLO County UndocuSupport grants funds to local nonprofit organizations to provide direct assistance to
immigrant families, including those with undocumented members, to overcome their exclusion from public
relief programs including stimulus payments, unemployment, food and rental assistance.
Funds of up to $500 are provided to pay for rent, utilities, children’s needs, and transportation. While
rental assistance remains the biggest need, other needs include help for utilities, food, clothing,
transportation (car payments and insurance), medical expenses, childcare costs, medical equipment such
as oxygen tanks, dental treatment, and other items such as immigration fees, funeral costs, furniture, and
diapers.
SLO County UndocuSupport is led by a Leadership Council with an Executive Committee, Fundraising
Committee, Fiscal Committee and Grants Committee. The Grants Committee distributes funds in an open,
competitive process to SLO County nonprofits that provide direct aid to undocumented families. The
grants committee is independent and its members cannot be current or potential recipients of funds.
UndocuSupport is fiscally sponsored by The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County which hosts
hired staff and provides administrative support.
Name of DE&I Proje ct *
Est. numbe r of pe ople se rv e d through this proje ct:*
Est. numbe r of SLO CITY RESIDENTS se rv e d through this proje ct *
Total Proje ct Cost:*
AM OUNT OF CITY FUNDING REQUESTED:*
De scribe your propose d proje ct or program.
Please be specif ic in the population and geographic area.
SLO County UndocuSupport serves the immigrant population throughout San Luis Obispo County. The
Latinx population numbers 63,000 (22.5%) in County. The immigrant population comprise approximately
10% of the County or nearly 30,000 persons.
There are an estimated 9,000 undocumented persons in San Luis Obispo County (Public Policy Institute of
California) and at least 17,000 residents in families with an undocumented member (USC Immigrant Data
Portal). The entire family is often excluded from, or very reluctant to apply for benefits due to the
undocumented status of one family member. A growing, but as yet unknown, number of immigrant families
are of indigenous origin from southern Mexico, Guatemala and Central America.
Low-income families with disproportionate financial challenges in supporting themselves due to the high,
and increasing, costs of housing, food, childcare and transportation, often need to take on risks that other,
more affluent families, can avoid. Going to work is essential to survival when sick leave, unemployment,
stimulus payments and other support are not available. The aid that UndocuSupport provides helps
families overcome the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 by providing them with funds to meet
immediate needs that may result in eviction, loss of employment, hunger and ill-health.
In 2020, SLO County UndocuSupport raised over $110,000 from over 200 local donations and attracted
statewide philanthropic funding of $213,000 from the California Immigrant Resilience Fund (GCIR) to
provide essential support to 606 local immigrant families (with 2100 family members) in 17 communities in
SLO County from Shandon to Nipomo.
In May 2021, we provided grants totaling $140,000 to 6 immigrant serving organizations in SLO County to
directly help immigrant families. Through November 2021, the UndocuSupport partners assisted 171
families (290 children, 291 adults) with aid of an average $430 per family. Of those aided by SLO County
UndocuSupport, 35 WERE IN THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO.
PART 2: PROJECT INFORMATION
SLO County UndocuSupport Partnership and Direct Aid with Local Immigrant Families
600
150
110,880
20,000
De scribe the community the proje ct will support.
De scribe the e quity gaps and community ne e ds this proje ct will addre ss.
Specify w hat the requested f unds w ill be used f or, the need for this project, the number of people impacted. Include a project plan, if available.
SLO County UndocuSupport is requesting SLO City DEI funds to expand within the City of Luis Obispo two
key elements of its work to build support for and with immigrant community members who face inequitable
access to resources. First, we plan to extend to San Luis Obispo an ongoing series of NEIGHBORHOOD
CONVENINGS with immigrant families across the county, with the ultimate goal to invite deeper
participation by immigrant community members in the long-term development of UndocuSupport as an
organization. Second, we seek to grow our basic aid program which provides direct assistance to
immigrant families, including those with undocumented members, to overcome their exclusion from COVID-
19 and other public relief programs including stimulus payments, unemployment, food and rental
assistance.
UndocuSupport informs its work in collaboration with local organizations (Central Coast Coalition for
Undocumented Student Success, Promotores Collaborative, MICOP) by connecting directly with immigrant
community members through NEIGHBORHOOD CONVENINGS throughout the county. The objectives of
these convenings are to 1) create a community led approach to integrate organizational data and
community knowledge to form a more holistic understanding of the range of undocumented experiences in
our community, as well as specific barriers that San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara communities,
2) Ensure cultural relevance of organizational practices and communication, and 3) to develop trust and
sharing of/for agency, organizations’ resources.
To date, convenings have been held in Mixteco in San Miguel and Paso Robles, and in Spanish in Paso
Robles, Cambria and Oceano and are planned for Los Osos/Morro Bay in the coming months. Several
convenings in English have been held in English with DACA students at Cuesta and Cal Poly. SLO DEI
grant funds will help support the launch of additional neighborhood convenings with Spanish-speaking
families in San Luis Obispo. Additional potential partners in this work include Pacheco Elementary School
ELAC and PTA.
Through UndocuSupport’s DIRECT AID WORK, local non-profit organizations which provide support to the
local immigrant population are invited to submit grant applications to the SLO UndocuSupport Grants
Committee for review. In 2021, six local organizations applied for and received $140,000 in funding for
distribution directly to families in need. Our nonprofit partners worked with families on their immediate
needs in the areas of housing, childcare, health care, nutrition and transportation and connected them to
other services in the community.
With additional funds from this City DEI grant and others, UndocuSupport will expand its ability to provide
assistance to local immigrant families living in and/or working in the City of San Luis Obispo. These funds
will be issued using UndocuSupport’s established process: the grants committee will issue a call for
proposals from local organizations that serve immigrant families. The proposals will be reviewed by the
grants committee, and recommendations will be forwarded to the UndocuSupport Leadership Council and
the Community Foundation for distribution. Grantees will convene on a regular basis to share experiences
and resource information.
Specify the population, location of services provided, and any other identif iers your proposed project w ill support.
SLO County UndocuSupport serves the immigrant population throughout San Luis Obispo County. The
Latinx population numbers approximately 65,000 (23%) in the County. The immigrant population comprises
approximately 10% of the County or nearly 30,000 persons. In the City of SLO, 17% of the population
speaks a language other than English at home; and 18% of the population identifies as Latinx; 9% of the
population are immigrants.
There are an estimated 9,000 undocumented persons in San Luis Obispo County (Public Policy Institute of
California) and at least 17,000 residents in families with an undocumented member (USC Immigrant Data
Portal). A growing, but as yet unknown, number of immigrant families are of indigenous origin from
southern Mexico, Guatemala and Central America.
Direct aid funds are provided through UndocuSupport’s nonprofit partners. To date, UndocuSupport funds
have been distributed to local families by the following agencies: CAPSLO, Central Coast Coalition for
Undocumented Students Success (CCC-USS), Center for Family Strengthening (Promotores
Collaborative), Catholic Charities and Five Cities Homeless Coalition. This DEI grant will afford additional
opportunities to build partnerships and extend our reach, both through neighborhood convenings with
local families, and through direct aid partnerships with local agencies.
In the table below briefly list 2-3 methods of evaluation and indicators of success or
measurable outcomes.
M e thods of Ev aluation Indicators of Succe ss / M e asurable Outcome s
Grantees and neighborhood convening participants to date have described UndocuSupport as the “safety
net of safety nets” during times of financial stress, providing streamlined support when barriers (legal,
bureaucratic, etc.) are too great through other channels.
Low-income families with disproportionate financial challenges in supporting themselves due to the high,
and increasing, costs of housing, food, childcare and transportation, often need to take on risks that other,
more affluent families, can avoid. Going to work is essential to survival when sick leave, unemployment,
stimulus payments and other support are not available. The entire family is often excluded from, or very
reluctant to apply for, benefits due to the undocumented status of one family member. This issue
dramatically widens the equity gap between undocumented and documented members of our community.
The community convenings help UndocuSupport identify the most pressing needs families experience, and
provide stakeholder-driven guidance on how best UndocuSupport can help families navigate financial
challenges by providing them with funds to meet immediate needs that may result in eviction, loss of
employment, hunger and ill-health.
The Latinx population of the county has experienced COVID-19 cases at twice the rate of other population
groups (see Figure 1, below). Latinx households in San Luis Obispo County have a per capita income of
less than half that of white, non-Latinx households, $22,580 versus $43,259 (US Census 2019 ACS).
While 20.8% of the overall county population is obese, 38.2% of Latinx residents are obese (CHIS COVID-
19 Dashboard), a significant risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, and COVID-19 complications. And
statewide, 25% of low-income immigrants have avoided accessing public benefits, over half in the last two
years due to public charge rule changes under the prior administration (UCLA CHIS 2019).
Immigrant and Latinx families will continue to suffer from the economic and social consequences of COVID
into the future. The long term illnesses and deaths from COVID have stressed families. The economic
burdens from the pandemic will be felt longer for the low- income families that had no “safety net” or “nest
egg” to rely on. Inflation in housing costs, transportation, child care and food will make it even harder for
immigrant families to recover from COVID.
In addition to the direct aid to families, UndocuSupport has been conducting focus groups with CCC-USS
directly with immigrant families to better understand their needs. We have acted as a convenor of
immigrant serving organizations in the County to share resources and cross-pollinate ideas. We are also
connecting with other regional immigrant advocacy organizations including the Mixteco Indigenous
Community Organizing Project.
Stories from families accessing UndocuSupport funds through partnering agencies:
A) The family has five adults and three children (ages, 5, 4, and 1) in the household and are struggling
financially – the mother is eight months pregnant and has been unemployed for over seven months due to
her high-risk pregnancy. The father works in agriculture and due to recent weather conditions in the area,
he went without a paycheck for two weeks. His unemployment insurance application is still pending. They
are currently doubled up with
family members, renting a single bedroom. COVID worsened their situation, setting them back financially
due to child care responsibilities with school closures. The funding through CAPSLO was used to help
cover their portion of the rent for one month.
B) A The high school student and her siblings are being raised only by her undocumented mother. The
mother’s hours as a housecleaner have been reduced due to COVID making finances more difficult.
Recently the mother had to make a payment towards the students DACA paperwork putting her behind on
the money that she was setting aside for rent. Funding delivered through CCC-USS was able to help cover
rent payments.
C) The mother has worked as a housekeeper at a local hotel and had her hours significantly reduced
during COVID. While the father maintained employment, they fell behind on utilities in order to stay current
with rent and continue to support their two children, one of whom is a first generation college student.
Funding through 5CHC assisted with utility payments to catch the family up on bills. They were able to
connect the family to additional resources for food, low-income utilities, and the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief
Program. The family was able to assess their current income and expenses and create a realistic budget
for the coming months.
In the chart below, identify any partnerships/collaborations that are supporting this
project, and their roles.
Name of Partne r Activ ity/Se rv ice The y Prov ide for This Proje ct
Prov ide the time line for this propose d proje ct.
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
# of immigrants participating in neighborhood
convenings, advisory board
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
8-10 convening participants contribute knowledge
that helps iupdate documentation of needs and
resources specific to families living/working in San
Luis Obispo; Representation by SLO-based
immigrant community members in UndocuSupport
leadership/ongoing development increased by at
least 3 through participation in a regional
UndocuSupport advisory board.
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
# of families served with direct aid – broken down
by (see below)...
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
35 families (~150 individuals) living in San Luis
Obispo receive direct aid to address basic needs
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
...# of adults, # of children
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
feedback logged through grantee agency reports
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
...amount and type of aid
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
feedback logged through grantee agency reports
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees
# of families linked to resources, services
Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
Decrease % of return rate over time
Example : # of BIPOC serving on public boards, committees Example: 10% increase by end of 2021
Example: ABC Business
Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo County,
Central Coast Coalition for Undocumented Student
Success, First 5 SLO County, Diringer and
Associates, Promotores Collaborative/Center for
Family Strengthening, Allies for Immigration
Justice, CAPSLO, Quinn Brady
Example: Free Use of Space f or Weekend Classes
UndocuSupport Leadership Council
Example: ABC Business
Central Coast Coalition for Undocumented Student
Success, Promotores Collaborative, MICOP, The
Link, First 5 SLO County
Example: Free Use of Space f or Weekend Classes
Co-organizer of Neighborhood Convenings
Example: ABC Business
Promotores/Center for Family Strengthening,
Central Coast Coalition for Undocumented Student
Success, Catholic Charities, 5 Cities Homeless
Coalition, Paso Robles Housing Authority,
CAPSLO
Example: Free Use of Space f or Weekend Classes
Distributor of Direct Aid
Example: ABC Business
The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo
County
Example: Free Use of Space f or Weekend Classes
UndocuSupport Fiscal Agent, UndocuSupport
Fund Holder
Example: ABC Business Example: Free Use of Space f or Weekend Classes
De scribe your plan for sustainability be yond the City’s one -ye ar award funding, if applicable .
Using the table below, please provide a broadly-itemized budget for your project,
including the source of any matching funds.
Ite m De scription *Total Cost *Amount Prov ide d by
City Funds *
Amount of Othe r
Funds and Source of
Funding *
1
2
3
4
5
6
*During application review , you may be asked for f urther f inancial information or f or proof of any matching f unds
De scribe the plan for promoting this proje ct within the City of San Luis Obispo.
Our DIRECT AID project started in 2020 with the founding of UndocuSupport, this grant would help us to
continue providing immediate relief to families through our grantee agencies in the 2023 calendar year.
- Funds would be distributed after funding is available to UndocuSupport and following our distribution
process outlined in Part 2 of this grant.
Our NEIGHBORHOOD CONVENINGS project has been in place since 2021. This additional funding would
allow us to organize 2 neighborhood convenings in the City of SLO in the 2023 calendar year.
- Each neighborhood convening will be organized in a timely manner, according to and following
recommendations by micro-local partners and members of the community.
Due to the fact that focused support for undocumented and mixed status families in SLO County was non-
existent, UndocuSupport has been able to find multiple, diverse funding sources. We have been previously
successful in raising funds both for direct aid and operations. We have applied to the Community
Foundation for additional assistance in resource development and communications, and are working with
other UndocuFunds in the state to find synergies and share lessons learned.
In record timing, UndocuSupport was able to hire its first full-time employee as of August 2022. This shift
for a historically all-volunteer initiative offers a timely opportunity to build scale and deepen partnerships in
the community. This time of growth creates new opportunities to expand community partnerships and
create additional pathways to connect immigrant families with resources.
PART 3: PROJECT COST / BUDGET
Direct Aid to Families 60,000.00$15,000.00$45,000.00$
Neighborhood Convenings 6,000.00$1,000.00$5,000.00$
Grantee agency family
support staff admin and fiscal
oversight (8%)
4,800.00$1,200.00$3,600.00$
UndocuSupport staff to assist
grant committee to issue RFP,
select grantees, convene
grantees and report on
progress
30,000.00$1,000.00$29,000.00$
Community Foundation San
Luis Obispo County
administrative costs (10%)
10,080.00$1,800.00$8,280.00$
TOTAL 110,880.00$20,000.00$90,880.00$
PART 4: AWARENESS AND VISIBILITY
How will you highlight the City's support of your proje ct?
By signi ng thi s applicaon, I ce rfy that the i nformaon containe d w i thin is true and corre ct to the be st of my
know l e dge . I agre e to comply w i th the re quire me nts of the Ci ty of the San Lui s Obispo.
Name of Pe rson comple ting this Application:*
Signature *
Title :*
Date :*
The promotion of our programs will be through the organizations that are a part of our collective of
partners and grantee agencies (20+), our website, email list and press releases. Additional outreach will
be prioritized for local school English learner communities, ELACs, PTAs and SLCUSD.
Our informational materials will be available in Spanish and English and will be shared with partner
agencies, local family resource centers and our Mixteco speaking partners to be shared in culturally
sensitive ways.
UndocuSupport will be sure to highlight SLO City’s support of projects through a press release shared with
the announcement of this grant to UndocuSupport partners, community and media and promoted by our
Board of Directors. A picture with City of SLO officials would be featured on our website.
The City of SLO logo will be added to a sponsors/supporters/partners page in our website, as well as be
included in all of our program materials that are public facing, when appropriate.
UndocuSupport will work with fiscal sponsor, the Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County, to
identify additional ways to highlight the City of SLO’s support.
City of SLO DEI Manager and SLO Human Relations Commission members will be invited to join quarterly
UndocuSupport convenings of organizations and partners.
PART 5: CERTIFICATION
Joel Diringer,
UndocuSupport Leadership Council Member and Executive Committee (Treasurer)
8/31/2022