Language access: Our history and protected right
By Jodie Stanley, Municipal Language Access Network For the first time in U.S. history, an official language has been named. Executive Order 14224 designates English as the official language of the United States—a largely symbolic move, but one with real implications. While this order does not establish legal restrictions on other languages, it signals a…
Read MoreStanding Up to Fear: Building a Welcoming America
Fear divides us—but together, we choose welcoming. In recent weeks, executive orders and policies from the president’s administration have torn families apart, halted refugee resettlement and foreign aid, and cast wide swaths of the American public—including immigrants— as threats undeserving of basic care, safety, and constitutional rights. Lives are being upended, and the harm is…
Read MoreAnnouncing the 2025 Rural Welcoming Initiative Participants—Rural Communities Lead the Way
Rural America is changing. Across the country, we’re navigating shifting demographics, economic transitions, and growing divides. But rural leaders aren’t backing down—they’re embracing inclusion, opportunity, and connection. Since 2020, the Rural Welcoming Initiative (RWI) has provided nonprofits and local governments in rural places with the tools, resources, and support to make their communities more welcoming for…
Read MoreMore Communities #StandUpForWelcoming as the Welcoming Movement Takes the Spotlight
For Immediate Release: February 11, 2025 Decatur, GA — As fear and division escalate nationwide, mayors and community leaders are reaffirming their commitment to making their cities places of belonging, trust, and opportunity. Welcoming America celebrates the growing momentum for inclusive policies that strengthen local economies, create safer communities, and foster meaningful connections across differences. From…
Read MoreStanding Up for Welcoming: Four practical actions for local leaders
To help local leaders prepare for an uncertain and rapidly changing immigration landscape, we’ve outlined four practical actions you can take to stand up for welcoming.
Read MoreHow intergroup relationships build community: Four success stories
Fund to Foster Belonging grantees have brought together immigrants and non-immigrants to build community-wide belonging since 2021. This year, we supported four grantees whose projects bridged immigrant, refugee, and U.S.-born communities through shared initiatives. Their efforts demonstrated how local bridge-building work between different groups — also known as intergroup bridging — can successfully create connections,…
Read MoreFrom crisis to cornerstone: How welcoming is creating stability and belonging for this community foundation
Local institutions, like community foundations, can stopgap migration crises by leveraging their local knowledge, resources, and leadership. In this guest post, Valerie Carlin, the chief impact officer at Aspen Community Foundation, highlights how community foundations can go beyond short-term crisis response to build a lasting foundation for belonging and welcoming. In our rural community in…
Read MoreBuilding inclusive communities: Welcoming resources for community foundations
As community foundations increasingly recognize the importance of fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, they are discovering that welcoming is a key dimension of this work that is often overlooked. Also known as immigrant inclusion, welcoming refers to the constellation of practices and policies that create environments where immigrants and refugees are embraced into the…
Read MoreThe Role of Policy in Cultivating More Welcoming Communities
What is the role of policy — particularly at the local and state level — in helping integrate veterans, immigrants, and formerly incarcerated people into their communities?
Read MoreMeeting the Moment: Welcoming in Challenging Times
This webinar explores how communities can respond to the increasing challenges of disinformation and scapegoating, particularly targeting immigrant communities.
Read More