Immigrant families in California’s Central Valley and Central Coast are facing unprecedented challenges. Intensified federal enforcement, harmful rhetoric and funding uncertainty have left community organizations overwhelmed and immigrant families vulnerable to misinformation and rights violations. Despite immigrants comprising nearly a quarter of California’s population, few organizations receive state funding for legal services—creating a critical gap in protection and support.
We helped launch the Central California Immigrant Resilience Fund to address this urgent need. This pooled funding initiative aims to raise and deploy $10 million over 24 months, half of which ($5 million) has already been secured, to strengthen immigrant-serving organizations across prioritized regions. Informed by local voices, the Fund provides resources for legal defense, rapid response systems, know-your-rights education, interpretation services and training programs to grow the pool of qualified legal advocates in underserved areas. It also invests in community organizing and civic engagement, ensuring immigrant communities move from crisis response to long-term resilience and power-building.
The Center at Sierra Health Foundation is proud to manage the Fund, with Sierra Health Foundation as a founding funder, leveraging our deep relationships across the Central Valley and Central Coast to respond effectively and quickly. Together with the 11th Hour Project, The California Endowment, California Immigrant Policy Center, California Community Foundation, California Wellness Foundation The FUND for Santa Barbara, The James Irvine Foundation, James B. McClatchy Foundation and Kresge Foundation, we are creating a model of immigrant support that strengthens legal protections and community power.
This effort builds on our longstanding commitment to Valley and Central Coast communities through the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund and Community Economic Mobilization Initiative, which advance health and racial equity through community-driven partnerships. Immigrant communities are integral to California’s future. By investing in the Central California Immigrant Resilience Fund, we are helping our state move from crisis response to civic power—ensuring that immigrant families not only survive this moment but shape a more just and equitable future for all.
Learn more at the Central California Immigrant Resilience Fund webpage.