
Local Government- Nonprofit Nexus in Serving Immigrant Populations in Welcoming Cities
Local Government- Nonprofit Nexus in Serving Immigrant Populations in Welcoming Cities
Dr. Mirae Kim and Dr. Cathy Liu of the Department of Public Planning and Policy have undertaken a new research project of Welcoming America.
Welcoming America is a nonprofit that supports communities to be more inclusive for all, especially for newcomers. Thus far, close to 100 local governments agencies and more than 120 nonprofits across the US have joined the network. Building on government failure and interdependence theories, the researchers explore whether the growth and dispersion of Welcoming America network reflect the growth of immigrant populations as well as the socioeconomic background of host communities.
This study first documents the process of joining the Welcoming America for nonprofits and local government agencies, their spatial distribution as well as the type of nonprofits being part of the Welcoming America network.
Next, the researchers will identify which of the following applies
- local government(s) joined the network
- nonprofit(s) joined the network
- both local government(s) and nonprofit(s) joined the network, or
- no agency part of the network.
The proposed study will adopt a mixed-method research methodology, using organizational records obtained from the Welcoming America, survey responses of network, Census records, nonprofit 990 data, and qualitative interviews with leaders at Welcoming America agencies.
The findings will provide insights for how different communities accommodate the growing economic, social and cultural needs of diverse immigrant populations. Our study will highlight the role of strategic public-nonprofit partnerships to help immigrants better integrate into their communities economically and socially.