Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1507716
V O L . X X I X N O. X X I I G I V I N G G U I D E 2 0 2 3 – 2 0 2 4 8 GIVING GUIDE Initially, 20 member organizations comprised MIRC. By 2015, memberships rose to 50, and fund- raising was in full swing. With fundraising came the need for MIRC to take the next step, and 2017 they became a standalone organization. Soon afterward they became a fiscal sponsor, which is a nonprofit organization that provides governance, funds man- agement and other administrative support. Many of MIRC's member organizations have 501(c)3 status with the internal structure to accom- modate fundraising, including channels in place for donations. ey also qualify for tax exemptions, and donors may claim contributions on their taxes. Yet some members are not nonprofits. ey are newly established and working to obtain this status. Other members are organizing on a much smaller scale with no plans of becoming 501(c)3s. Because MIRC is a fiscal sponsor, "A donor can go through MIRC to donate to a specific member organization. A check from MIRC is written back to the [receiving] organization leaving them to focus resources on their mission. MIRC does the financial administra- tion for funding and reporting. Most members can't do that work," Chitam explains. In this way, MIRC advocates for members, so they don't have to create the necessary robust systems. And fiscal sponsor- ship services are provided with no fees to members. MIRC also writes grants and will work with non- members who want to advance certain shorter-term projects that fall within the MIRC mission. Mufalo Chitam came into the position of execu- tive director in 2017 just as MIRC became a stand- alone. She brought with her extensive experience in community advocacy, fundraising, and non- profits and is deeply knowledgeable of immigrant advocacy. Chitam is also an immigrant herself and has her own story to tell. In 2000, she, her hus- band, who had won a green card in the lottery (also known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program), and their three-year-old daughter immigrated from Zambia. ey came with the encouragement of the only Zambian in Maine who had encour- aged them to join him in building a community. In his Portland apartment, he hosted the new family. en, believing it would be easier for a sin- gle man to find a place than a family of three, he surrendered his home to them. Chitam says it was purely through need that they found the support to settle in Maine. "Anyone coming outside of refugee status, sup- port came from someone helping, community members, not state programs. When [immigrants] settled, the next [immigrants] came in and it became a chain reaction. ey were being sup- ported with childcare, housing, resources, at the grassroots level," she says. Chitam's story is not uncommon. At MIRC most staff of member organizations and partners are immigrants. Many community-based programs are built around a specific ethnicity, others are a combi- nation of ethnicities, all are immigrant focused. It is this first-hand experience, knowing what supports are needed that makes them unique. It is also why they are effective policy makers and influencers at the state and federal levels. ey have members of the alliance who have 501(c)4 status and can legally participate in politi- cal activities under federal tax law. ese mem- bers step in to further MIRC's project and policy efforts. Some members collaborate with legislators to advance bills that align with MIRC's priorities, for example, using foreign credentials, the ability to have a driver's license regardless of status, and building a housing development. e result of one such bill allowed for the cre- ation and funding of three new crucial services: the housing navigator, who searches for hous- ing to further family stability; the cultural broker, who speaks the language and knows the cultural needs of the individual; and the community health worker, a role that was born out of the pandemic. Other coalition members, attorneys, and their staff are experts in advocacy. At the municipal level, they know where and when policies and bills are being voted on, playing a supporting or opposition role. ey plan campaigns, hold press meetings, post on social media, and work the floor in the statehouse. ey act as policy leads and managers, and champion committees such as the Healthcare For All campaign. ere can be some confusion over who is an immigrant, and who is a refugee. ese defini- tions are tied to federal and international poli- cies. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, "ere are impor- tant differences between the terms 'migrant' [or immigrant] and 'refugee', which cannot be used interchangeably. Refugees are outside their own country because of a threat to their lives or free- dom. ey are defined and protected by a specific international legal framework. e term migrant [or immigrant] on the other hand, is not defined under international law, and is sometimes used dif- ferently by different stakeholders." Chitam discusses the direction MIRC is mov- ing in. "It remains a challenge to predict and plan on paper because there are external factors that get us to do certain work in response to the need on the ground." Fiscal sponsorship will remain a service for new member organizations. As members reach their 501(c)3 status, they will stay members but no longer need extensive assistance. en MIRC can move on to the next thing such as policy changes at a federal level. Chitam is passionate about their mission, say- ing, "MIRC will continue direct services during this emergency immigration situation long enough for others to learn. We cannot look away when there are emergency needs." Using the Donate button on the MIRC site, contributors can send donations directly to any member organization in the MIRC coalition. For those wishing to research coalition members and partners, lists with links are provided for each organization. An interactive Ecosystem Map visu- alizes the network of MIRC organizations, ser- vices, and supports serving and representing immi- grants and refugees resettling in Maine. JC Newman is a writer, multimedia artist and musician living in Maine. She can be reached at editorial @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 6 F I L E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Literally overnight, the Angola population burst into Maine. Within a week or two we had over 400 people arrive in the state. — Mufalo Chitam Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition