Request for Letters of Interest
2024 State Policy Partnerships
The Refugee Advocacy Lab is a partnered initiative to grow and strengthen the movement for U.S. leadership on the protection and inclusion of people who have been forcibly displaced. Housed at Refugees International and co-led with the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Refugee Congress, the Lab works to support the advocacy community by developing strategic communications resources, championing inclusive policies, and building capacity for the field. Our priorities are driven by and grounded in the perspectives of refugee leaders, and we collaborate with a wide range of partners who power our work.
Since our launch in 2020, the Lab has worked closely with partners on the ground in key states to build an infrastructure of bipartisan support and advance policies and programs that reduce barriers for refugees and other newcomers to restart their lives and thrive. This has led to numerous policy wins that have expanded language accessibility; opened pathways into the workforce; broadened and improved access to education; allocated funding for universal legal representation; institutionalized and funded welcoming work in state governments, and more. The Lab is proud to offer technical, advocacy and communications support to partners on the ground who drive this work forward.
Opportunity
The Lab is excited to seek new partners to help build capacity in advancing state-level policy advocacy in four new states. We are opening a Request for Letters of Interest (RFLOI) to local organizations in Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin for consideration. Ultimately, partners representing four of these states will be identified to join the Lab team and work towards a common agenda for the 2024 state legislative session.
Organizations will receive partnership support, including such elements as financial, technical and strategic communications support from the Refugee Advocacy Lab to help them build and execute an advocacy and communications agenda to advance state-level policy priorities that create more welcoming and inclusive communities for people who have experienced forced displacement during the 2024 state legislative session. If selected, partners will join an impressive team representing eight states as part of the Lab’s state network, and will be included in a broader community of 30+ Lab partners working at the state level and nationally to champion refugee inclusion.
Partners can apply for financial support of up to $40,000 to build upon existing capacity to advance a pro-refugee policy agenda at the state level. Financial and technical support for the Lab state partnership will be for an initial one-year term.
Criteria
Eligible partners will:
Operate locally in either Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin and demonstrate deep ties to refugee and newcomer populations in those states.
Be a registered 501(c)(3) or fiscally sponsored non-profit organization.
Have proven experience working on state-level advocacy and coalition-building towards policy objectives that would improve the lives of people who have been forcibly displaced.
Have a demonstrated understanding of the challenges facing forcibly displaced communities and proposed policy solutions to address them, including knowledge of (and ideally relationships with) the key local players and champions needed to advance an agenda during the 2024 state legislative session.
Have a dedicated staff member or consultant willing and able to travel to the state capitol on a semi-regular basis to educate critical stakeholders to build support for a pro-refugee agenda.
Have a dedicated team member able to join biweekly strategy meetings with the core Lab team and occasional trainings; be willing to share learnings; and serve as a point person across the Lab’s network of partners as a member of the Lab’s extended team. This may include one to two in-person peer learning opportunities throughout the year, for which travel would be covered by the Lab.
Refugee-led, BIPOC-led, woman-led, and other organizations led by forcibly displaced people are strongly encouraged to apply.
Timeline
Letters of Interest Due: Friday, October 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Informational Webinar for Interested Partners: Friday, October 6. Register Here.
First round candidates will be notified on Friday, October 20th and asked to hold time on October 30, November 1 and November 3 for interviews.
New partners notified: Wednesday, November 8
To apply:
Please complete and submit the following application form before Friday, October 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Organization name:
Lead contact (name and title):
Are you a 501c3: (yes/no) (If not – do you have a fiscal sponsor? Please list their name).
In one to two paragraphs, please describe how your organization comes to understand the needs of refugees and people who have been displaced in your state. How do you translate those learnings into a policy agenda for change?
In one to two paragraphs, please describe your organization’s history advocating for inclusive policies in your state. What successes and opportunities have you been able to create through your work?
In two paragraphs, please describe the current opportunities to advance a welcoming and inclusive policy agenda in your state during the 2024 state legislative session. What policies and priorities specifically will you champion legislatively and/or administratively, and what is your political analysis for this agenda?
In one to two paragraphs, please explain how support from the Lab–financial and otherwise– will help achieve these goals. What gaps will support and partnership from the Lab fill?
In one to two paragraphs, please describe your organization’s relationships with policymakers in your state. What other relationships, including coalition, community, or business partners, does your organization hold to help advance your policy agenda?
Please provide 1) a proposed project budget of up to $40,000 demonstrating how you would use financial support to advance your policy agenda in your state in 2024 (i.e. staff time, hiring a consultant, travel, convenings, campaigns, advocacy days, etc) and 2) a narrative describing how financial support from the Lab will fit into your broader advocacy budget and what other resources or financial support your organization will bring to this work.
Please provide the size of your organization’s operating budget as a range.
$0-$500K
$500K-$1M
$1M-$2M
$2M+
Other: