Building power with grassroots-led, needs-responsive, and advocacy-oriented partners
CIPC convenes a cohort of local immigrant rights organizations across California through the Regional Capacity Building Project (RCBP) to bring the power and experience of people on the ground to social justice work at the state and regional levels. Made possible by the leadership and commitment of CIPC and by a consortium of funders committed to a vision of a more equitable California, the RCBP aims to build the capacity of regional coalitions with a grassroots-led, needs-responsive, and advocacy-oriented approach to build power across California.
We selected our partners to represent diverse communities throughout California, covering northern, central and southern parts of the State. CIPC identified existing anchor organizations and coalitions in the different regions and piloted the project in 2013. Based on the success of the First Year, the regional coalitions became a cohort that has since been working towards the goals of: addressing the urgent work of connecting immigrant rights issues with other issues confronting many communities of color; bridging the geographical and economic divides between rural, suburban, and urban areas; and harnessing their power to represent their communities in state and federal advocacy.
Although the regional coalitions are in different locations in California, they face similar barriers to success, such as: developing local campaigns, operating with limited and mainly volunteer driven resources, changing the public debate on immigrant issues in their region, and connecting to larger policy efforts at the state and federal levels. The Regional Capacity Building Project is an investment in regional and local coalitions to ensure that local realities and issues are represented and have impact on decisions and negotiations being made at the state level. Partners commit to fostering a grassroots agenda for a just and fair California that works for everyone.