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| African Communities Together | |
|---|---|
| Name | African Communities Together |
| Formation | 2003 |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Region served | United States |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
| Leader name | Rosa Rojas |
African Communities Together is a New York–based nonprofit advocacy and service organization focused on supporting African immigrant and refugee communities across the United States. Founded by activists and community leaders from the African diaspora, the group engages in legal services, civic participation, social services, and public education to address the needs of recent arrivals and long‑standing immigrant populations. The organization works at the intersection of immigration policy, public health, and civic engagement, collaborating with municipal agencies, national coalitions, and community-based partners.
African Communities Together traces its origins to grassroots organizing among West African and East African immigrant communities in Queens and Brooklyn during the early 2000s. Founders drawn from networks linked to Sierra Leonean diaspora groups, Liberian associations, Ethiopian community centers, and Nigerian professional networks sought coordinated responses to post‑9/11 immigration enforcement, access to healthcare programs like Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program, and educational outreach in districts represented by members of New York City Council. The organization incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2003 and expanded service sites in coordination with faith institutions such as First Baptist Church (Brooklyn) and immigrant support coalitions including Make the Road New York and Immigrant Legal Resource Center affiliates. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s it engaged with municipal initiatives under mayors associated with Bill de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg, and responded to federal policy shifts from administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
The stated mission emphasizes immigrant integration, civic participation, and access to social services. Programmatic areas include naturalization assistance tied to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, know‑your‑rights trainings conducted alongside groups such as ACLU offices, and public health outreach connected with agencies like New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Workforce and entrepreneurship programs have collaborated with economic development entities like Small Business Services (NYC) and workforce boards associated with Queens Economic Development Corporation. Youth and education initiatives partner with community schools and programs funded under No Child Left Behind waivers and municipal education offices. Legal clinics coordinate pro bono representation with bar associations including the New York State Bar Association and immigrant defense networks.
African Communities Together operates with a board of directors composed of community leaders, lawyers, public health practitioners, and clergy drawn from diasporic constituencies. The staff includes program managers, outreach coordinators, and accredited representatives recognized by Department of Justice immigration programs. Field offices align with service districts in Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and satellite outreach in cities with large African diasporas such as Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Houston. Governance practices reflect nonprofit standards outlined by bodies like Independent Sector and comply with reporting requirements associated with Internal Revenue Service designation. Volunteer networks involve partnerships with student groups from institutions such as Columbia University, New York University, and City University of New York campuses.
Funding sources encompass philanthropic grants, municipal contracts, foundation awards, and individual donations. Major philanthropic funders have included regional foundations modeled on entities like Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and community health funders similar to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation projects. Government partnerships span municipal departments for immigrant affairs, and federal grant mechanisms administered through agencies such as Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Homeland Security programs for refugee resettlement. Collaborative partners include national coalitions like United We Dream, legal networks such as National Immigration Law Center, and public health alliances with organizations like The New York Academy of Medicine.
The organization has documented outcomes in naturalization completion rates, voter registration drives, and access to healthcare enrollment. Advocacy campaigns have targeted legislation and administrative policies at city and federal levels, engaging with elected officials from U.S. Congress delegations and participating in public hearings before bodies such as New York City Council committees. Impact reports cite collaborations producing increased enrollment in public benefit programs during open enrollment periods overseen by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initiatives, and testified in coalitions addressing detention and deportation practices under ICE operations.
Among notable efforts are a multi‑year naturalization and citizenship campaign conducted with community legal partners modeled on nationwide drives like those by NACDL and Catholic Charities USA; a public health outreach campaign during infectious disease outbreaks coordinated with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance; and a civic participation initiative that mobilized voters in local elections alongside chapters of League of Women Voters and NAACP local branches. The organization also participated in refugee resettlement collaborations resembling International Rescue Committee and informational campaigns addressing asylum procedures in concert with Human Rights First.
Critiques have focused on questions of resource allocation, transparency in grant reporting, and the challenges of representing diverse national constituencies with varying political priorities. Local watchdogs and journalists referencing standards from outlets like The New York Times and ProPublica have raised inquiries about administrative overhead versus direct service spending in several nonprofit sectors. Debates within diasporic communities, including leaders from Ghanaian, Somalian, and Nigeriaan associations, have sometimes centered on priorities for advocacy—balancing legal services, economic development, and transnational ties. The organization has responded by revising reporting practices and engaging external auditors modeled on nonprofit accountability standards promulgated by entities like Charity Navigator.
Category:Nonprofit organizations based in New York City