REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT CENTER FOR EDUCATION & LEGAL SERVICES

aka RAICES   |   San Antonio, TX   |  www.raicestexas.org

Mission

To defend THE RIGHTS OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, empower INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES, and advocate FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.

Ruling year info

1987

President & CEO

Mr. Jonathan D. Ryan JD

Main address

1305 N Flores Street

San Antonio, TX 78212 USA

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Formerly known as

Refugee Aid Project, Inc.

EIN

74-2436920

NTEE code info

Immigrants' Rights (R21)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

In communities across the United States, our clients face detention and deportation every day and frequently do not have access to legal counsel. According to the American Immigration Council, at a national level only 37 percent of immigrants secured legal representation in their removal cases and only 14 percent of detained immigrants acquired legal counsel. Immigrants who have access to representation are up to ten times more likely to establish a right to stay with their families and communities in the United States than immigrants who lack representation. Rapidly changing immigration policies also require rapid responders in instances where the policies create humanitarian crises such as that of family separation.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Children's Program

RAICES’ largest program provides free legal information, referrals and direct representation for unaccompanied children in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Given our proximity to the U.S. Mexico border, our Children’s Program provides services to thousands of children each year.

Population(s) Served
Immigrants and migrants
Children and youth

Where we work

Awards

Kahlil Gibran Award for Institutional Excellence 2019

Arab American Institute Foundation

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Pro bono cases opened

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Immigrants and migrants

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

RAICES believes that everyone should be afforded the right to due process, especially historically exploited and disenfranchised populations seeking safety and security.

Number of Facebook followers

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

In 2018, RAICES was the proud beneficiary of what was then the largest social media fundraiser in history, raising over $20M in operating funds thanks to the vision of Charlotte and David Willner.

Number of volunteers

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

RAICES has been growing a national volunteer program over the last three years in order to activate communities across the country in support of migrant justice.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

RAICES strives to address the gap in representation of immigrants and refugees, because every individual has the right to pursue viable legal relief with a qualified attorney or representative to accompany them through their immigration process. The promotion and access to effective representation are the core of RAICES programs to provide free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, asylum seekers, and refugees in Texas.

As an organization that lives and operates in the state of Texas—where recent legislation such as SB4 has gone to great lengths to criminalize immigrants—RAICES prioritizes quality and diversity of legal, social, and advocacy services to counteract our damaging, and at times unpredictable, immigration policies. The majority of legal programs at RAICES operate on a universal representation model, which means a case can be accepted regardless of its strength. Additionally, through Education and Outreach programs, RAICES regularly engages with communities to advocate for immigrant-friendly policies and communicate the positive effect immigration has in our cities.

In its 35 years as a legal service provider, RAICES has a wide range of institutional experience with detained populations including families and children (unaccompanied or otherwise). RAICES is uniquely capable to serve the immigrant and refugee community independently and competently through a public defender model applied to the majority of cases, and a universal representation model specifically reserved for unaccompanied minors and families in detention, as well as adults in detention served under several existing programs. RAICES has become familiar with difficult cases and pursues all viable forms of relief.

RAICES has been at the forefront of providing legal assistance to migrants for over 30 years. As the largest immigration not-for-proft in Texas —and the only statewide organization that combines legal services with activism and advocacy—RAICES closed over 51,000 cases in 2017 and has been able to open a location in the Houston area in 2018. RAICES plans to expand it services in Texas and, in the future, nationwide to continue to broaden the scope of the communities we serve through our programs.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Case management notes, Community meetings/Town halls,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,

Financials

REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT CENTER FOR EDUCATION & LEGAL SERVICES
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT CENTER FOR EDUCATION & LEGAL SERVICES

Board of directors
as of 4/19/2021
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Mr. John Walvoord

Texas Wilson


Board co-chair

Ms. Dolores Schroeder

Office of Dolores K. Schroeder – Attorney

Jonathan Ryan, JD

RAICES

Olga Kauffman

Veteran Activist and Organizer

Tony Davila

Davila Construction

John Agather

San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Dolores Schroeder, JD, MSW

Law Office of Dolores K. Schroeder

Jayci Giaccone, CFRE

Essilor Vision Foundation

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 04/19/2021

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

No data

 

No data

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data