One Napa Valley Initiative - Citizenship Program

One Napa Valley Initiative - Citizenship Program

Organization: Napa Valley Community Foundation

Geographic Scope: Napa County, California

Focus Areas:

Helping legal immigrants become U.S. citizens

Citizenship outreach and services

Naturalization interview and exam preparation

Low-cost application services

Background & Context:

Announced April 23, 2013

Based on comprehensive analysis of Napa County's immigrant community by Migration Policy Institute (Washington, D.C.)

Analysis released 2012, commissioned by NVCF

Findings revealed only 30% of Napa County's foreign-born population had become citizens vs. 37% in California overall

Approximately 9,000 eligible immigrants in Napa County targeted

County heavily dependent on immigrant labor: immigrants account for up to $1 billion annually of region's GDP

Immigrants comprise 23% of county population but 33% of overall workforce

Immigrants comprise 73% of agricultural workforce

Funding Timeline:

2013: Initial $1 million commitment over 3 years announced

2013-2014: Approximately $285,000 distributed

2014: $295,000 grant (largest discretionary grant that year)

Program Results (First Year - 2013-2014):

Helped more than 500 residents with legal assistance or classroom help

165 citizenship applications submitted

65 people became U.S. citizens

Services became available within 3 months of announcement

Service Components:

Outreach to eligible immigrants

Low-cost application services

Naturalization interview preparation

Citizenship exam preparation

Eligible Recipients:

Legal permanent residents of Napa County

Impact & Benefits:

Citizenship correlates with higher educational attainment for children

Higher family income

Higher proficiency in English

More active community engagement

Nearly half of Napa Valley school children are children of immigrants

Additional Context:

Scarcity of legitimate immigration services in county contributed to low naturalization rates

Immigration reform expectations made program timing important

Potential for thousands of additional people to gain lawful pathway to citizenship, including long-time residents in agriculture, hospitality, and construction

Contact Information:

Phone: (707) 254-9565 ext. 16 (Get a Grant)

Email: hello@napavalleycf.org

Address: 3299 Claremont Way, Suite 4, Napa, CA 94558