Donations
The List Project has multiple funds addressing different areas of need for the Iraqis on the List. As a grassroots effort, we want our donors to be able to choose where their donations are directed, to give where they feel most compelled or appropriate. Below are descriptions of the different funds, along with their goals and current status. We've established a secure donations form through Groundspring.org where you may pledge your financial support:
Legal Support fund:
This program is what the List Project began with and helps keep our pro bono legal services alive. While the program offers access to hundreds of attorneys, we need to fund full-time paralegals in order to assist with the overwhelming case-load of Iraqis seeking refuge. Our paralegals are themselves Iraqis who have helped the U.S. and are now safely resettled.
This fund allows us to administer small grants and loans on a need basis directly to Iraqis after they arrive in the U.S. Because government support for refugees is extremely limited, there is a critical need to be able to provide a temporary cushion for Iraqi refugees who need assistance in their first few months. For example, a 70-year-old mother arrived before her daughter, had no support, and was faced with the need to start working in a wood-cutting factory to make enough money to pay rent until her daughter was resettled in the U.S.
If you can believe it, refugees (no matter where they come from in the world) are required by the U.S. to repay the costs of their airfare to safety. This is often a daunting obligation. Refugees who voluntarily served the US war effort in Iraq should not be required to pay for their ticket to safety. Until U.S. government policies change, we want to defray this expense.
The List Project has partnered with Upwardly Global, an NGO that helps highly-educated refugees (who constitute the vast majority on The List) find meaningful employment. We are launching regular job-training sessions for these Iraqis once they arrive.
Contributions defray the costs of these critical trainings, which help Iraqis learn to navigate the US job market and find ways to contribute to our society.