Spring 2025 Stakeholder Update from Omar Carrera, CEO

Dear Friends,  

When I last wrote, we had just moved into our new headquarters at 711 Grand Avenue, had just launched our Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro community planning initiative, and were in the beginning stages of expanding our partnership with College of Marin. Today I am happy to share about further developments in these areas. 

I’m less happy to share that with Trump now in office, the risks to immigrants are greater than ever. The Trump administration is threatening mass deportations, using Guantanamo as a detention center, building additional detention centers across the country, and conducting ICE raids in countless immigrant communities. He is also making sweeping cuts to federal funding that supports unaccompanied immigrant children and other essential services. While we were dutiful in preparing for this new landscape as an agency, we did not predict the degree to which Trump would upend the government and disregard the U.S. Constitution, and the protections defined within it for all people living in this country.  

Canal Alliance does not receive much direct federal funding. However, we have already lost about $900K in expected revenue, specifically an EPA grant that was intended to support our climate preparedness work in the Canal and a subcontract from Acacia that allowed us to support children arriving to this country without an adult.  

While this time feels unpredictable, what I always endeavor to convey to you is now truer than ever before: Your support matters. Thank you for standing with immigrants. Thank you for making our work possible. Thank you for living your values. Together, we will get through this. 

Seeking Funding to Expand Capacity for Immigration Legal Services 

We are adapting to the realities of the Trump administration with our usual agility and determination. Demand for our services has increased dramatically since Trump took office, and we aim to scale our Immigration Legal Services (ILS) department in response. Also, in response to demand, we have dramatically expanded our Know Your Rights educational outreach to partners, community members, supporters, volunteers, and staff. In the early spring we hosted a Know Your Rights training event at Dominican University for hundreds of allies and partners and have reached many more with our ongoing outreach and training programs.  

To support this work in the long term, we will leverage existing partnerships and continue to leverage emerging technology like AI to deliver crucial information and scale our impact, by delivering accessible information to clients and community through WhatsApp.   

We have also identified the need to hire several new staff positions to add capacity to our ILS team, for which we need to raise at least $1.8M over the next three years. We are thankful to the Marin Community Foundation for providing a two-year grant to support the immediate hire of a new Public Charge Attorney, responsible for ensuring that our community can enroll safely in public benefits programs for which they are eligible.  

We also seek funds to hire a pro bono coordinator that will allow us to engage volunteer attorneys to support immigration services, and a part-time administrative assistant. A portion of these funds are also needed to continue our Outreach Coordinator position, for which dedicated funding will end on June 30, 2025. Please contact Zach Fernandez at zacharyf@canalalliance.org if you would like to learn more.  

Also, if you have not already, I strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with our Know Your Rights materials about rights of immigrants and read my recent blog post, Seven Ways to Be an Ally to Immigrants. We all have important roles to play in this unpredictable time – whether you are an immigrant or an ally. 

Strategic Planning Update: Final 3-Year Plan to Deliver on 10-Year Vision

In 2018, Canal Alliance developed a 10-year vision for the impact we want to make in the community by 2028. Now, seven years later, we have completed the first two of three strategic plans supporting our work toward that vision. As we prepare to engage in a third strategic planning process for these final three years, I want to invite you to take a moment to reflect with us on the progress we have made. Below are key 2028 goals identified in our planning processes, and progress updates for each.  

Canal Alliance will become:  

• A leader and expert in helping Latino immigrants and immigrants’ families to get on the pathway out of poverty, effectively partnering with others to grow our impact in Marin and the state. 
  
  • Our workforce services have grown to include 5 training pathways and support for entrepreneurs, with 713 graduates to date. 
  • We are also effectively partnering with others to grow our reach and impact in the state and county through our Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro Initiative, our leadership on a regional council for the California Jobs First initiative, and our engagement in the Canal Promise Neighborhood Plan, a newly formed coalition of cross-sector partners. 

• A healthy, sustainable, and innovative organization; a leading place to work in Marin with a physical space that supports its growth, culture, and role in the community.  
  
  • Despite recent tumult under Trump, Canal Alliance is in a strong financial position and maintains a minimum 6-month operating reserve. We have also built and maintain a diverse funding portfolio, which includes gifts from over 2,000 individuals and families, along with grants, contracts and donations from several hundred foundations, corporations, and state and local government agencies. 
    
  • We have steadily improved staff salaries and benefits, and in February of 2024, transitioned to a four-day workweek, which has been phenomenal for staff retention and wellness. 
    
  • We also acquired and moved into our new headquarters, which we are now leveraging through new and expanded partnerships for more community programming. 

• A leader in shifting perceptions and civic participation of the Latino immigrant community in Marin County and beyond. 
  
  • In February of 2024 we launched our Leadership Academy Program, which now boasts 91 graduates who are actively working for change in the Canal and Marin County, 10 of whom recently traveled to Sacramento for Immigrants Rights Day to advocate for policies and funding that support the health and safety of Marin’s immigrant community. 

• In October of 2024, we launched our Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro initiative, which puts residents in the driver’s seat for decision-making impacting their lives and livelihoods in the Canal.

• Our marketing team has been contributing to a positive narrative about immigrants in our county, sending e-newsletters and print newsletters to our supporters, publishing educational social media content, and bringing robust press coverage to our work. Canal Alliance has been in the news 14 times since January 1, bringing light — and new voices — to our progress in neighborhood planning, climate change preparedness, the rights of immigrants, the importance of affordable housing, the value of neighborhood transit and pedestrian connectivity, and community leadership. 

Looking to the future, I am delighted to share that we have now selected Kearns & West as our partner to develop the final three-year strategic plan for 2025-2028 in order to build on these achievements and create more meaningful change in our community and for our county.  I look forward to keeping you updated as this work advances.  

Leveraging our New Headquarters to Benefit the Community 

With a vision of leveraging our new headquarters as a community hub, I am proud to say that we have been making tremendous use of our new space and outdoor areas, hosting a multitude of events every month for community members and allies, and inviting outside agencies to make use of our space. The list of partners using our space includes Marin Promise Partnership, Legal Aid of Marin, The Canal Arts, Extra Food, Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative, College of Marin and the Marin County Free Library. 

I would like to specifically call out two upcoming events and invite you to please plan to join us: 

Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro Community Fair 

• Our place-based, climate-centered community planning work is well underway, having celebrated a tremendous launch for our Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro initiative last October. Our Policy & Civic Engagement team continues to design engagement opportunities for the community, including another community fair scheduled for this May, which will be an opportunity for Canal residents to further home in on their vision for the neighborhood’s future. The fair will engage community members on issues in four key areas: Community Design, Sea Level Rise, Health and Safety, and Education and Workforce. The fair will also feature food, drinks and raffle prizes, along with interactive information tables, engaging exhibits, and hands-on activities designed to connect with over 300 attendees. 
  
  Details:  
  • Saturday, May 3, 2025 
  • 12:00 Noon – 4:00 PM 
  • 711 Grand Avenue, San Rafael 

San Rafael Local Vendor Market at Canal Alliance 

• Canal Alliance will be the host location for the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Institute project, culminating in a local vendor market on June 7th. We hope you will join us to experience a vibrant vendor fair bringing together a local mix of artisans, makers, and small businesses including graduates of our Construyendo Mi Negocio course. From handcrafted goods to delicious local flavors, connect with small business owners and discover one-of-a-kind finds while supporting the diverse talent that makes our community shine. Enjoy live entertainment, great shopping, and a welcoming atmosphere. Resources for budding and growing entrepreneurs will be on-site that day to inspire and educate too.  
  
  Details 
  • Saturday, June 7, 2025 
  • 12:00 Noon – 4:00 PM 
  • 711 Grand Avenue, San Rafael 

Education Programming: Leveraging Partnerships to Increase Efficiency and Remove Barriers 

Last fall I shared details about our growing partnership with College of Marin (COM), through which COM is now delivering ESL instruction in our new headquarters classrooms. Through this new partnership, students enrolled in our ESL classes are now also enrolled as COM students, facilitating connection to other college-level studies for ongoing learning. Our Adult Education team continues to lead the enrollment process and provide case management for all enrolled students. 

This expanded partnership is just one of several we are implementing to improve delivery of our education programs, all designed to increase clients’ access to ongoing educational opportunities. By maximizing use of our new space and leveraging other organizations’ core competencies, we are finding creative ways to improve our services while also serving more students. Two additional partnership innovations include: 1) relocating our University Prep! (UP!) middle school programming to Davidson Middle School this fall. The proposed model includes both in-school and after-school programming, with UP! tutors working on-site during and after school hours, enabling real-time academic monitoring and increased engagement with school staff. The San Rafael School District Board approved this new partnership at its meeting on April 21^st and is currently reviewing an MOU for signature. And 2) we launched a new partnership with the Marin County Free Library (MCFL) in February to deliver our Citizenship Exam Prep program, expanding access to this curriculum and supporting the successful integration of participants into the community. 

*** 

I want to reiterate my gratitude and appreciation for your support of Canal Alliance and the Latino community. I invite you to contact me to learn more about the news shared in this letter. To schedule a visit or tour, please contact me directly or Jennifer León Caynan, Senior Manager of Leadership Giving, at jenniferc@canalalliance.org.  

Without you, our progress and success would not be possible. Thank you for all you do to make Marin a place where everyone can live, learn, work, and succeed.  

Gracias,  

Omar Carrera
Chief Executive Office