City of Belonging
The Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement launched the City of Belonging
The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) proclaims 2025 as the Year of Belonging, with the City of Belonging campaign launch.
MOIA will integrate its goals to create a more inclusive Boston while addressing pressing challenges such as public sentiment and policy shifts on immigration, rallying support for immigrant communities, empowering resilience, and inspiring action with this campaign.
MOIA will invest in community resilience, safety, and well-being through a collective grant pool to fund:
- communities directly impacted by immigration policies
- programming that supports immigrant communities
- language or legal access initiatives to advocate for better policies and address discrimination
Community-based and grassroots organizations registered as nonprofits or with a fiscal sponsor can apply to one of the funding streams to make their programs, events, or initiatives a reality.
What is a City of Belonging?
A City of Belonging is more than just a place. It's a community where immigrants and newcomers feel welcomed, respected, and valued, regardless of background or origin. It prioritizes diversity, equity, and social cohesion. It's a home where immigrants can thrive and fully participate in all aspects of life.
Making Boston a Home for Everyone
Collaboratively, MOIA’s funding, public engagement, research, and designation approval will establish Boston as one of the nation’s best cities for equity and inclusion in 2025 and beyond—uplifting Mayor Michelle Wu’s vision to make Boston a home for everyone.
Resources for Immigrant Residents
MOIA hears and understands our community’s concerns and requests for resources to support our immigrant residents. To offer assistance, we have collected information you can use. This “live document” is continuously updated as more resources become available and policy updates happen through 2025.
Community Insights Survey
With a community-wide needs assessment, MOIA seeks to hear directly from immigrant and refugee communities in Boston to inform its 2025-2029 Strategic Plan and shape the City’s long-term planning. The survey is open to Boston residents until February, is available in 11 languages, takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and accepts responses in paper and online formats. Community partners have been engaged in sharing the survey and gathering responses from Boston’s diverse communities since October 2024.
Belonging Ambassadors
Belonging Ambassadors can order free first-edition City of Belonging multilingual posters to feature prominently across homes, storefronts, community spaces, restaurants, and other public areas by January 20 and through 2025. Belonging Ambassadors will also have opportunities to learn about immigrants, immigration, and the false narratives surrounding this community throughout the year.
Grant Pool Breakdown
- Weaving Well-being - Funding to support immigrant community-driven wellness and mental health initiatives. Currently open, closed on January 16, 2025.
- Legal Access: General - Grants to expand the capacity for Boston residents to access immigration legal services via community-based nonprofits and local legal aid organizations. Currently open, closes February 20, 2025 - Apply here!
- Legal Access: Department of Justice Recognition and Accreditation - Funding to contract a provider to build capacity to train community members to become Accredited Representatives in organizations that currently have or seek Department of Justice (DOJ) Recognition. Opening soon!
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- Promoting Access to English for Speakers of Other Languages - Grants for nonprofits working across diverse immigrant communities for innovative programming that reduces waitlists for English-language learners seeking ESOL classes. Currently open, closes February 20, 2025 - Apply here!
- Immigrant Youth Advancement - Funding for organizations to provide leadership development and professional skills attainment for Boston’s immigrant youth ages 14 to 24 during the spring school semester. Currently open, closes February 10, 2025 - Apply here!