GO-Biz Announces First-Ever Grants to Help Immigrants Succeed in Their Communities

Sep 8, 2023 | Press Release

Sacramento, CA – The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) distributed the state’s first-ever Local Immigrant Integration and Inclusion Grant (LIIIG) allocations, with over $6 million to twelve local governments across California (see table below for details). This program provides funding for local governments to bolster efforts focused on helping immigrant families thrive and contribute – increasing community trust and enhancing the ability of local governments to serve their immigrant communities successfully.

Awarded activities for LIIIG funding include:

Economic Development: Supporting immigrant entrepreneurs with creating and scaling businesses through various initiatives.
Social Services Navigation: Helping eligible immigrants access essential public programs.
Intergovernmental Technical Assistance: Developing and implementing culturally appropriate policies and best practices to serve the immigrant population.

“GO-Biz is proud to award local governments the first-ever state funding that focuses on local government immigrant integration efforts,” said Emily Desai, GO-Biz Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade. “In California, we embrace the diversity and contributions supported by immigrant communities, recognizing them as critical to the collective success of our state and nation. California has relied on immigration to stay globally competitive, and these grants will further support our local governments in their efforts to create economic mobility and enable social inclusion for California’s immigrant populations.”

About 27% of Californians are immigrants, and half of California’s kids have at least one immigrant parent. Governor Newsom has signed legislation providing increased access to health care, education, and other critical initiatives that help immigrant families be safe, thrive, and grow the economy with their talent and contributions.

The LIIIG is a one-year grant with a performance period from October 1, 2023, through September 31, 2024. GO-Biz is expected to release a limited second round of funding to support further the equitable distribution of funds in rural regions and for underserved immigrant populations.

Additional details about the award recipients and future announcements for additional funding will be available on the LIIIG website. For questions, send emails to immigrantintegration.initiatives@gobiz.ca.gov.

Table 1. Local Immigrant Integration and Inclusion Grant Awards

GRANTEES	CATEGORY	FY 23-24	FY 24-25	TOTAL
Fresno County	Social Services Navigation and Economic Development: Entrepreneurial capacity training and access to capital. Career readiness training and job placement assistance. Public benefit navigation and mental health service referrals.	$191,381.75	$195,729.25	$387,111.00
City of Fresno	Economic Development: Entrepreneurial development through industry connections, access to capital, workshops, permitting assistance, and addressing digital literacy barriers. Digital literacy workshops include basic operational skills, internet usage, email communications, troubleshooting, and commonly used resources.	$194,850.00	$185,800.00	$380,650.00
City of Long Beach	Economic Development: Support digital literacy, language, and skills training for immigrants. Offer outreach, workshops, and coaching to businesses, particularly those owned by marginalized individuals in low-income areas.	$281,782.00	–	$281,782.00
County and City of Los Angeles	Social Services Navigation: Facilitating community engagement through outreach events and partnerships with specialized service providers. Provide outreach materials, assist with benefits enrollment, and address inquiries on various topics, including housing, childcare, financial literacy, healthcare, employment, and entrepreneurship resources.	$1,149,000	–	$1,149,000
Marin County	Social Services Navigation: Assistance with accessing public benefits. Assisting immigrant populations in obtaining necessary documentation, including passports and proof of CA residency.	$386,159.60	–	$386,159.60
City of Oakland	Social Services Navigation and Economic Development: Provide outreach materials and public benefit referrals for immigrant populations. Support immigrant startup businesses and foster an inclusive business community.	$275,049.00	–	$275,049.00
Orange County	Social Services Navigation and Economic Development: Workforce development training, case management, education and outreach, and language services. Navigation activities for economic development and social services, including workforce training, case management, education and outreach, and language-related services.	$283,808.60	$294,534.66	$578,343.26
City of Pomona	Social Services Navigation: Develop a multilingual action plan, resource guide, and Immigrant Services Navigation Pilot Program to connect residents with public services and qualified providers. Expand services for immigrant populations by evaluating current programs, policies, and resources.	$270,151.86	$287,587.85	$557,739.71
Riverside County	Social Services Navigation and Intergovernmental Technical Assistance: Provide case management and referral services to public benefits. Provide cultural competency training for government officials to enhance understanding and support for immigrant populations.	$285,943.94	$285,943.94	$571,887.88
Sacramento County	Intergovernmental Technical Assistance and Social Services Navigation: Lead a local task force to identify service gaps and collaborate with community-based organizations to address needs. Develop and coordinate rapid response efforts to identify community resources for newly arrived immigrant groups.	$455,105.00	$455,105.00	$910,210.00
San Diego County	Social Services Navigation Establish a new Welcome Center to streamline public services for immigrant populations. Conduct education and outreach to increase awareness of available County programs, benefits, and services specifically designed for immigrant populations.	$430,529.00	–	$430,529.00
County and City of San Francisco	Economic Development and Technical Assistance: Asset mapping of economic resources for immigrant entrepreneurs. Facilitate collaboration with interagency offices and share best practices in serving immigrant populations.	$165,978.00	–	$165,978.00
Total		$4,369,738.75	$1,704,700.70	$6,074,439.45

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit the GO-Biz website.

Willie Rudman
Assistant Deputy Director of Communications
Email Willie , HERE