Wisconsin Immigrant-Serving Organizations Project

The Wisconsin Immigrant-Serving Organizations Project examines key community and organizational priorities, strengths, and needs to better serve immigrant communities locally across Wisconsin.

Approach

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, together with Project Respect and Voces de la Frontera, is conducting research on organizations serving immigrant communities in the state of Wisconsin, their work and needs in serving immigrant communities. We are:

• Surveying organizations
• Interviewing leaders
• Analyzing services
• Conducting Case Studies
• Hosting Community forums

Outcomes & Goals

Research outcomes include a precise analysis of the institutional support that exists for immigrant communities in the state of Wisconsin; a more robust network of existing and emerging immigrant-serving organizations in the state of Wisconsin, working with each other and the University of Wisconsin–Madison through the Latino Taskforce; a clear and established need for increased funding and resources in certain localities in Wisconsin who are working to meet growing and changing needs of the immigrant population; a map and set of case studies that organizations can use to locate potential partners and learn about other practices and experiences. To summarize, the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the project are as follows:

Conduct a Statewide Survey and Case Studies: Develop and implement a state-wide survey complemented by selected case studies. This initiative aims to create a valuable resource for organizations dedicated to serving vulnerable populations. Build a Comprehensive Map of Immigrant-serving Organizations in Wisconsin: Create an exhaustive map detailing the locations and resources of immigrant-serving organizations across Wisconsin. This will assist organizations in identifying key players and potential collaborators.

Strengthen Organizational Capacity: Enhance the capacity of organizations like Project Respect to advocate for and support immigrant survivors of exploitation. This involves providing them with the necessary tools and insights gained from the research findings.

Produce a Community-Facing Resource Guide: Develop a resource guide for the community based on survey results, maps, and case studies. This guide will serve as a practical tool for organizations and individuals seeking information and support.

Disseminate Findings and Recommendations: Share the resource guide with participants, offering valuable insights, findings, and recommendations. This dissemination aims to empower organizations with knowledge that can inform their strategies and actions.

Promote Collaboration Among Organizations: Facilitate increased collaboration among organizations to better support vulnerable immigrant populations and address their evolving needs. By fostering a culture of collaboration, the project aims to create a collective impact beyond individual organizational efforts.

Community advisory board: The Community Advisory Board is a group of community leaders who come together with the research team to develop and implement the evaluation and make use of the findings. This process involves defining research and evaluation questions that are meaningful to stakeholders and can advance broader goals; developing data collection methods that leverage existing information sources and align with community cultures; participating in data analysis and interpretation; and shaping dissemination efforts to communicate results widely and to apply lessons learned. The Community Advisory Board receives presentations on the research, methods, preliminary results and provides feedback on the project and suggestions, ensuring the research is relevant and valuable in practice.

This research will benefit:

• Immigrant-serving agencies, social workers, organizers, teachers, and public servants who need to understand what organizations are doing, where they are located, and the accessibility of services.
• Funders and policymakers seeking to support immigrant communities and identify areas of need.
• Scholars researching the infrastructure and effectiveness of immigrant-serving organizations in Wisconsin and beyond.