New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia

What New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia does

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia (NSM) is a faith-rooted, anti-racist grassroots nonprofit founded in 2007 that organizes for immigrant justice across Philadelphia and surrounding counties. The organization builds power within immigrant communities, particularly the 95% of service users who are undocumented, through direct accompaniment to court hearings and ICE offices, Know Your Rights trainings, legal referrals, bond and legal fee assistance via the Community Fund, and political education. NSM operates as a coalition of 33 member congregations spanning Methodist, Baptist, Mennonite, Episcopal, Catholic, Jewish, and Unitarian Universalist traditions, collectively representing approximately 14,500 members from Latinx, Indonesian, Afro-Caribbean, and African-diasporic communities.

The organization's core service portfolio includes the Accompaniment Program (court and ICE office support), Political Education curriculum, Know Your Rights trainings, the Promotores leadership development program, Anti-Racism programming including the White People Practicing Racial Justice (WPPRJ) cohort, and the Community Fund for Bond and Legal Support, the only Pennsylvania fund run by immigrants to help immigrants. NSM also runs active campaigns including the statewide Driving PA Forward coalition for HB-279 (driver's licenses for undocumented residents), federal immigration reform, and the #ReleaseNotTransfer anti-detention effort. No proprietary technology platforms support these programs; delivery is human-driven through staff organizers, Promotores volunteers, and congregation networks.

NSM's revenue model is donations-based: over 70% of funding comes from individual donors (annual donors, monthly Sustainer Council members, and Major Donors), supplemented by sliding-scale member congregation dues and grants from approximately ten private foundations including the William Penn Foundation, Samuel S. Fels Fund, and Patricia Kind Family, as well as the City of Philadelphia. The organization is member-led, with immigrant women of color comprising 71% of community organizers, two of three staff members having risen from the membership pipeline, and one Board Co-Chair also emerging from the member base.

Name

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia

Legal name

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia

Website

https://sanctuaryphiladelphia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia is a faith-rooted, anti-racist grassroots nonprofit founded in 2007 that organizes 33 member congregations and 14,500 members to provide immigrant justice services, including court accompaniment, legal referrals, bond assistance, and Know Your Rights training for undocumented immigrants in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigrant Advocacy and Community Organizing Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Immigrant accompaniment services
• Community organizing programs
• Political education training
• Faith-based advocacy
• Grassroots leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Over 70% of funding comes from individual donors including annual donors, monthly Sustainer Council members, and Major Donors. This is the primary revenue source.
2. Member Congregation Dues: Member congregations support NSM with annual dues based on a sliding scale.
3. Foundation Grants: Support received from private foundations including Samuel S. Fels Fund, William Penn Foundation, Patricia Kind Family, Bread & Roses Community Fund, The Scattergood, The Alfred and Mary Douty Foundation, The Cottage Bridge, Emergent Fund, Edward S. Moore Family Foundation, Impact100 Philadelphia, and City of Philadelphia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia provides accompaniment, political education, and grassroots community organizing services to undocumented immigrants and their families in the Philadelphia region. The organization pairs trained volunteer allies with individual immigrants to provide sustained relational and practical support, while developing community members into Promotora leaders who drive campaigns through issue committees such as Driver License access and Familias Unidas.

Product overview

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia is a faith-rooted immigrant justice organization that provides grassroots organizing, advocacy, and direct support services to immigrants. The organization operates as a coalition of 33 member congregations and 14,500 members across diverse immigrant communities. Its core programs include the Accompaniment Program (court/ICE office support), Political Education curriculum, Know Your Rights trainings, Promotores leadership development, and the Community Fund for Bond and Legal Support. The organization runs campaigns for driver's licenses, immigration reform, and anti-detention efforts. The portfolio consists primarily of service programs rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immigrant Accompaniment Program One-to-one accompaniment service pairing undocumented immigrants in the Philadelphia region with trained volunteer allies who provide sustained relational and practical support during immigration encounters and over the long term.
• Political Education Training Educational programming that builds civic awareness and organizing capacity among immigrant community members and volunteers in the Philadelphia region.
• Promotora Leadership Development Internal leadership pipeline that develops community members with lived experience into Promotora community organizers who drive NSM Philadelphia's campaigns and committees.
• Driver License Committee Campaign Issue-based organizing committee advocating for undocumented Pennsylvanians' access to driver's licenses, coordinated by an assigned staff Organizer.
• Familias Unidas Committee Family-focused organizing committee supporting mixed-status and immigrant families in the Philadelphia region through community organizing and mutual support.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Driving PA ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide coalition co-led by NSM fighting to ensure all Pennsylvania residents have access to non-real ID driver's licenses. NSM is a lead organization in this coalition, which includes education to general community, legislators, and supporters, as well as lobbying efforts.
• National Bail Fund NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSM is an active member of the National Bail Fund, supporting efforts to help immigrant families cover costs of bail. This network connects detained individuals to resources across different parts of the country and provides intelligence on ICE tactics.
• Haverford CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Dr. Lina Martínez Hernández and students to co-create anti-Blackness curriculum. Students created curriculum on topics including history of anti-Blackness in Latin America, feminism and anti-racism, labor/capital/race relationships, undocumented BIPOC experience, and solidarity between Latinx and Black communities.
• Beyond Diversity 101minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided mentorship for development of WPPRJ (White People Practicing Racial Justice) program. Subject to continual review by POC staff and Board.
• Local Nonprofits and Legal ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSM works closely with nonprofits and lawyers in Philadelphia to support legal work for immigrants facing deportation. They refer immigrants to credible legal services and help with the process of fighting deportation cases.
• Christianity for Living MinistryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSM supports this ministry's work with Haitian immigrants, who face some of the most inhumane immigration policies in the country, and supports newly arrived immigrants with housing resources.
• York County Prison (ICE Contract)minorOthersYork County Prison ended its ICE contract and began transferring people to facilities in Florida and Texas. NSM led a campaign (#ReleaseNotTransfer) against this, eventually forcing the release of 100 people.
• Justice At WorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal organization referenced as a resource for immigrants facing workplace ICE encounters. Phone: 800-729-1607
• PIRC (Pennsylvania Immigrant Resource Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as resource for immigrants. Phone: 717-600-8099
• NSC (Nationalities Services Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as resource for immigrants. Phone: 215-893-8400
• City of PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSM held 3 events in cooperation with the City of Philadelphia in 2022 to help 387 people in the Philly immigrant community obtain their City IDs. The PHL City ID provides a secure and affordable photo identification card.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CASA: Mid-Atlantic immigrant advocacy and services organization with significant Pennsylvania presence (originally founded as CASA de Maryland). Provides legal services, organizing, and Know Your Rights training, with comparable member-driven campaign model.
• Juntos: Philadelphia-based Latinx immigrant rights organization focused on leadership development and campaigns against detention and deportation. Highly comparable geography, mission, and member-led organizing model.
• Immigration Legal Resource Center (ILRC): National immigrant rights training and policy organization that supports grassroots affiliates and Know Your Rights programming. Comparable political education and training functions at a national scale.
• HIAS Pennsylvania: Philadelphia-based refugee and immigrant services affiliate of HIAS, providing legal representation, resettlement support, and citizenship services to immigrants in the same geography as NSM. Comparable direct-service portfolio for immigrant populations.
• RAICES: Texas-based immigrant legal services and advocacy nonprofit that operates the country's largest immigration bond fund. Directly comparable bond/legal support fund model, though at materially larger scale than NSM's Community Fund.
• Make the Road Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania affiliate of the Make the Road NY network, doing immigrant-led organizing, legal services, and policy campaigns in eastern PA. Comparable constituency, service mix (accompaniment, ESOL, legal), and grassroots methodology.
• Nationalities Service Center (NSC): Philadelphia's oldest immigrant services nonprofit, providing legal representation, refugee resettlement, and interpretation. Referenced as a partner by NSM; comparable direct service portfolio and Philadelphia geography.
• New Sanctuary Movement NYC: New York-based sibling sanctuary movement organization with a nearly identical faith-rooted, immigrant-led model of accompaniment, know-your-rights training, and campaigns against detention/deportation. Direct functional peer operating in a different city.

Broad incumbents

• ACLU of Pennsylvania: Statewide affiliate of the ACLU covering immigrant rights litigation, sanctuary policy defense, and Know Your Rights. Operates broader civil liberties agenda but overlaps directly on immigration advocacy and policy work in NSM's geography.
• Church World Service (CWS) Lancaster: Pennsylvania-based faith-rooted refugee resettlement and immigration services affiliate of a national federation. Comparable faith-based DNA and immigrant service portfolio, but operates resettlement programs at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NSMPhilly
• Facebookfacebook.com/nsmphilly
• Instagraminstagram.com/sanctuary_philadelphia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-sanctuary-movement-of-philadelphia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia