The Immigration Project

What The Immigration Project does

The Immigration Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 and headquartered in Normal, Illinois, that provides immigration legal aid and wraparound social services to low-income immigrants across 86 counties of central and southern Illinois. It is the only not-for-profit in its service area employing full-time immigration attorneys, and operates offices in Bloomington-Normal, Champaign-Urbana, Springfield, and Kankakee, supplemented by more than 100 annual mobile clinics and workshops across seven regional hubs. Core programs include naturalization, family-based petitions, DACA support, removal and detention defense, asylum, VAWA/U-Visa/SIJS, a Welcoming Center one-stop hub in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services, housing assistance, public benefits enrollment (SNAP/Medicaid/HBIA), Know Your Rights education, and a Community Navigators (Promotores) volunteer program. In its 2025 Annual Report, the organization reported 1,413 legal services clients and 939 social services clients served, drawing on a 61-person paid staff, 130 volunteers, and a 14-member Board of Directors, with multilingual delivery in 15+ languages for immigrants from 60+ countries. Revenue is a mix of sliding-scale client fees, Illinois DHS government grants, individual and organizational donations, and administrative fees from scholarship programs (DACA renewal and citizenship) run through the New Americans Initiative partnership.

The underlying technology stack is deliberately modest: case management and client intake systems support legal workflows, and a multilingual YouTube video library — produced in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Ukrainian — extends educational reach for asylum, Know Your Rights, and government programs content. Distribution is hybrid: physical offices handle scheduled legal appointments and walk-in social services, while mobile clinics, Community Navigators, phone/email intake (309-829-8703), and referral partnerships with schools, libraries, and social service agencies handle field outreach. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on trusted community relationships, word-of-mouth referrals, and educational programming rather than paid acquisition, which is consistent with a mission-driven nonprofit operating model rather than a scalable commercial platform.

Name

The Immigration Project

Legal name

The Immigration Project Inc.

Website

https://immigrationproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Immigration Project is a 30-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides low-cost immigration legal aid and social services to underserved immigrants across 86 counties of downstate Illinois through four offices, 100+ annual mobile clinics, and multilingual staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Services (611), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Immigration Law Literacy & Rights Education (EDAAADAB), Family & School System Navigation (Parent Engagement, Youth Services) (EDAAADAH), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Nonprofit legal aid
• Social services
• Naturalization assistance
• Immigrant advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Normal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Client Fees (Sliding Scale): Low-cost legal services with fees charged on a sliding scale based on income, making immigration legal services accessible to low-income immigrants. Some intake appointments cost $25.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, organizations, and community supporters. 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization accepting credit card donations and mailed checks.
3. Government Grants and Contracts: Funding from Illinois Department of Human Services for Welcoming Center Program and other state initiatives. Grants supporting housing programs, public benefits assistance, and immigrant services.
4. Scholarship Administration: Facilitates New Americans Initiative (NAI) DACA renewal scholarships ($495) and citizenship scholarships covering USCIS fees for eligible applicants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Immigration Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers low-cost, sliding-scale immigration legal services and complementary social services to immigrants in downstate Illinois. Core offerings include naturalization, family-based petitions, DACA, asylum, removal defense, and detention defense, paired with housing assistance, public benefits enrollment, and educational programs like Know Your Rights, all delivered in 15+ languages through four offices and mobile clinics across 86 counties.

Product overview

The Immigration Project operates as a unified service organization offering immigration legal aid and social services to immigrants in downstate Illinois, not as a technology product company. The organization provides two interconnected service portfolios: (1) Legal Services encompassing naturalization, family-based petitions, DACA support, removal defense, and detention defense, offered through offices in Bloomington-Normal, Champaign-Urbana, and Springfield with workshops across 86 counties; and (2) Social Services including housing assistance, a Welcoming Center one-stop hub, public benefits enrollment support, and educational presentations on Know Your Rights and immigration law. Financial assistance programs including DACA renewal scholarships and citizenship scholarships are administered through the New Americans Initiative partnership. The organization also operates volunteer programs including Community Navigators (Promotores) and emergency Rapid Response services for families affected by immigration enforcement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Services Immigration legal services including naturalization for Legal Permanent Residents, family-based immigration petitions, immigrant survivors of crime and trauma assistance (VAWA, U-Visa, SIJS), removal defense, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) support. Targeted at low-income immigrants in downstate Illinois.
• Citizenship Workshops Regional naturalization workshops providing updated information on citizenship requirements, application assistance, and guidance on obtaining citizenship for clients' children. Targeted at immigrants seeking to naturalize.
• DACA Renewal Scholarship Program A scholarship program through New Americans Initiative (NAI) offering $495 DACA renewal scholarships to qualifying applicants requiring proof of income and meeting income guidelines. Targeted at low-income renewing DACA applicants in Illinois.
• Citizenship Scholarship Scholarship program covering USCIS naturalization fees for eligible citizenship applicants, administered through New Americans Initiative (NAI) for Illinois residents. Targets low-income naturalization applicants.
• Housing Programs Housing assistance including rental/housing assistance referrals, education on rental laws and homeownership, and landlord communication support for low-income immigrants in downstate Illinois.
• Welcoming Center One-stop service center partnering with Illinois Department of Human Services where immigrants, refugees, and new Americans connect with community services through direct referrals and caseworker-guided support. Targeted at immigrants and refugees in Illinois.
• Public Benefits Assistance Immigrant Family Resource Program providing eligibility information and application assistance for public benefits including SNAP, Medicaid, and Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA), with support for appeals and redetermination. Targeted at immigrant families seeking benefits access.
• Know Your Rights Program Educational program designed for immigrant communities to learn how to protect themselves during immigration enforcement encounters. Targeted at immigrant communities and their allies.
• Educational Presentations Presentations on US Immigration Law, higher education for non-citizens, civil rights, Individual Tax ID numbers, and Know Your Rights programs designed to support immigrant communities and their allies.
• Rapid Response Program Emergency response program providing support to families impacted by immigration enforcement, including legal and social services assistance during traumatic situations. Targeted at families facing immediate immigration enforcement.
• Detention Defense Legal representation and defense services for immigrants in detention, expanded as part of the organization's humanitarian-based immigration claims work. Targeted at detained immigrants facing removal proceedings.
• Community Navigators (Promotores) Volunteer program where Community Navigators receive specialized training to assist immigrant neighbors with navigation of services and resources. Targeted at extending TIP's reach into trusted community networks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 years of service to immigrant families in downstate Illinois
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Illinois Department of Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership through the Illinois Welcoming Center Program, providing a one-stop shop where immigrants, refugees, and new Americans can connect with services in their community. TIP serves as the community-based service model for this state initiative.
• Illinois Housing Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting housing programs for immigrants in Illinois. Logo partner displayed on TIP's social services page.
• Access to JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois Access to Justice initiative charged TIP's Social Services team with providing accurate legal information and resource-centered cultural orientation to diverse audiences.
• New Americans Initiative (NAI)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to facilitate DACA Renewal Scholarships ($495) and Citizenship Scholarships covering USCIS fees for eligible Illinois immigrants. TIP processes applications through NAI partner network.
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerStatewide coalition partner for immigration services. TIP refers clients to ICIRR for scholarship programs including DACA renewal and naturalization assistance.
• Immigrant Family Resource ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram increasing immigrant access to public benefits. TIP provides information about eligibility, assists with applications, appeals, and redetermination for SNAP, Medicaid, and HBIA.
• Spanish Community Center - Centro EspañolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization assisting with general legal questions and asylum fee payment assistance during special events in Kankakee area.
• Resurrection ProjectminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit collaborator helping immigrants navigate the immigration system through pre-screening information and free workshop invitations.
• University of IllinoisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership through Summer Bridge Program connecting PhD students with TIP for immigration education and advocacy work.
• Illinois State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Fundraising Luncheon hosted at ISU's Bone Student Center. Partnership for event venue and community engagement.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HIAS: Global Jewish humanitarian organization providing refugee resettlement, asylum, and immigration legal services. HIAS is a broad incumbent with overlapping legal and social services for refugees and immigrants, but operates at much larger national and international scale.
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC): National network of 400+ immigration legal services programs with DOJ accreditation, training, and capacity-building support. CLINIC is a broad incumbent that supports and accredits many local programs comparable to TIP, but operates at a national scale rather than direct service delivery.
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC): National nonprofit providing training, technical assistance, and policy advocacy for immigrant-serving organizations. ILRC is a broad incumbent peer in the immigration legal services ecosystem, focusing on capacity-building rather than direct client representation.
• Catholic Charities (Diocese of Peoria / Bloomington): Regional Catholic Charities affiliate providing immigration legal services alongside broader social services (food, housing, family). Functions as a broad incumbent in the same downstate Illinois service area, with overlapping immigrant legal aid capacity.

Direct peers

• The Resurrection Project: Illinois-based nonprofit focused on immigrant community organizing, education, and pathway support. Functions as a direct peer and channel partner that conducts pre-screening and routes clients to TIP for legal representation across overlapping geographies.
• National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC): Heartland Alliance-affiliated immigration legal services nonprofit providing direct representation, advocacy, and policy work. NIJC is a direct peer in mission and service mix (legal + social services), though it operates primarily in Chicago and at national advocacy level rather than rural downstate Illinois.
• Justice For Our Neighbors: National network of immigration legal services clinics providing free and low-cost legal representation to immigrants. JFON is a direct peer in mission and clinic-based service delivery model, and could expand into Illinois geographies served by TIP.
• Spanish Community Center: Community-based nonprofit in Joliet, Illinois serving immigrant populations with education, social services, and legal assistance. Direct peer explicitly cited as a TIP partner organization in Kankakee-area service events.
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR): Statewide coalition of immigrant-serving organizations in Illinois. ICIRR is a direct peer and active partner in TIP's scholarship administration (DACA and citizenship) and direct service referrals across the same immigrant population.

Regional players

• Centro de Información y Educación para la Prevención del SIDA (CIEPS): Spanish-language community organization providing immigrant integration services in Illinois. Comparable in community education and multilingual service delivery, but with focus on health-related immigrant support rather than legal representation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theimmproj
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqfuHWlVLZ1fde4G1yjQvcA/about
• Facebookfacebook.com/theimmigrationproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/theimmigrationproject1995
• TikToktiktok.com/@the.immigration.project?lang=en.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Immigration Project