America’s Voice (formerly the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform) is an illegal immigration advocacy organization that teams with other progressive organizations to push their goal of citizenship rights for illegal immigrants.

America’s Voice Education Fund is the 501(c)(3) affiliate of America’s Voice.

Background

From 2004 to 2007, America’s Voice was briefly known as the New American Opportunity Campaign (according to its website) and officially as the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR). ¹ CCIR led a coalition of center-left labor unions, think tanks, litigation groups, and immigration activists to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform in Congress and the George W. Bush administration. CCIR’s original 10 members included the Center for Community Change, National Immigration Forum, National Council of La Raza (now UnidosUS), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and one of the unions which later formed UNITE HERE (an AFL-CIO affiliate). ²

CCIR was heavily funded by the Bermuda-based Atlantic Philanthropies, which donated $10 million to the group between 2004 and 2007 (including its $3 million in seed funding), accounting for 96 percent of CCIR’s $10.4 million in revenues over that period. ^{3 4} CCIR’s remaining donors are unknown.

In 2008, CCIR changed its name and became America’s Voice; it also created a 501(c)(3) affiliate, America’s Voice Education Fund, “to raise funds from
US-based foundations who were unable to or uneasy about making grants to a 501(c)(4) organization,” according to a 2015 Atlantic Philanthropies report (archived here). ^{5 6}

Criticism of Trump Administration

America’s Voice signed a letter condemning the immigration policy of the Trump Administration and urging American CEOs not to employ anyone involved with the policy. It accused these officials of being directly guilty for physical abuse, sexual assault, and even the death of illegal immigrant children. The letter was titled “An Open Letter to America’s CEOs” and was dated April 6, 2019. ⁷

Criticism of Foundation of the Carolinas

In August 2019, executive director Frank Sharry wrote an open letter to the Foundation for the Carolinas, a corporate-sponsored donor advised fund with board members from Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Duke Energy, and McKinsey & Company. ⁸ This letter criticized the foundation for sending money to organizations that supported immigration restriction advocacy groups. ⁹ In response, foundation president Michael Marsicano told Politico that while the organization follows the wishes of its donors, it also provides some discretionary funds to pro-immigration groups. ¹⁰

1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990) (multiple). Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform/America’s Voice. 2004-2007.
2. “Coordinating Committee.” CCIR (archived page). Archived February 10, 2006. Accessed June 12, 2020. Archived URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20060210070352/http://www.cirnow.org/content/en/about_naoc.htm
3. “Grant Database: Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.” Atlantic Philanthropies. Accessed June 12, 2020. https://www.atlanticphilanthropies.org/grantees/coalition-for-comprehensive-immigration-reform
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990) (multiple). Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform/America’s Voice. 2004-2007. Part I. Line 12 (total revenues).
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform/America’s Voice. 2008.
6. “Advocacy, Politics & Philanthropy.” Atlantic Philanthropies. 2015. Accessed June 12, 2020. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/06/Atlantic-Philanthropies-2015-Immigration-Funders-report.pdf

   See PDF page 24.

7. “An Open Letter to America’s CEOs.” Restore Public Trust. April 6, 2019. https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/04/Restore-Public-Trust-Open-Letter-Asylum-04.2019.pdf
8. Sharry, Frank. America’s Voice. 20 August, 2019. https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000016c-afcb-d6fb-a96e-ffcf5e8a0001
9. Sharry, Frank. America’s Voice. 20 August, 2019. https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000016c-afcb-d6fb-a96e-ffcf5e8a0001
10. Hesson, Ted, and Daniel Lippman. “Immigration Advocates Press to Cut off Charitable Funds for Anti-Immigration Groups.” POLITICO, August 20, 2019. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/20/immigration-advocates-charity-funds-1673354.