Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS)

ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) is a national Arab-American community nonprofit headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. ACCESS provides human and culture services as well as advocacy work. 1 On a national level, ACCESS operates three institutions including the Arab American National Museum, the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), and the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP). 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Identity Politics (for race-based policy/activism)
Website: www.accesscommunity.org
Formation:

1971

Location: Dearborn, MI View on map
Tax ID: 23-7444497
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $99,774,399 Revenue: $49,481,528 Expenses: $45,059,282

Contents

    ACCESS has sponsored or participated in political activities including the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump and a protest in Detroit over the Trump administration’s revised ban on travel and immigration from a number of Muslim-majority countries.

    Ahmad Abuznaid, the director of ACCESS’ advocacy project Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), co-founded the activist group Dream Defenders after the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. 3 In 2015 and 2016, Abuznaid organized trips to the West Bank by members of Dream Defenders and Black Lives Matter to build alliances with Palestinian activists in the Middle East. 4

    History

    ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) was founded in Dearborn, Michigan in 1971 to provide assistance to Arab immigrants to the United States. 2 The IRS granted ACCESS 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 1975. 5

    Overview

    As of 2015, ACCESS reported 600 employees and 54 volunteers. Organizational leadership includes a Director and CEO, CFO, COO, and 14 Directors. 6 The organization is governed by a board of trustees that includes seven executive board members, eleven board members, and nine emeritus board members, two of whom are listed posthumously. 7

    ACCESS reports having 11 locations with 120 programs across the metropolitan Detroit area. 2 Among the programs listed in tax documents are job training, community health and social services, education. 8

    National Programs

    ACCESS operates three national programs, each with its own advisory board.

    The Arab American National Museum (AANM) opened in Dearborn Michigan in 2005. 9 It is funded through an endowment consisting of six funds which are maintained by the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan and McDonald Partners, LLC. 10 McDonald Partners is a financial firm headquartered in Ohio with offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 11 In 2016, the total endowment fund was $2,218,055. 10

    The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is a grantmaking program started in 2006. 12 In 2016, its endowed fund total was $1,525,131. 10 CAAP funders include individuals as well as corporations and foundations including the Palestine Aid Society, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, C.S. Mott Foundation, and Microsoft Corporation. 13 CAAP grants include donor-advised funds, competitive grantmaking funds and giving circles. 14

    The National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) is a network of 27 Arab community organizations. In addition to Michigan, NNAAC has member groups in eleven states. 10 Supporters include Open Society Foundations, the Proteus Fund, Ford Foundation, Kresge Foundation, State Voices, and NEO Philanthropy’s Four Freedoms Fund. 15

    Funding

    In the 2015 fiscal year, ACCESS’ total revenue was $26,697,388. Government grants made up 57 percent of total revenue, or $15,222,464. 8

    In 1997, government grants were 69.7 percent, or $3,491,195 of ACCESS’s reported $5,011,660 in total revenue. 16

    Federal agencies that have given money to ACCESS include the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, United States Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

    Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Ford Foundation was an early donor to ACCESS, followed by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the George Soros-founded Open Society Institutes. 17

    Inside Philanthropy has reported that ACCESS has gotten the biggest foundation money for Arab American nonprofits in recent years “from a who’s who of major progressive foundations” including the Ford Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Mott Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. Corporate funders of ACCESS include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and AT&T. 18

    ACCESS received $875,000 from Open Society Institutes between 1998 and 2011. 19

    ACCESS has also received money from left-of-center pass-through funders NEO Philanthropyv and the Proteus Fund which gave $395,000 to ACCESS from 2010 to 2015. 20

    ACCESS’ 2015-2016 annual report lists the following top funders:10

    $500,000 – $999,999:

    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

    Ford Foundation

    Kresge Foundation

    Michigan Department of Community Health

    Michigan Department of Human Services

    Office of Refugee Resettlement

    Wayne County Health Department

    W.K. Kellogg Foundation

    $100,000 – $499,999:

    Bloomberg Philanthropies

    Center for Working Families

    NEO Philanthropy

    New Economy Initiative

    Open Society Foundations

    Saudi Aramco

    Social Innovation Fund

    United States Department of Agriculture

    US Citizenship and Immigration Services

    Open Society Foundations

    The Open Society Institute (now Open Society Foundations) founded by liberal finance billionaire George Soros has been a major supporter of ACCESS Michigan. In 2007, OSI funds were used for NNAAC to hire a full-time Advocacy Coordinator. 21

    In January 2008, the Open Society Institute (OSI) and Atlantic Philanthropies launched the National Security and Human Rights (NSHR) campaign to promote progressive national security policies in the final year of the George W. Bush presidency. ACCESS was one of three organizations to get direct support from OSI for this campaign, specifically to support its Network for Arab American Communities’ (NNAAC) capacity building and civil liberties advocacy. 22 NNAAC coordinates advocacy and civic engagement for ACCESS and also through 23 partner organizations. 17

    NNAAC runs voter registration campaigns and creates and disseminates voting materials in English and Arabic across the country. 21

    2011 NSHR grant documentation cites NNAAC as part of a cohort of six progressive AMEMSA grantees funded by the NSHR Campaign, each of which is committed to restoring respect for civil rights and civil liberties in the post-9/11 world. 19

    Advocacy

    In 2003 ACCESS started an initiative to end alleged racial profiling at the Detroit border with Canada. The initiative included town hall meetings, information campaigns and a border profiling hotline created with ACLU-Michigan in 2009. 23

    ACCESS’ advocacy arm, the Network for Arab American Communities’ (NNAAC) helped then-U.S. Representative John Dingell (D-MI) draft a statement to present at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on March 10, 2011, “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and That Community’s Response” chaired by Representative Peter King (R-NY). 19

    NNAAC met with Obama administration Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano in May 2011 regarding alleged Arab American profiling. In December 2010, NNAAC took part in a Department of Justice Rights Working Group meeting to revise DOJ racial profiling guidelines. 19

    From 2009 to 2015, NNAAC hosted an annual Advocacy Week in Washington, D.C. which arranges advocacy meetings and policy briefings with Administration officials, members of Congress, Hill staff and the White House. 19 In 2016, the event changed to Arab American Leadership Days and added the Arab American Institute, the Network of Arab-American Professionals and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee to the sponsorship. 24

    ACCESS was a sponsor of the Women’s March against President Donald Trump in January 2017. 25

    People

    Ahmad Abuznaid is the director of ACCESS’ Network for Arab American Communities’ (NNAAC). Abuznaid was born in disputed East Jerusalem. He co-founded and served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Florida-based Dream Defenders after the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. 3 Abuznaid organized two trips in 2015 and 2016 with Dream Defenders and Black Lives Matter to the West Bank to build alliances with Palestinians who perform the activist work in the Middle East. 4

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $99,774,399 $49,481,528 $45,059,282 View
    2023 $94,390,920 $51,013,521 $42,192,438 View
    2022 $84,922,068 $60,125,686 $35,430,044 View
    2021 $59,514,344 $39,029,930 $29,454,408 View
    2020 $49,881,465 $31,636,184 $26,599,801 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 691

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Maha FreijEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$375,201
    Lina HarajliCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER$352,943
    Dr Wisam SalmanPSYCHIATRIST$331,370
    Wisam Qasem-FakhouryCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER$297,743
    Mona MakkiCHRC DIRECTOR$230,031

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $143,677,379
    • Number of Grants: 747
    • Number of Funders: 165

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $20,000,0002022 The Chicago Community TrustGeneral operating support
    $3,758,5752020 Detroit Employment Solutions CorporationPayments for employment and training programs
    $3,373,2232022 Detroit Employment Solutions CorporationPAYMENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
    $3,357,7892023 Detroit Employment Solutions CorporationSUBCONTRACTOR
    $3,242,0222021 Detroit Employment Solutions CorporationPAYMENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
    $2,376,1192024 Detroit Employment Solutions CorporationSUBCONTRACTOR
    $2,105,0002021 The Ford FoundationCore support for the Arab American National Museum to document, preserve and present the history, culture and contributions of Arab Americans and for core support for technical support for the Museum
    $2,000,0002022 Foundation to Promote Open SocietyTo support a consortium of Arab American community-based organizations focused on building institutions and elevating the voice of Arab Americans from the grassroots to the national level
    $1,533,2052020 UNITED WAY FOR SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGANGrant
    $1,470,0002021 The Andrew W. Mellon FoundationTo support the creation of a new commemorative public artwork by Sara Ouhaddou at Elizabeth Berger Plaza highlighting the work of early Arab writers and poets who settled in New York City
    $1,262,0092022 UNITED WAY FOR SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGANGRANT
    $1,000,0002023 W.K. Kellogg Foundationprovide general operating support to help the organization advance its mission of empowering communities to improve their health and their economic, social and cultural well-being
    $1,000,0002022 The Andrew W. Mellon Foundationto support the Arab American Arts Council, the Arab American National Museum’s Artists + Residency program, and related staffing and convening
    $1,000,0002020 W.K. Kellogg FoundationEnable the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services to achieve its mission of empowering communities to improve their economic, social and cultural well-being by providing general operating support
    $750,0002020 Ballmer GroupACCESS aims to empower Arab American communities to improve their health and economic, social, and cultural wellbeing. Our grant supports the establishment of an Office of Evaluation and Learning to collect, store, and analyze data and track outcomes
    $600,0002023 The Wallace FoundationTo participate in the Wallace Arts Initiative that will support arts organizations of color.
    $600,0002023 The Kresge FoundationThis grant will provide funding to ACCESS to continue strengthening their two-generational approach and their capacity to support Arab American human services organizations across their National Network Arab American Communities (NNACC). This is a cross-team investment with the Detroit team and will also help ACCESS to strengthen their Detroit based effort around the intersection of their social services work and their education efforts.
    $593,0002025 The Wallace FoundationTo participate in Wallace's Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative
    $569,0002024 The Wallace FoundationTo participate in Wallace's Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative.
    $560,1382022 UNITED WAY FOR SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGANGRANT
    $513,5922024 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.HUMAN SERVICES
    $500,0002025 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
    $500,0002021 Foundation to Promote Open Societyto provide general support
    $474,7622021 Wayne – Metropolitan Community Action AgencyCASE MANAGEMENT
    $455,0002023 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $9,746,911
    • Number of Grants: 370
    • Number of Recipients: 163

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $614,2522023 Center for Arab American PhilanthropyDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $369,2612024 UNRWA USA National CommitteeDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $210,5312023 SYRIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY FOUNDATIONDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $208,0052021 People to People Aid CorpDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $193,0142020 Center for Arab American PhilanthropyDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $185,0002021 Center for Arab American PhilanthropyDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $181,3232024 United Palestinian Appeal, Inc.DONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $150,0002020 MIDDLE EAST CHILDRENS ALLIANCEDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $136,7942022 Anera (American Near East Refugee Aid)DONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $116,7002023 Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS)DONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $109,5922021 Myriad USADONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $107,0002022 Center for Arab American PhilanthropyDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $106,7002022 Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS)DONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $100,0002021 MIDDLE EAST CHILDRENS ALLIANCEDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $93,0502022 United Palestinian Appeal, Inc.DONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $92,0002024 The University of Toledo FoundationDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $92,0002020 The Afya Foundation of America IncDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $91,0002022 Arab American Association of Ny IncDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $91,0002022 Arab American Family ServicesDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $88,0002023 The University of Toledo FoundationDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $80,0002023 Anera (American Near East Refugee Aid)DONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $77,5542020 United Holy Land FundDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $75,0002023 Our Generation Speaks IncDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $74,3712021 Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS)DONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION
    $73,1092022 People to People Aid CorpDONOR DIRECT FUND DISTRIBUTION

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Arab American National Museum.” Arab American Community Resources. Accessed January 04, 2018. http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/Arab American Resources.id.95.htm.
    2. “Our Roots.” Our Roots | ACCESS. Accessed January 04, 2018. https://www.accesscommunity.org/about.
    3. Isaacs, Anna. “How The Black Lives Matter and Palestinian Movements Converged.” Moment Magazine – The Next 5,000 Years of Conversation Begin Here, 9 May 2017, www.momentmag.com/22800-2/.
    4. Jackson, Imani J. “How Palestinian protesters helped Black Lives Matter.” Arab America, 7 July 2016, www.arabamerica.com/how-palestinian-protesters-helped-black-lives-matter/.
    5. Open Endowment | the foundation for everyone. Accessed January 04, 2018. http://www.openendowment.org/organization/view?id=23-7444497.
    6. “Executive Team.” Executive Team | ACCESS. Accessed January 06, 2018. https://www.accesscommunity.org/about/executive-team.
    7. “Board of Directors.” Board of Directors | ACCESS. Accessed January 05, 2018. https://www.accesscommunity.org/about/board-directors.
    8. Guidestar. Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services IRS 990 form for 2015. Accessed January 5, 2018. https://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2009/237/444/2009-237444497-05fe3fce-9.pdf.
    9. “Arab American National Museum.” Arab American National Museum | ACCESS. Accessed January 06, 2018. https://www.accesscommunity.org/national-programs/arab-american-national-museum.
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    13. Center for Arab American Philanthropy 2015 Annual Report. PDF. Dearborn, Michigan: Center for Arab American Philanthropy, a program of ACCESS. http://169xnc2w66hg1me3a26sbjmt.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/CAAP_annual_report_2015_final.pdf.
    14. “Types of Funds.” Center for Arab American Philanthropy. Accessed January 06, 2018. http://www.centeraap.org/funds/types-of-funds/.
    15. “Supporters.” NNAAC. Accessed January 16, 2018. http://www.nnaac.org/supporters.
    16. Guidestar. Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services IRS 990 form for 1998. Accessed January 5, 2018. https://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/1998/237/444/1998-237444497-1-9.pdf.
    17. Brown, Heath. “Immigrant-Serving Nonprofits and Philanthropic Foundations.” Nonprofit Policy Forum. February 01, 2017. Accessed January 08, 2018. https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/npf.2014.5.issue-1/npf-2013-0002/npf-2013-0002.xml.
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    19. “Open Society Memorandum. National Security & Human Rights Campaign Docket 1 of 2011. Investigative Project. April 25, 2011. Accessed January 12, 2018.  https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/907-nshr-2011-docket-i-approved.pdf.
    20. “PROTEUS FUND INC.” CitizenAudit.org – Millions of Nonprofit Tax Documents. Accessed January 06, 2018. https://www.citizenaudit.org/organization/043243004/.
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    22. Beeson, Ann, Nancy Chang, Sophia Conroy, and Hyon Seo Kwon. Open Letter from the National Security and Human Rights Campaign Staff of the Open Society Institute’s U.S. Programs. PDF. New York, NY: Open Society Institute, December 15, 2008. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/letter_20081215.pdf
    23. Christinazolapeck. “Reclaiming Our Rights: Reflections on Racial Profiling in a post-9/11 America.” Issuu. Accessed January 06, 2018. https://issuu.com/christinazolapeck/docs/rwg-reclaiming-our-rights-2011.
    24. “Advocacy Week.” NNAAC. Accessed January 16, 2018. http://www.nnaac.org/advocacy_week.
    25. “Partners & Sponsors.” Women’s March. Accessed January 16, 2018. https://www.womensmarch.com/partners/.