Grantee Case Study

Helping Immigrant Families Build Stable Lives in the Washington, DC Region

with Catholic Charities

Since Catholic Charities established the Newcomer Network in 2020 with a $17.5 million seed investment from the Clark Foundation, its staff have welcomed thousands of immigrants to the DC region with resources to help them overcome barriers and achieve their goals. The program, grounded in comprehensive case management services, enables immigrants to build self-sufficiency and embodies the type of partnerships the Clark Foundation sought to build during its 10-year sunset. The Newcomer Network differs from other immigrant assistance programs in its intensive and long-term case management, which is aimed not only at providing the legal services that are often top of mind for newcomers, but also meeting basic needs that help families get on their feet, such as health care, housing, education and employment. 

A young girl in front of a christmas tree opening a gift.

Helping Immigrant Families Build Stable Lives in the Washington, DC Region | Clark Foundation

Identifying an Opportunity to Scale Impact

The Foundation's funding relationship with Catholic Charities began 24 years ago, 15 years before the decision to spend down. Jim Clark greatly admired the breadth and impact of the work of Catholic Charities, one of the most comprehensive providers of social services to low-income individuals and families in the Washington, DC region. “My father loved the work of Catholic Charities, and its mission to help people grow and achieve stability,” said Courtney Clark Pastrick, Mr. Clark’s daughter and board chair of the Clark Foundation. “Since the early years of the Foundation, we have supported their work and developed a relationship that is built on trust and the shared belief that their programs have an outsized impact on the community.”

“Jim Clark was a spectacular businessman and a spectacular philanthropist,” said Monsignor John Enzler, mission advocate of Catholic Charities and its former President and CEO. “The Clark Foundation staff and leaders are like angels. They say, ‘We see a need, how can we address that need, and who can we partner with to address it?’”

As a longtime supporter, the Foundation sought to explore how a substantial investment of capital could help Catholic Charities create transformative change in its community. To this end, it funded Catholic Charities' collaboration with a strategic planning consultant to identify how the organization's strengths could be best leveraged. Although the Foundation funded the engagement, it remained hands-off during the process. "We trust the partner to support initiatives important to their communities. There's no way we're going to know those issues better than they are. We were confident that they would come up with a great idea," said Foundation President & CEO Joe Del Guercio. 

Catholic Charities arrived at the idea of establishing a wide-ranging immigrant support program, but with the “secret sauce,” as Father John calls it, of the Navigator Program. “We take clients who have a number of needs, who are willing to work with us to set goals and then overcome the barriers to achieving those goals,” said Sister Sharlet Wagner, Executive Director of the Newcomer Network. 

Navigators would work closely with Catholic Charities’ immigration attorneys to educate clients about available benefits and services, and when needed, compile accounts of a case for asylum. “If it's an asylum case or a domestic violence case, they need to write out their story. The Navigator is a trusted source to help them to do that and get them the documents they need,” said Sister Sharlet. “And so they can work together as a team, and that gives us stronger legal outcomes and stronger social outcomes.” 

The Clark Foundation was impressed by the innovative program model and committed to a $17.5 million seed investment in 2020. “We thought it was a great idea. We’re a believer that philanthropic capital should be risk capital. We look at these as investments and are willing to do heavy due diligence at the beginning so it can succeed,” said Del Guercio. “That’s always been our DNA and how we think about these things.”

As a child of immigrants, Del Guercio recognizes the importance of providing opportunities and services to individuals who have recently arrived in the country. “These people are working incredibly hard and taking incredible risks. It feels very personal to me.” he remarked. “They just need a little bit of opportunity. The desire is there, the effort is there. They just need the guidance that those of us lucky to already be here have. We believe, following Mr. Clark’s example, that there is a need to give back to the communities that have supported you.” 

Clark Pastrick noted that the Newcomer Network’s mission reflects her father’s values. “My father greatly admired the people that worked for his company, many of whom were immigrants. He respected their work ethic and always wanted to find ways to support them. I think he would be proud to know that they now have access to this incredible resource at Catholic Charities,” she said.

 

DC Initiatives

We have been able to introduce a population of people who want to work, who want to contribute to society. Who would want to leave their home except people who have nowhere else to go?

Monsignor John Enzler
President and CEO, Catholic Charities

Defining the Newcomer Network’s Mission

With the Clark Foundation’s investment, Catholic Charities began hiring staff and developing the structure of its program, which originally served immigrants in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. The organization added to its immigration legal staff and set qualifications for the Navigators it needed to hire. After deciding on educational and experience requirements, Sister Sharlet and her staff knew that they needed people with empathy for newcomers. “Once they tick off the initial boxes, we look to see if they have the heart for the job. Most either are immigrants themselves or their parents were immigrants. And so they understand the immigrant experience. They understand what our clients are struggling with. They're able to say, ‘Hey, I've been there, you know, I did it.’ You can do it,” Sister Sharlet said. 

The Newcomer Network currently assigns up to 25 families to each Navigator, to ensure that the staff can give each client the attention and help they need to attain their goals, which can range from acquiring a driver’s license, to enrolling their children in a local school or obtaining the employment authorization necessary to secure a job. Clients may also receive legal consultations, which may turn into full representation, with the attorney assisting on an immigration benefit application or representing the client in Immigration Court.

“We are providing an avenue for those who otherwise would not have an avenue to survive in this country. All this helps our society, our communities, our schools to produce quality citizens for the future,” said Father John, adding that the Newcomer Network’s mission is “in the DNA” of the Catholic Church. “If they’re in front of me, I’m going to help them. I’m not going to turn my back on them. The mission of the church is, ‘We say yes.’”  

And while focused on long-term results, Catholic Charities knew it would have to set aside funds for some immediate needs of immigrants. “A hand-out would be some food. A hand up is, ‘Let’s change your circumstances,’” said Sister Sharlet, emphasizing that both approaches are appropriate at different times in an immigrant’s journey. The organization and its parish partners have provided over 19,000 individuals with information and referral services, which range from offering diapers or a referral to a food pantry, to assisting with school enrollment or an application for health benefits.

Sister Sharlet cited a line from Catholic Charities’ mission statement: “We provide help that empowers and hope that lasts,” adding that the organization seeks not to make people dependent on its support but to provide help that enables them to create their own success. “In the notes that I see from people, in the stories that I hear, they may come in not feeling a lot of hope, and they exit our program with hope.”  

The program also aligns with the priorities that Mr. Clark held dear. “I think my father would love the Newcomer Network and be very proud of it,” said Clark Pastrick. “My dad was a builder. The immigrants coming into this country were such an integral part of his work. He felt like these people need to become a part of the community, and to do that they need help overcoming barriers like language, legal help, housing and jobs, which Catholic Charities does so very well.”

Pivoting to Address an Unexpected Change

Soon after the Newcomer Network was founded, Washington, DC saw a significant rise in the number of immigrants coming to the region. Catholic Charities asked the Clark Foundation if it could expand its work from the initial proposal of the two Maryland counties to the city of DC, and the Foundation readily agreed. 

“The agency would have responded to this need anyway, because that's what Catholic Charities does, but having the Newcomer Network meant there weren't 30 people standing on a street corner in DC trying to figure out where to go and what to do, because they were just dropped off by a bus,” Sister Sharlet said. 

While not originally intended to cope with the surge in immigration in recent years, the Newcomer Network deployed its expertise and structure to meet the moment. “We watched them pivot and adjust with the influx of immigrants to the region. They just continue to impress us,” said Jennifer Houston, Director of the Clark Foundation’s legacy investments. 

Since 2020 the Newcomer Network has provided

5,300+
people with legal consultations
1,700+
people with case management services

Measuring Impact and Adapting to Meet Future Needs

Through the scaling of its programs, the Newcomer Network has been able to ease the transition of thousands of immigrants who have moved to the DC region. As of June 2024, Navigators provided over 1,700 people with full case management services, 5,300 people with legal consultations, and over 18,000 legal orientations for guardians of unaccompanied children.  

Looking beyond the number of services provided, the Newcomer Network understands the importance of tracking social outcomes and the positive longer-term impact that can result from its support. “We measure outcomes, not just outputs. Instead of just counting how many meals we’ve provided, we look at whether individuals have achieved their goals and the difference in their lives that we have made,” Sister Sharlet remarked. Over the last six years, nearly 1,700 client legal matters have been resolved, 440 individuals have received work authorization and 219 have successfully received a green card or work visa.

The hope is that the true effects of these outcomes will span years, or even generations. “This program is limitless in many ways,” said Del Guercio. “The impact that the kids of these immigrants and their kids after that can have on this country – it’s impossible to measure that.”  

As the needs of the immigrant community continue to change, Catholic Charities recognizes that the Newcomer Network programming must also adapt. The organization is considering new services to offer its clients, including the addition of Navigators who speak other languages to help immigrants from regions outside of Latin America. “We are partnering with the Clark Foundation to make sure that programs that are really innovative can grow stronger for years to come,” Father John said. “We were blessed with a wonderful gift which continues to make things happen.”

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