PIF Foundational Principles

1.    We believe all people — no matter their socioeconomic or immigration status — are valuable and critical to U.S. success.

2.    As a matter of basic human dignity and our shared national interest, we believe that all children, youth and adults should have access to supports that help them meet their basic needs and promote positive development at times in their lives when they need them.

3.    Our focus is on partnering with immigrants’ and their families’ to facilitate access to these supports. By access we mean the ability to enroll, utilize, and retain services without fear. When we refer to immigrants we mean all those who are foreign born (including refugees and asylees). While our focus is on immigrants, we believe that ALL those who reside in the U.S. deserve to have access to the benefits they need so that families are able to thrive.

4.    Individual organizations will be invited to take positions on policy, legislation and public statements. Each organization can sign on and lend their name, or opt out to PIF statements on positions. The PIF Director may decide to sign-on to letters or statements on behalf of PIF, as an entity, but not as PIF Coalition. PIF will sign-on to letters and statements that directly reflect the values of PIF and do not conflict with the aligned priorities of its member organizations.

5.    PIF Coalition strategies and the partners’ deliberations are to be kept confidential, and final decisions will be kept confidential until there is an agreement to share the decision publicly.

6.    Active members will raise their disagreement openly within the confidentiality of the Coalition, be transparent about divergent strategies, and take no action that directly undermines or sabotages the Coalition.

7.    Active Members agree to use the Coalition’stop line guidance on messaging (as developed together), and to share relevant information (to the degree possible). When this is not possible, we will communicate with the full group clearly about why and we agree not to act in ways that publicly harm the Coalition’s messaging.

8.    We seek to coordinate with other related structures/coalitions/campaigns.

9.    The Coalition will seek to raise money. Decisions on how to spend campaign resources will be made by the PIF Director in consultation with the Executive Committee and Steering Committee by assessing the impact on the strategy and exploring if there is a critical mass of groups who have enough influence, capacity, and commitment to do the work and are prepared to take action together. 

10. Members are encouraged to fundraise to support their PIF related campaign work if they choose. If members are fundraising specifically to support PIF campaign activities, they will inform the Steering Committee/PIF Director about which funders they are asking, and the results, so fundraising strategy can be coordinated.