This summer, The Big Beautiful Bill gave Seer a six-figure R&D tax credit. Our CFO shared this news with me and said we had the opportunity to do something impactful with the money — we were going to donate those funds back to community organizations working with immigrants. Over the summer, Seer made a renewed commitment to supporting immigrant communities through educational and volunteer opportunities.
As Seer’s Community Impact Lead, I had the opportunity to choose how the team would allocate these funds. I knew I wanted to support our local community, since we’re based in Philadelphia and very connected to our community here. I also considered organizations with broader reach, because a lot of the Seer team is spread across the country. Read on to see which organizations I selected for Seer to support, and why I chose them.
ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project: $100,000
The first organization I chose to fund was the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. I wanted most of our donation to go to an organization with a nationwide reach, and the Immigrants’ Rights Project works across the country to protect the rights of citizens and immigrants as they move through the legal system. That felt like an important cause to support, particularly given the current political climate.
I also knew the ACLU could easily handle a large gift, specifically $100,000, since they have a major gifts division and are used to large donations. Because of this, our donation wouldn’t be burdensome to process. We also decided to donate our funds through the ACLU Foundation, ensuring a tax deductible donation.
HIAS: $15,000
I then turned my attention to Philadelphia-based organizations — particularly those that might be flying under the radar. I wanted to highlight local groups that either had recently experienced fundraising cuts, or were working with limited fundraising capacity.
The first local group I thought of was Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) Pennsylvania. They help resettle refugees and provide case management for individuals seeking asylum.
Earlier in the summer, Seer did a training with HIAS where we introduced volunteer opportunities to our team. During that training, we learned HIAS had lost part of their funding due to changes in refugee admissions to the U.S., which are currently paused. Even though that stream of funding has been cut, other parts of their work, such as supporting asylum seekers and managing legal cases, are still very active.
Juntos: $15,000
The next organization I chose was Juntos, a grassroots, immigrant-led group in South Philly fighting for human rights. Currently, Juntos manages a Rapid Response hotline, helps folks navigating the legal system, and provides support for those detained at Moshannon Valley Detention Center. Juntos works with a limited budget and a small but mighty fundraising staff, so I knew the $15,000 could go a long way for the organization.
New Sanctuary Movement: $15,000
The third and final organization I chose to support with a $15,000 gift was New Sanctuary Movement. Like Juntos, they’re a grassroots, immigrant-led group that works to end injustices against immigrants. They accompany people to immigration court, advocate for policies that support immigrants, and help families facing deportation secure their green cards. Currently, New Sanctuary Movement is also working on a driver’s licenses campaign in Pennsylvania. They have a small budget and limited fundraising staff, so $15,000 will help them keep their programs running.
Closing Thoughts
The Seer team is proud to be able to support immigrant communities with these financial donations. Want to do something similar at your company? Focus on a cause important to you and learn about the organizations in your community that are putting in the work. Don’t be afraid to reach out to see if you can visit or volunteer. And don’t hesitate to reach out to smaller orgs — you never know when there may be a new opportunity for partnership!
Read more about Seer’s commitment to community impact and why we’re a certified B Corporation.
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