805 Undocufund
The 805UndocuFund started as a grassroots response effort to provide financial assistance to undocumented families in both Ventura and Santa Barbara counties following the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flows. Established by three community organizations (CAUSE, Future Leaders of America, and MICOP), the 805UndocuFund has become a part of our local safety net. The original model rotated responsibilities among organizations; in 2018, MICOP took helm following the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flows, CAUSE took the helm in 2019 and Future Leaders of America took leadership in 2020 for the COVID19 response efforts. Since its founding, the 805UndocuFund has provided over $8 million dollars to more than 6,000 undocumented families impacted by local disasters and the COVID19 pandemic. Most of our recipients have been Latinx and indigenous community members struggling to find resources outside 805UndocuFund. Due to the immense pressures for the “host” organization, the 805UndocuFund steering committee moved to create its own 501(c)3 with its own staff and Board of Directors. In its new iteration, the 805UndocuFund is figuring out how to compel local funders to fund the organization year-round as some do not see the need for support. Programming for 805UndocuFund includes “small scale” response fund, disaster relief, and plans for a statewide advocacy network, the CA UndocuFund Network.