Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. (CDM) has received Economic Opportunity Funders’ first-ever Law & Social Policy Legacy Award, which recognizes an organization defending and advocating for low-wage workers’ rights.

CDM was selected based on its strong record of achieving justice for thousands of migrant workers who work in U.S. industries with histories of exploitation. Its advocacy, worker organizing, and legal work have advanced migrant workers’ rights both systemically and individually, reforming the H-2 visa system and earning workers millions in settlements for unpaid wages.

CDM was one of eight strong nominations for the $10,000 award, which was established to increase awareness within the philanthropic community of organizations working to advance law and social policy for low-wage workers’ rights. Nominees were evaluated on three criteria: significance, collaborative approach, and systemic impact.

CDM achieves each of these goals; its work has significantly improved low-wage workers’ lives, involves collaboration with leaders in the migrant worker community, and has systemically transformed the migrant visa system.

CDM’s victories alongside the workers it represents benefit all migrant workers. The organization’s work has set valuable legal precedents key to protecting workers’ rights in future litigation, legislation, and rulemaking, led to investigations of entire industries, and earned $36.3 million for workers in settlements.

A $10,000 award will be given by EOF with support from Public Welfare Foundation annually until 2030 as a part of their legacy investment into the Workers’ Rights field.

Read the full press release here.

Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. supports Mexico-based migrant workers to defend and protect their rights as they move between their home communities in Mexico and their workplaces in the United States.

To learn more about CDM, contact:

Rachel Micah-Jones
Executive Director/Directora Ejecutiva
Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.
Pronouns/Pronombres: She/Her/Ella
rachel@cdmigrante.org
https://cdmigrante.org/

“We are incredibly honored to be the inaugural recipient of the Law & Social Policy Award. This award and the recognition that comes with it will help us continue to draw attention to the plight of migrant workers and the importance of improving their work conditions in the U.S.”

— Rachel Micah-Jones, founder and executive director of CDM

Meet the 2021 Law & Social Policy Legacy Award Winner

April 29 | 1:00-1:30 PM ET

Learn More

Join us for a one-on-one conversation with Rachel Micah-Jones, Co-founder and Executive Director of CDM to learn more about their work organizing migrant workers to demand equitable working conditions, taking legal action to hold employers accountable for discrimination, and advocating for policies that reflect worker voices.

2022 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS WILL OPEN IN LATE 2021

The Law & Social Policy Legacy Award was established in 2020 to recognize organizations defending and advocating for low-wage workers’ rights. The Public Welfare Foundation spent more than a decade supporting public policy and system reforms to improve the lives of low-wage working people in the United States. This prize will commemorate and build on Public Welfare Foundation’s support to the field and honor the critical role law and social policy organizations play in building an economy that works for all.

EOF is a network of national, regional and local funders working to advance economic equity and opportunity in the United States. A $10,000 award will be given by EOF with support from Public Welfare Foundation annually until 2030 as a part of their legacy investment into the Workers’ Rights field. Awardees will be recognized at EOF’s Annual Budget and Tax Briefing in March.

EOF seeks nominees whose work is:

Significant: The nominee’s work is critical to improving low-wage workers’ lives and advances best practice in the field. This may be through innovation (testing new tactics or engaging new allies) or a deep commitment to sustained progress over time.
Collaborative: The nominee’s work is collaborative, engaged in concert with partners and impacted communities.
Systemic: The nominee’s work will have lasting impact, advancing structural and systems change.

The award is open to any organization working in the field of law and social policy to advance low wage workers’ rights in the United States. Nominated organizations may be of any size or budget and work may have just started or occurred over years. Individuals are not eligible.

Anyone can make a nomination, and self-nominations are allowed. Nominators may make one nomination per year. Two external references are required along with the online application.

DISCLAIMER: Award recipients are not selected based on the volume of nominations received. A single nomination will place the organization in consideration for the award.

The winner will receive $10,000 and be announced and recognized at the EOF Annual Budget and Tax Briefing.

See full press release here.

Questions? Visit our FAQs or contact Cema Siegel at csiegel@eofnetwork.org.

We received 8 strong nominations for our inaugural 2021 Law & Social Policy Legacy Award.

	Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.: Founded in 2005, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. (CDM) is the first transnational migrant workers’ rights organization based in Mexico. Through innovative litigation, groundbreaking policy advocacy, pioneering outreach and crosscutting alliances, CDM has grown into a powerful force of change in the global struggle for migrant worker justice. 2021 Winner
	Human Trafficking Legal Center: The Human Trafficking Legal Center is the only U.S. organization systematically training attorneys to pursue justice for trafficking survivors in civil courts. They lead national and international efforts to hold human traffickers accountable, secure restitution for victims, raise awareness of victims’ rights, and deter future exploitation.
	Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California: Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA) promotes self-determination in the Latino community in Southern California politically, culturally, and economically using popular education methodology. IDEPSCA organizes and educates low-income community members who want to resolve problems in their own communities.
	Make the Road New Jersey: Founded in 2014, Make the Road New Jersey builds the power of immigrant, working-class & Latinx communities to achieve dignity and respect through community organizing, legal, policy innovation and transformative education. Our policy wins – conceived of, executed and won by low wage immigrant workers, have impacted the lives of more than 1 million New Jerseyans.
	National Council for Occupational Safety and Health: The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) is a national leader in the fight for safe, healthy working conditions. Founded in 2004, National COSH engages and impacts workers in communities across the country through a network of 23 state and local non-profit COSH groups (Coalitions/committees on Occupational Safety and Health).
	National Employment Law Project: For over 50 years, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) has researched and advocated for policies that create good jobs, expand access to work, and strengthen protections to support underpaid and jobless workers. NELP publishes research that illuminates workers’ issues; promotes policies that improve workers’ lives; lends deep legal and policy expertise to important cases and campaigns; and partners with allies to advance crucial reforms.
	TakeRoot Justice: TakeRoot Justice provides legal, participatory research and policy support to strengthen the work of grassroots and community-based groups in New York City to dismantle racial, economic and social oppression. TakeRoot Justice employs a unique model of partnership with grassroots and community-based groups, where partners take the lead in determining the priorities and goals for our work, and advance our understanding of justice.
	Worksafe: Worksafe is a California-based organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the basic right of all people to a safe and healthy workplace through policy advocacy, legal services and training, movement building, and public outreach. They are the only California legal support organization that focuses on occupational health and safety.