Dear John:

We’ve come so far.

In three years of the New American Leaders Action Fund (NALAF), your support has created a political ecosystem that connects New American candidates, facilitates the exchange of lessons learned, and offers a haven from the challenges of campaigning.

Thank you for being a partner in this work. NALAF’s success in the New York City Council elections is just the most recent demonstration of our ability to serve as a political incubator. Eleven endorsees won their races in June, making it almost certain that the NYC Council will be majority women and BIPOC for the first time. Some of the committed public servants standing in November’s election include:

• Born in Puerto Rico, NAL alum Alexa Avilés moved to East New York when she was 5 years old and spent her life engaged in social justice work. She worked on fellow alum Marcela Mitaynes’ state assembly campaign in 2020, and Marcela’s momentum fueled her own run to represent her western Brooklyn district.
   
• NAL alum Shahana Hanif is a feminist organizer and experienced government staffer who beat out several formidable opponents in her Brooklyn city council primary race. Shahana worked to expand the Bangladeshi electorate in her neighborhood by identifying natural leaders and giving them tools to run culturally competent canvasses, and had the strongest field program in the city.
   
• NALAF endorsee Julie Won will be the first immigrant and first woman ever to represent western Queens in the City Council. A child of Korean immigrants, she was inspired to run for office when COVID-19 caused both her parents to lose their jobs and health care. Won will fight for lower rent, a living wage, and Wi-Fi for all to bridge the digital divide.

NALAF, together with its 501(c)(3) affiliate, New American Leaders (NAL), is nurturing long-term power for immigrants and building a political bloc in office that can move progressive policies. Many NALAF endorsees started as trainees in NAL’s signature Ready to Lead program, where they learned the importance of running with immigrant communities in mind.

Now we need your help to replicate these victories across the country! Please make a gift to NALAF today and ensure this New American progressive ecosystem is built to last.

Onward,

Ghida Dagher
President
New American Leaders Action Fund