NEO Philanthropy has announced Jonathan Blazer as the new Senior Program Officer of The Four Freedoms FundTM (FFF), the organization’s collaborative fund working toward the full integration of immigrants as active participants in our democracy. Over the past 12 years, he has worked in related positions at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the national ACLU engaging in or supporting hundreds of battles for immigrants’ rights at the state and local levels, while also working to connect these fights to federal advocacy efforts and longer-term strategies for social change.
“The Four Freedoms Fund has played an indispensable role in supporting organizations that form the heart and soul of the immigrants’ rights movement. These groups are in the fight of their lives – for their lives – and I am honored by the opportunity to reinforce their efforts at this defining moment.”
Blazer brings a wealth of relevant experience and proven success to the Senior Program Officer role. He not only is one of the nation’s top experts on state and local immigration policy, but he is deeply familiar with many FFF grantees advocating for immigrants on the state and local level, as well as the broader pro-immigrant movement. Most recently, he was a Special Assistant to the California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, serving as his immigration advisor.
As the Senior Program Officer, Blazer will help shape FFF’s strategy for building, strengthening and supporting an infrastructure of state and local pro-immigrant organizations that are leading advocacy, organizing, communications and civic engagement activities.
“Jonathan has a powerful track record of advocating for immigrants,” said Anita Khashu, Director of the Four Freedoms Fund. “I’m looking forward to working closely with him as we continue our efforts to strengthen the immigrant’s rights field and further our mission to empower immigrants and their families.”
Now in its fourteenth year, the Four Freedoms FundTM has invested more than $100 million in over 200 grantees in approximately 30 states and nationally. In order to attain its goals of immigration system reform and full integration of immigrants, FFF builds the individual and collective capacity and infrastructure of the pro-immigrant movement by supporting a network of local, state and national organizations and leaders.