FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 14, 2026 Media Contacts
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Washington, D.C. — Today, TIME named Greisa Martínez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream and one of the leaders behind the development and creation of the Defending Our Neighbors Fund, to its second-annual 2026 TIME100 Philanthropy list. The list recognizes leaders across the country who are shaping the future of giving and honors Ms. Martinez Rosas’ vital leadership in the launch of the historic multi-million-dollar Defending Our Neighbors Fund. The Fund was created in partnership with the ACLU and Abundant Futures Fund and has raised $15 million and counting to urgently expand legal defense for immigrant families facing separation, detention, and deportation.
The full list will appear in the May 25, 2026 issue of TIME, available on newsstands on Friday, May 15, and now online at ti.me/100-philanthropy.
Describing Greisa Martínez Rosas, TIME wrote:
“Greisa Martínez Rosas is an ‘unafraid’ and ‘unashamed’ immigrant who arrived in the U.S. as a child, and she brings that lived experience to her role at the helm of United We Dream.”
“Last year, in response to heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, United We Dream launched the Defending Our Neighbors Fund. Created in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Abundant Futures Fund, it seeks to raise $30 million to provide legal support and other resources for immigrants across the county, with more than $14 million raised so far. The average donation is $30 and 70% of funding comes from individuals.”
Martínez Rosas has emerged as a vocal thought leader, often drawing from her own personal background, including the deaths of both her parents. “That loss has made me as audacious as I can be, because there’s nothing that anyone can do to me that will hurt as much as that grief,’ she says. But she’s heartened to know that ‘a formerly undocumented, poor, queer girl from Texas can be part of a social movement that mobilizes millions of dollars.’”
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Created in partnership with United We Dream Network (UWD) and the ACLU, The Defending Our Neighbors Fund is hosted at Abundant Futures Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.The Fund is focused on fundraising, identifying grantees, and rapidly distributing resources to organizations working on the frontlines to support immigrant communities through legal representation and, when possible, bond assistance.
