Council on American-Islamic Relations - San Francisco Bay Area

As we begin 2019, our team remains dedicated to fighting the challenges you helped us face this past year. Last year our offices saw a continued increase in reported hate crimes, discrimination, bullying and harassment. Rhetoric and violence against Muslims and other minority communities continues to threaten vulnerable populations in the United States making the need for our services more important than ever. 

Founded in 1994, CAIR-SFBA is the oldest CAIR office in the nation and serves the nine Bay Area counties. Our mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice. We execute our mission through four strategies for change: direct legal services, media engagement, government advocacy, and community empowerment.

In 2018 our work included registering over 300 community members to vote, distributing nearly 10,000 voter guides, hosting 7 Candidates Forums, facilitating Bystander Intervention Trainings for over 1,000 Bay Area residents, presented 20 “Know Your Rights” presentations, leading 300 Muslim Bay Area residents to the capitol to engage their elected officials and empowering Muslim youth with our robust educational programs all while responding to nearly 500 inquiries regarding discrimination or immigration.

In 2019, we plan to grow our initiatives and work by:

• Increasing the capacity of our immigration legal services, so we can continue to aid those otherwise unable to obtain legal assistance while additionally offering free citizenship clinics 
• Training and mobilizing hundreds of Bay Area Muslims to engage their elected officials through Muslim Day at the Capitol

• Hosting the annual Muslim Gamechangers Network, a three-month intensive program to train Bay Area Muslim youth on social justice issues and campaign tools, providing the next generation of community leaders with essential knowledge and skills
• Organizing in-depth legislative & lobbying trainings for community members and then connecting them to their newly elected officials through in person meetings
• Facilitating Bystander Intervention Trainings at colleges, community centers, and places of worship, empowering community members to effectively support targets of hate crimes 

Thank you for joining us on the front lines of civil rights and social justice.