This summary provides a high-level overview of organizational performance, strategic progress, and cultural health following the Q3 2026 Board of Directors meeting.
Organizational Health and Culture
RAICES continues to prioritize internal alignment, stability, and professional development across all units and departments.
Workforce Stability: Voluntary staff attrition stands at 10% year-to-date. This figure is significantly below the annual average turnover rate of 19% to 22% for the nonprofit sector.
Union Relations: Formal negotiations for a successor Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) commenced in early October, following preparation in Q3. Management remains committed to transparent, fair bargaining ahead of the current contract's December 1 expiration.
Internal Education: RAICES successfully developed the "Introduction to Immigration Legal Advocacy" syllabus to be rolled out in Q4. This initiative serves as the organization's first-ever standardized training curriculum for staff, advancing the transition into a true Learning Organization. The curriculum is designed to break down departmental silos by equipping all personnel with a unified foundational knowledge of immigration law and policy.
Financial Performance
RAICES demonstrated strong fundraising momentum and secured optimal audit results, while closely monitoring year-end revenue dependencies.
Audit Results: The 2025 financial audit received an Unmodified Opinion, which is the highest opinion available. RAICES earned the "Low-Risk Auditee" designation, reflecting a consistent record of clean audits and sound financial management.
Operating Performance: In Q3, RAICES outperformed our year-to-date expense-to-revenue target by 3%. While reaching our annual target remains within reach, it depends on strong Q4 revenue performance.
Fundraising Momentum: Strong retention of new monthly sustainers alongside a favorable Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) of $1.96 has propelled donation revenue approximately 10% past projected targets.
Programmatic Impact
RAICES served a total of 6,705 individuals across all program areas year-to-date in 2026.
Refugee Services: RAICES served 2,247 individuals year-to-date. Despite severe federal policy volatility—including the revocation of SNAP, Medicaid, and ACA eligibility for non-permanent resident refugees—we successfully stabilized our workforce. Additional FY27 grant funding, staff redeployment, and the creation of new outreach roles allowed us to rescind 13 of the 25 layoff notices issued in July.
Removal and Community Integration Services (RCIS): RAICES served 3,665 individuals year-to-date with subsidized legal representation. In response to an increasing number of completed consultations resulting in no available legal relief, we revised the intake screening protocol to better identify viable legal options before scheduling occurs. When measured exclusively against consultations where legal relief was identified, the consult-to-retainer conversion rate reached 106% in Q3, significantly exceeding the 50% target.
Rights Advocacy: Year-to-date, RAICES has provided legal aid and advocacy to 793 individuals and 140 families in immigration detention. We exceeded key operational targets, achieving an 89% habeas-related liberty rate (against a 75% goal) and a 49% advocacy consent rate (against a 33% goal). Additionally, foundational staffing was secured for the newly launched Family Justice Project (FJP), filling a critical gap in representation for detained individuals and families.
Looking Ahead
RAICES remains focused on long-term sustainability, expanding core programs through unrestricted funding, and defending against restrictive federal shifts.
Refugee Healthcare Backstops: In response to the compounding loss of federal health coverage pathways, RAICES is actively exploring a formal partnership with a San Antonio Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). This partnership would establish a sustainable medical home and pharmacy access for clients facing the loss of Medicaid and ACA coverage.
Supplemental Refugee Services: A targeted January–February 2027 launch is planned for supplemental programming. Approved by the Board in July, this strategic initiative will deploy unrestricted fundraising dollars to bridge critical service gaps with vocational support, targeted case management, and English Language Instruction.
Federal Opportunity Evaluation: As federal subgrant revenues contract in FY27, new federal grants will remain subject to a rigorous Go/No-Go evaluation framework to ensure future funding aligns ethically with the organization, maintains data sovereignty, and protects RAICES’ ability to litigate against the federal government in defense of our community members.
