frequently asked questions
General
Yes, Migrant Support Collective currently only provides programs and services for people in immigrant detention.
MSC is always interested in growing the collective. Feel free to reach out to us if you’d like to discuss a partnership.
We are looking into applying for 501(c)(3) status. At this time, we are a mutual aid fund. With your continued support, we hope to grow.
Volunteer opportunities will be posted to our website and social media accounts as our programs and services continue to grow. Please reach out to us so that we can contact you when there are opportunities. You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and Threads [links to all] to learn when volunteers are needed.
Here are some great resources for you to learn more:
Requesting
Books, journals, and writing utensils are the most common requests we get for library materials. If you would like to request funding for anything aside from those items, email us at (new email) to ask us if we can fund it.
We reserve the right to decline funding requests for any reason, but our goal is to fund all requests. Please keep in mind that many detention centers do not allow books with sexually explicit or violent content. Due to limited funding, we cannot provide more than $30 in funding per client per month, even if a book is turned away by a detention center.
Yes! We have a monthly limit of $30 for each of your clients. As we grow, we hope to increase this amount.
Yes! You do not have to represent the individual in order to request funding from us, as long as your request meets our other requirements.
No problem! Just make sure to explain this in your request to us, and to include proof that you are a volunteer. This could include, but is not limited to, the following: volunteer placement email; an email from your supervisor; a bio on the nonprofit's website.
Most detention centers have strict rules about accepting books, so please be sure to call and ask about requirements before ordering. Consider asking if they accept used books as well as new books. Many detention centers require books to be shipped from Amazon or another major retailers, but if you find a detention center with more flexible rules, consider searching for your favorite local bookstore on Bookshop, or ordering from one of these places:
Donations
Unfortunately, detention centers don’t allow us to ship books directly to detained folks or to hand them off in person. They have to be shipped directly from the retailer, or in some cases specifically from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, etc. The process of sending books to people in detention often differs in each detention center, and we strongly recommend calling the detention center to check on the details before sending anything.
If you donated to one of our early campaigns from 2019 to mid-2024 that was specifically fundraising for library materials, then your donation will be used solely for library materials. If you donated to our 2024 general operations campaign, or if you donate to us now, then your donation will be used to support a much wider variety of all of the things MSC needs to keep its doors open. Your donation may be used for things such as, but not limited to, the following:
- Support for our current or forthcoming programs and services
- Staff and volunteer support
- Support for our fundraisers and events