Washington, D.C. – Today, TIME named Greisa Martínez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream, to its second-annual 2026 TIME100 Philanthropy list recognizing singular figures who are shaping the future of giving. The announcement follows last year’s launch of a historic multi-million-dollar emergency fund led by Ms. Martinez Rosas and in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union and Abundant Futures Fund, 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.’”
Greisa Martínez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream, said:
“I am deeply honored to be named to TIME100’s leaders shaping philanthropy. At a time when working people, especially immigrants, are facing escalating attacks on our civil rights, dignity, and livelihoods, communities on the frontlines are building an infrastructure of justice, protection, and collective care.
Immigrant youth are among those leading the charge. Through historic efforts like the creation and launch of the Defending Our Neighbors Fund –a collaboration between United We Dream, the ACLU, and Abundant Futures Fund that has raised $15 million to scale up legal defense across the country– immigrant youth are building long-term power to close the gaps where systems have failed.
This TIME100 recognition reflects the vision, brilliance, and leadership of young people who are redefining democracy itself. They are showing us that true belonging comes from giving not as charity, but in solidarity and deeply rooted in how we care for one another and how we protect our neighbors. Interdependence is true democracy.”
