San Francisco, CA. The James Irvine Foundation has a long history in southern California with investing in meaningful nonprofits, and it continues to bring support through grants to individuals and struggling communities amidst the pandemic. (Leaders are pictured above before the pandemic.) The organization was originally founded in 1937 by a man known as the “pioneer of California agriculture.”
James Irvine inherited vast amounts of farmland in 1886 which helped build his fortune in food production before getting involved in philanthropy. The organization has radically changed since its creation in the late 30s as California moved from an agriculture state to realty-focused by the mid-20th century. The James Irvine Foundation is currently located in five cities and has created tens of thousands of jobs.
The motto of the organization today is to assist low-income working Californians by investing in its grantees, which are primarily nonprofits with similar goals in mind.
Last April, the foundation announced new considerations for grantmaking and launched its first major phase of the Priority Communities initiative in several different cities in the SoCal region and beyond.
The goals of the three different phases of initiatives were to invest in small grassroots organizations, persuade policymakers to listen to those who struggle the most, and assist working individuals affected by COVID. Additionally, the organization was concerned about the fact that the pandemic has affected a disproportionate amount of black and Latino communities who struggled on finding new employment as job loss continued to skyrocket in the States.
The James Irvine Foundation promised to use its $135 million initiative over a seven-year span in Fresno, Salinas, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Stockton in 2021. The James Irvine Foundation has currently given $28 million to 18 different grantees in support of the current workforce and creating new jobs.
The organization also hosts an annual James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards which recognizes leaders who responded to critical issues in their communities by creating new opportunities and improve the lives of Californians.
The foundation canceled the event last year due to the pandemic but plans to move forward with nominations for the Leadership Awards starting on March 8th.
With over $3 billion in assets, the James Irvine Foundation will likely continue to invest in meaningful projects this year that help the most vulnerable in Southern California communities.
From The James Irvine Foundation:
The California Dream – doing better than your parents – is increasingly out of reach for millions of working people. As our state and nation rebuild our economy, we have a chance – and an imperative – to do so in ways that honor, protect, and advance all workers.
California’s future is tied to the success of the millions of workers who live on low incomes, often in poverty. We invest in leaders and organizations that can address the daunting situation our state faces (before the fallout of COVID-19 and as we work to rebuild after it).
