Irvine's mandate is to serve the people of California. As a foundation established to serve a defined geographic area, we are attuned to the special characteristics and unique needs of the diverse array of places where we work. While we support organizations throughout the state, we have identified two priority regions for our funding:

• San Joaquin Valley
• Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino counties)

We selected these regions because they have unique needs and circumstances that relate directly to the Foundation's mission and goals:

• They have been traditionally underserved by philanthropy.
• They are experiencing major demographic shifts and rapid population growth.
• They are regions where low-income Californians reside in disproportionate numbers.

Irvine's grantmaking in the priority regions focuses on the issues addressed by our three core program areas: Arts, California Democracy and Youth. In addition, the following goals guide our grantmaking in the priority regions.

• To identify organizations with potential or a proven track record in our program areas and invest in them to continue or expand their services and to strengthen their organizational infrastructures
• To help these organizations better respond to the changing demographics in their regions
• To expand the pool of sustainable financial resources available for regional and community needs and opportunities

Example

The California Votes Initiative seeks to increase voter participation rates among infrequent voters — particularly those in low-income and ethnic communities — in the San Joaquin Valley and the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino. The initiative funds nine nonprofit organizations that have a history of working effectively with the communities they aim to mobilize. To read more about this initiative, click here.

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