Grant to the new Movement Innovation Collaborative to particularly address the needs of organizations and coalitions of Inland California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 23, 2024

Contact:
Luisa Montes,
Communications Officer
415-356-9940
lmontes@irvine.org

SAN FRANCISCO (September 23, 2024) – The James Irvine Foundation has announced a $12 million commitment to the Movement Innovation Collaborative (MIC), an effort led by community organizers and worker advocates to strengthen organizations and their coordination with one another to advance economic and social change for communities and low-income individuals across California. 

“Organizations representing low-income workers and communities have secured important policy victories that benefit workers,” said Virginia Mosqueda, Initiative Director for the Irvine Foundation’s Just Prosperity initiative. “But these vital organizations need more investment to operate and collaborate at the scale necessary to help create greater equity in California.”  

MIC arose from a strategy design process led by leaders from diverse constituencies, generations, issues, and regions across the state, including a survey of more than 500 individuals and 200 organizations to inform the approach. The groups that comprise MIC plan to develop policy, communications and community engagement innovations; create a pipeline of future organizing leaders; strengthen organizational health and ways to address trauma; and build a network of regional centers in inland California and statewide. 

“The Movement Innovation Collaborative is led by the voices of local communities to cultivate and grow our power to build a more equitable California for all,” said Miya Yoshitani, MIC’s Co-Director and the former Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. “In 10 years, California will have more abundant and powerful grassroots organizations, more working families engaged in underrepresented regions, and more empowered workers and community leaders with the support to take bold risks, expand their reach, and build community power.” 

MIC’s other Co-Director, Maria Brenes — former Executive Director of InnerCity Struggle in the Eastside of Los Angeles — added, “This historic effort intends to further align and scale up movements to more effectively address community needs through movement strategy and innovation, intergenerational leadership development, healing justice and sustainable work culture, and a network of power-building centers throughout the state. The James Irvine Foundation’s support will be instrumental to strengthening movement infrastructure for transformative change for our communities.”  

The Irvine grant follows a significant investment in MIC of $85 million by The California Endowment, announced in May 2024. Irvine funds further the Foundation’s goal of a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically, including a specific focus of the grant on inland California communities. Approximately 70 percent of Irvine resources will be allocated and support the work of organizations in these regions. 

“Movement organizing has been underinvested in, and this is more pronounced in the Central Valley and Inland Empire,” added Mosqueda. “The Movement Innovation Collaborative helps to fill that gap and gives the organizing field needed resources to grow and succeed. We encourage other foundations interested in power building and civic engagement to invest in this opportunity.”  

The Irvine Foundation board also approved an $11 million grant over 24 months to the LeadersTrust, which supports nonprofit leaders with multi-year grants and leadership development, including tailored coaching, to build organizations’ capacity. The LeadersTrust has been an Irvine Foundation grantee since 2019, and the partnership has helped organizations expand support of low-income Californians and improve their core operations. 

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About The James Irvine Foundation  

The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Foundation’s focus is a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided more than $2.6 billion in grants to organizations throughout California. The Foundation ended 2023 with $3.1 billion in assets and provided $180.3 million in grants. For more, please visit www.irvine.org.