GOLD2023

The James Irvine Foundation HQ

San Francisco, CA   |  https://www.irvine.org/

Mission

The James Irvine Foundation is a private, independent foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Foundation’s current focus is a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Since our founding in 1937, Irvine has made more than $2.2 billion in grants throughout California. With about $3.8 billion in assets, the Foundation provided $128.9 million in grants in 2021. For more information about the Irvine Foundation, please visit our website at www.irvine.org.

Ruling year info

1939

President & CEO

Mr. Don Howard

Main address

One Bush Street Suite 800

San Francisco, CA 94104 USA

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EIN

94-1236937

NTEE code info

Private Grantmaking Foundations (T20)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-PF.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Leadership Awards

The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards recognize leaders whose innovative solutions to critical state challenges improve people’s lives, create opportunity, and contribute to a better California.

The Foundation spotlights these leaders, helps share their approaches with policymakers and peers, and provides each of their organizations with a grant of $250,000 and additional resources.

Population(s) Served

Everyone should have the access and opportunity to earn a family-sustaining wage and advance in their career. Better Careers invests in innovative, high-impact organizations serving Californians seeking middle-skill jobs — positions that offer higher wages and career paths for high school graduates who have additional training.

Due in part to structural, racial, and systemic injustices and barriers, middle-skill jobs are inaccessible to millions, including Californians in low-wage jobs seeking more skills, talented youth who are not working or in school, formerly incarcerated individuals, and workers who lost their job due to the pandemic.

Population(s) Served

Workers across California who earn low incomes play a vital role in driving California’s economy. The essential work of those who grow our nation’s food, provide homecare, and pack or deliver goods, among other jobs, has been more evident since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet too few workers have a seat at the table on the economic decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods.

The Fair Work initiative seeks to ensure greater fairness and opportunity for workers earning low wages, by supporting leaders, partnerships, and innovations that connect workers to vital information and services, reduce wage theft, ensure access to rights and benefits afforded in current law, and promote civic engagement.

Population(s) Served

This seven-year, $135 million initiative in Fresno, Salinas, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Stockton aims to create and protect more good jobs that offer family-sustaining wages, benefits, and advancement opportunities for workers in low-wage jobs — and support communities as they create economies that work for all residents.

The initiative builds on and replaces previous grantmaking we called Priority Regions — communities that represent the future of California but do not have the same access to public, private, and philanthropic resources as California’s coastal cities.

Population(s) Served

To ensure that our economy works for all Californians, we must strengthen the ability of low-income workers and the organizations representing their perspectives to influence the decisions and policies that impact their lives. This is especially true for workers of color, who represent more than three out of every four low-income workers in California — and who face distinct barriers to economic inclusion and advancement rooted in structural racism.

Just Prosperity supports statewide efforts to develop and implement policies that reflect the priorities of low-income Californians by investing in organizations, partnerships, and new ideas that amplify worker voices, advance racial equity, and spark dialogue and action across the state.

Population(s) Served

California’s high housing costs are a significant barrier to economic advancement for low-income workers and their families. Deeply rooted systemic discrimination and racially biased housing polices have led to the housing affordability crisis disproportionately impacting workers of color, who spend more of their paychecks on rent, have lower rates of homeownership, and are more likely to live in segregated neighborhoods with less economic opportunity and higher rates of poverty.

The Housing Affordability project seeks to address the housing challenges low-wage workers face by investing $40 million over four years to support statewide and community solutions to protect low-income renters, preserve existing affordable units, and produce new and permanently affordable homes.

Population(s) Served

Where we work

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Our singular goal is a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. We focus specifically on California.

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).

Financials

The James Irvine Foundation
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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The James Irvine Foundation

Board of directors
as of 05/24/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Tim Rios

Robert E. Denham

Tolles & Olson LLP

Tim Rios

Wells Fargo

Don Howard

The James Irvine Foundation

Maria Anguiano

Arizona State University

Kafi D. Blumenfield

Sara Recktenwald

Goodwin Liu

California Supreme Court

Paulette Brown-Hinds

Black Voice News

Eliseo Medina

Brenna Butler Garcia

AG Spanos Companies

Michael Chui

McKinsey & Company

John Frank

Oak Tree Capital Management

Teresa Matsui

Matsui Nursery, Inc.

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 5/24/2023

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male
Sexual orientation
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations in the LGBTQIA+ community
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability