Irvine's mission is to expand opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society. We focus our grantmaking on three program areas: Arts, California Democracy and Youth. These three programs work together to advance our mission and organizational goals.

In addition, four principles guide our grantmaking. They are a product of our past experience and reflect our view of how we can make the best use of our resources, whether we are fostering a rich artistic environment, advancing public policy decision making or helping youth succeed in high school and postsecondary education.

Our four grantmaking principles are:

• Focus on Place — We are attuned to the special characteristics and unique needs of the diverse array of places where we work.
• Invest in Organizations — We believe that strong programs need strong organizations to implement and sustain them.
• Build Leadership — We support strategies that help to build leadership within our program areas, as well as more broadly throughout the state.
• Engage Beyond Grants — We leverage our grantmaking, when appropriate, with other strategies and approaches to reach our goals.