The following information is for organizations that are not a current grantee or have not been contacted by our program staff as a possible grantee. These three steps will help you determine if your work aligns with our program priorities, and, if so, how to submit a letter of inquiry.

1. Review eligibility requirements

To be considered for a grant, your organization or project must:

• Be classified as a public charity and tax exempt under 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) or (2) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Benefit California: Irvine's Indenture of Trust restricts our grantmaking to programs and organizations that directly benefit the people of California.
• Be primarily independent from government support: When James Irvine established the Foundation in 1937, he stipulated that his funds "shall be used for such charities as do not enjoy substantial support through taxation." Based on this restriction, we refrain from making grants to public agencies or organizations that receive more than 50 percent of their revenue from government donations.

In rare instances, an organization that does not meet these criteria may be invited by the Foundation to submit a proposal for a specific project, if our staff has determined that no other eligible nonprofit organization is able to carry out the project.

2. Read our funding guidelines

Inquiries for Arts funding are accepted only through our Creative Connections Fund, which is open to all eligible nonprofit arts organizations and offers one to two rounds of funding per year.

Grantseekers interested in a California Perspectives or Youth grant should read carefully the funding guidelines for these program areas: California Perspectives and Youth. If, after reading these funding guidelines, you believe your organization's work and our priorities are well-aligned, you may submit a letter of inquiry, using the link below. This form will gather basic information about your organization and grant request.

3. Submit your inquiry

To submit a letter of inquiry, please click here.

We consider grant requests for a range of support, including:

• Core support when the organization's core work aligns with our program priorities
• Strategies to improve or expand existing programs
• Start-up of new projects
• Planning, management or technical assistance needs
• Strategies to strengthen organizational leadership
• Evaluation
• Selected policy work and advocacy

We do not fund

Please do not submit an inquiry for the following types of support, as we generally do not make grants for:

• Capital campaigns
• Major equipment
• Films or videos
• Deficit or emergency funding
• Scholarships
• Fundraising events or annual appeals
• Endowment contributions

For more information, please read our answers to frequently asked questions. If you have further questions, please contact:

Grants Manager
The James Irvine Foundation
575 Market Street, Suite 3400
San Francisco, CA 94105
grantinquiry@irvine.org